After an absolute record in 2023 for Barcelona's theaters, the city's 30 venues have broken their own historical maximum with 2024, which has become the best theatrical year in the history of the Catalan capital. With more than 3.1 million spectators, the audience has increased by 9.4% compared to 2023, when a record was already reached that surpassed the one held until then by the year 2011.
However, the record goes beyond spectators, with maximums also reached in occupancy and revenue. Specifically, the city's venues were filled to 64% of their capacity ---6% more than in 2023—, and they collected 92.7 million euros, 6.6 million more than last year, according to figures from l'Associació d'Empreses de Teatre de Catalunya (Adetca).
To achieve this new record in 2024, campaigns such as Christmas and Cap Butaca Buida were fundamental, which will celebrate its second edition this March. In addition, the design of an attractive program for the public has been key, programmed by a sector that can "experiment more and better" with larger budgets and with regulations appropriate to artistic activity, according to the association.
Among this program, Mar i Cel, Escape Room 2 and Mago Pop's latest show stood out in 2024 as the most-watched shows, with more than 121,000 spectators for the revival of Dagoll Dagom's musical, and close to 113,000 in the other two cases.
These figures and those of the rest of the sector show that it is "in great harmony with the public". This was defended by the president of Adetca, Isabel Vidal, after this record year, which has been preceded by a 2023-2024 season that already reached three million spectators, a figure that had not yet been reached annually.
Looking ahead to 2025, Barcelona's theaters already have their goal clear: "Maintain these three million spectators", according to Vidal. To do so, the venues face the second edition of Cap Butaca Buida as a challenge and opportunity, which will be held on March 22 within a season that Adetca expects to be "excellent".