The City of Albuquerque's Cultural Services Department is pleased to offer you and your organization the opportunity to hold your event in a truly unique facility.

The KiMo Theatre is available for rental by any individual or organization with a Performing Arts or Educational purpose, as well as commercial and private functions.

By following the procedures listed below you will help your event run smoothly and successfully and also help to preserve this Historic building and its mission to our community.

Please don't be tempted to skip directly to the Rental Application section and put off reading the rest of this page until later.  Being familiar with all the information below is necessary for completing the Rental Application effectively. Incomplete or incorrect information on your Application will cause delays in reviewing it. Undisclosed information may cause the cancellation of your rental.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Facility Overview

Auditorium seating capacity: 650, includes 10 wheelchair/companion spaces
Dressing room capacity: 40 persons, in 5 dressing rooms
Max. backstage capacity: 75
Stage size: 28' deep x 40' wide x 18' hi. (no fly-loft)
Orchestra Pit: 14' x 38' x 8'
Other Amenities:
Lobby food service area with serving counter, refrigerators and ice machine.
On-site Ticket Office with TicketMaster access.
ETC lighting system: 130+ instruments and 192 dimmers, 2 Phoebus HMI followspots, 4 Martin moving lights.
Electro-Voice Line-Array sound system, with up to (2) 32 ch. mixing consoles.
Hearing Impaired system, Clear-Com intercom, Lobby video.
35mm & 16mm Film projectors. 2 screens, 15' x 20' and 16' x 30+'
Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound.
DVD (NTSC & PAL) / VGA / VHS - playback.
HD Epson video projector, 5200 lumen, 1024 x 768 XGA, 4x3 and 16x9
with computer inputs on-stage & in the control booth.
High speed Internet access.

Introduction

The person or organization responsible for presenting an event is known as the Producer. The Producer rents the KiMo Theatre from the City of Albuquerque. The KiMo's administrative staff oversees the use of the building and provides various services as requested.

Because we want your event here to be as successful as possible we have compiled most of the actual requirements from KiMo Theatre's Rental Permit into the various pages below and present them here (as far in advance as we can) to help you be as prepared as possible, avoiding future confusion or last minute 'surprises'.

Call us and ask questions, that's why we're here.
Working together we can present even more outstanding events for our community.

Please set aside a meaningful amount of time to review these pages, they are the conditions you and your event will be subject to.  This collection of requirements has been developed over the last 20+ years to help you present your event here in as effective and successful a manner as possible, and so that you are aware of the various responsibilities and scope of work involved in producing an Event in this facility. 

It isn't really as overwhelming as these pages might make it seem.  It's a step by step process spread over many months.  Please remember that virtually all the current renters of the KiMo Theatre are local community based non-profit organizations that have minimal staff and resources.  
If they can do it, so can you!

The first thing you can do to make the entire process much easier is to start as soon as possible.

Finding a date for your event

The KiMo Theatre's rental availability is, "first come - first served."  The KiMo is a popular venue and our event calendar can fill up quickly. Inquiries are sometimes received for dates up to 2 years in advance.  
Most weekend or especially desirable dates are usually filled a year in advance!

Contact us to inquire about dates for your event as soon as you begin to plan for it.  

Do not use our Upcoming Events page as a guideline for 'available' dates. That page ONLY includes the next few months of events that are fully confirmed into our 'for-the-public' schedule.

Please remember that the KiMo is an 80+ year old registered Historic Landmark that has been only partially renovated, and some things are just not possible.  Discuss your equipment and backstage requirements with our Technical Manager prior to submitting your Rental Application as this will help avoid further delays in your locating a suitable venue if we cannot meet your needs.

CLICK HERE for more important Date Selection information.

Rental Application Procedure

To allow us to hold a date for you in our schedule we need to know who you are and what you have in mind. This information is sent to us in a Rental Application form.

Submission of a KiMo Rental Application and/or payment of the Booking Deposit does NOT guarantee approval of your proposed rental. 

Your Booking Deposit is due with the submission of the Rental Application.

Please do not send an Application without contacting us first, OR if your Event or Organization cannot meet the requirements listed on the pages below.

Due to the amount of time required to coordinate and confirm all the seemingly endless details necessary to Produce most events, if you do not submit your Rental Application at least 3 months prior to your event please be aware that it may not be possible to: obtain some goods and services (ie. online ticket sales), effectively control your production expenses, obtain sufficient audience attendance, etc.

