The Newmarket Theatre is getting a new name.

The Town of Newmarket has announced a multi-year partnership with The NewRoads Automotive Group with the intention of driving the town’s arts and culture community forward in 2020 and beyond.

In recognition of the sponsorship commitment, the Pickering Crescent theatre will be renamed The NewRoads Centre for the Performing Arts. The name change is now in effect and changes will gradually roll out over the coming months.

The sponsorship announcement coincides with ongoing theatre renovations that are anticipated to offer residents and visitors an elevated live performance experience in their own community. These renovations are focused on transforming the lobby into a modern reception space that will welcome theatre goers and provide a destination for special events.

“The theatre renovations support one of council’s strategic priorities, to establish extraordinary places and spaces within our own community,” Mayor John Taylor said in a prepared statement. “A long standing partnership with NewRoads paves the way to foster a sought after performing arts experience without going to Toronto.”

The new centre is expected to be unveiled during a grand re-opening in early 2020. The town said residents not only can enjoy a new modern esthetic and function, but also more great acts.

“The NewRoads Automotive Group is proud to support the arts through our sponsorship of the Newmarket Theatre,” NewRoads president and CEO Michael Croxon said. “Art is an important part of our way of living. It is a form of human expression that aims to entertain and bring joy to our community.”

The five-year partnership includes sponsorships to support the town’s performing arts centre vision, naming rights for the theatre for the duration of the partnership and each year, the town intends to bring one significant act the town hasn’t seen before to the stage with NewRoads being the title sponsor.

While the town has signed confidentiality agreements with a number of business sponsors and does not disclose the dollar figures of the sponsorships, the town could confirm all of the sponsor revenue collected will go into the theatre operating budget.

For more information and updates, visit Newmarket.ca.