[2] The theatre was commissioned by Felix Gerada, a developer who lived between Malta and Detroit[3] (hence the initials FG on the façade) on land he purchased from the Marquis Desain and was built to serve as a movie theatre.

The Orpheum is a Grade 1 scheduled building since 2001 thanks to the presence of a painting of Orpheus on the ceiling, by Raphael Bonnici Calì (1907–2002).

[4] The Orpheum is a near-complete survivor of the large, single-screen cinemas on Malta.

[6] On 10 July 1953, Sir Malcolm Sargent directed the Coronation Concert given by the Royal Marines Band Service.

[12][13] Media related to Orpheum Theatre (Malta) at Wikimedia Commons