CLICK HERE for more important information about completing the Application form.

                      KiMo Theatre Rental Application form

If your application is accepted please continue to review and follow the guidelines below to prepare for your event. This will help ensure that you are following; City policies, local Ordinances and various State and Federal laws. 

Financial Information

The KiMo Theatre requires a Booking Deposit of $500 for Commercial and $250 for Non-Profit rentals. The Booking Deposit is due with your Rental Application. The Booking Deposit is applied toward the building rental fees. 
A 501c-3 certificate is required to receive the non-profit rates.

The KiMo Theatre requires a Damage & Compliance Deposit of $1000 for Commercial and $500 for Non-Profit events, it is due with the signing of the Rental Permit. This deposit is refundable after the event if there is no damage to the building or violation of the Rental Permit terms.

CLICK HERE for more important Financial Information

Rental Permit signing

After your event Application has been accepted you will be scheduled to meet with us for the review and signing of a Rental Permit.  This is the legal document that allows you to occupy the building, subject to the terms and fees of the Permit.

The Rental Permit confirms the legal responsibilities and liabilities for your event and is required for ANY use of the KiMo Theatre.

For us to help your event be presented in the best possible manner we need as much confirmed and detailed information about the event as possible.  This information is usually communicated to us during the Rental Permit signing meeting.

CLICK HERE for more information about our Rental Permit.

Advertising your event to the Public

Advertising your Event to the public is solely your responsibility, but it should not begin until after the Rental Permit is signed because you may need to correct or reprint your advertising to accommodate financial and other information obtained at the Rental Permit signing meeting. 

Please contact us for the specific wording (ADA), phone numbers and logos (City / KiMo / Ticketmaster) that should be placed in your advertisements.

We will not be able to provide any information to the public about your event unless you have first provided it to us.

Ticket Sales

Tickets to events at the KiMo are usually sold at the KiMo's Ticket office and through Ticketmaster. Other options are possible but limited and an up-front service fee Deposit ($300 for each performance) is required.

Please do not create tickets or set your ticket prices until after the Rental Permit signing meeting, you may need to increase your prices to cover service charges or other fees you hadn't considered. Whole dollar amount ticket prices are usually preferable.

To help ensure maximum attendance at your event you should allow a MINIMUM of 4 weeks for your advertising and ticket sales prior to the event. Anything less will compromise the visibility of your event to your potential audience.

At the Rental Permit signing meeting you will be asked to complete and return a Ticket Sales Set-up form.  This form will be provided to you by our Ticket Office Manager and it is the document that confirms the seating arrangements and ticket prices for your event.   

Ticket sales for your event cannot begin without the completed 'Sales set-up' form and at least 5 business days should be allowed for processing it thru Ticketmaster. You may contact the KiMo Ticket Office or Business Manager for assistance with the form.

Contact us if you have questions. (505) 768-3522

Lobby & Front of House Information

Day of show

You are required to provide a minimum of 8 Ushers and a Lobby Manager for each presentation of your event. The ushers and your Lobby Manager(s) must be at least 18 years old, arrive not less than 1 hour prior to showtime for a short training session and remain available throughout the event. An audience cannot be admitted into the building if your ushers are not present.

A (minimum of one) Security guard is required for all evening and weekend events. Fees apply.

If your event is free, you must provide additional persons to count & verify the number of persons admitted into the auditorium, as per Fire Dept. regulations.

If tickets are sold, you must provide at least 2 Ticket Takers, as well as the Ticket Seller(s).  You must bring your own change for at-the-door cash sales. There is no telephone or credit card equipment/service for at-the-door ticket sales.

Whole dollar amount prices will allow quicker at-the-door transactions.

The KiMo does provide a food & beverage service area in the Lobby.  Staffing, stocking and operation of this service is at your option. All of the City's Environmental Health Department food service rules do apply.

Floor space for sales or display tables is very limited and may not obstruct movement of persons in the lobby. (Fire Code)

Nothing may be attached to the inside or outside walls of the building. This specifically includes tape or adhesives on ANY decorative or painted surface.  Banners or signs can sometimes be tied up in limited locations.  Please inquire.

Stage Labor

Rental of the KiMo includes the use of our standard lighting and sound equipment, but it does not include persons to set-up or operate that equipment or any labor or production staff for your event.  All fees for labor are billed in addition to the rental of the building.

