Theaters in Almaty are keeping their doors wide open — at least for wealthier visitors. If, for instance, someone wants to rent an entire theater building for a photo shoot, they can do so without any problem.
Almaty Theatre, the city’s first private venue of this kind, is currently offering this new service to anyone interested. The price is quite high, reflecting the theater’s reputation as one of the most exclusive cultural spots in the city.
The venue offers several packages, starting at approximately $200 for a three-hour rental that excludes access to the main stage and auditorium and going up to around $960 for nine hours of full access to all areas of the theater. According to the theater’s representatives, the venue’s interior is ideal for shooting TikTok content, music videos and commercials.
This practice is common for many Russian cultural spaces as well. For instance, the world-famous Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg permits staged, non-professional shootings, such as weddings, using special equipment, though without extra lighting or flash. The fee is about $20, while commercial advertising shoots are prohibited.
Almaty Theatre opened its doors in 2022 and quickly emerged as one of the most popular venues among Almaty’s bohemia, known for offering some of the city’s most expensive tickets. Another notable project — the Almaty Museum of Arts — is expected to open its doors nearby this fall. The initiative is led by Kazakhstani tycoon Nurlan Smagulov, majority owner of Astana Group, who has invested more than $100 million in this ambitious cultural venture.