Your backstage staff should consist of at least 3 persons, 1 each for lighting, sound and stage. A more thorough listing of Theatrical production personnel is contained on our Production Staff and Stage Crew page.

To provide you and your audience with a quality level of presentation, persons to operate our auditorium lighting and sound equipment for your event will be scheduled for you.  
Additional labor can be scheduled for your event on an 'as needed' basis.  Fees apply.

Please contact the KiMo Theatre Technical Manager (768-3578) and initiate conversations about staffing levels well in advance of your event to avoid untimely complications.

If you have not already confirmed your labor needs you will contacted by our Technical Staff approximately 3 weeks prior to your event.

We can also offer you referrals to other sources of Theatrical Labor.

Stage Equipment

To provide the majority of our Renters with easily useable lighting and sound systems for their events, the KiMo's stage equipment is maintained in a standard configuration.  Additional equipment is available for rental.

While we do have an inventory of additional equipment please do not assume we have specific items available for your event without confirming their availability and cost directly with us.

To assist you with preparing for your event, please contact the KiMo Theatre's Technical Manager to discuss your equipment needs prior to submitting your Rental Application. (505) 768-3578

Our current; Lighting, Sound, Projection and Video equipment inventory lists are available here. These lists include rental prices.     Non-Profit     Commercial     
Please complete and return the applicable form at least 30 days prior to your event. 

CLICK HERE for more important information about our Stage Equipment.

The KiMo does not provide musical equipment commonly referred to as 'backline' and any 'hospitality' (food, beverage, etc.) items.  
The KiMo does not maintain any inventory of: scenery, costumes, backdrops, furniture, props, etc. 
We also cannot provide Recording and/or Broadcasting services or equipment.  
We can refer you to suppliers of these services.
Caution: Some conditions at the KiMo may be unsuitable for your recording purposes. Please inquire.  (505) 768-3578 or email

Backstage Rules

Please print and review ALL the Stage Rules information listed below.

To help prevent damage to this historic building and injury to anyone in it, there are guidelines and regulations regarding virtually all aspects of use of the facility.   For example: the behavior of your performers & staff, the quantity and training of your staff & crew, Fire lanes, Exits, Occupancy Load, Special Effects, animals, flame, food heating equipment, food and liquids (including drinking water), body paint, and toy or prop weapons.

Our backstage rules deal directly with the immediate life safety of up to 750 people.

For your own protection please carefully review the 5 pages linked below, EVEN IF YOU THINK THEY DON'T APPLY TO YOUR EVENT.  They all contain some rules that if violated could cause the immediate cancellation of your event and/or the forfeiture of all your Deposits.

With an adequate number of properly trained and informed personnel for your event these rules are very easy to follow.
Please discuss this information with your staff, performers and crew as soon as possible!

Fire Department and Building Code regulations are non-negotiable.

• Special Effects are Prohibited
• General Information for your Cast & Crew
• Assuring Performer & Audience safety
• Safety of Children Performers
• General Backstage Rules

For any questions regarding; available lighting, sound, video and film equipment, equipment rental rates, labor requirements, backstage rules, etc. contact the KiMo's Technical Manager (505) 768-3578.

Other Necessary Stage Information

General stage information you and your crew will need, so you can be more prepared.

The stage floor is at street level and the stage Loading Door opens directly into the alley behind the building. There is no raised loading dock. Your truck(s) will need a lift gate or ramp for heavy items.

The KiMo has no parking spaces for any vehicles. The use of the alley at the Stage Loading Door is limited to loading & unloading only. Fines, towing and delay of your event activities may result.

The theater was constructed without a Green Room, shop space, scenery storage areas or space you can use as a Production Office. The stage area is only partially renovated and has no fly system. There is no wing space for additional scenery. All in-house stage curtains are dead-hung.

CLICK HERE for more 
Backstage, Dressing Room and Audio/Video recording Information.

Health Notices & ADA

The elevation at the KiMo Theatre is about 5,000 feet (1520 meters) above sea level. If your performers are not used to this altitude they could suffer from some degree of oxygen deficency. This will be especially noticeable during extreme exertion or in performers with lung or heart conditions. A doctors prescription is required to obtain oxygen. Please make appropriate advance arrangements.

The City's Environmental Health Department code requires a 90db maximum volume limit in the building.

The stage is Accessible (ADA), with limitations. There is one small dressing room at stage level for performers with limited mobility.