When we walk through the old town of Barcelona, we are walking through the history of our city: medieval alleys, centuries-old businesses, and corners that remain standing, no matter how many years pass. The Raval, the Gòtic, and the Born are the neighborhoods with the most history in Barcelona and have walls that could speak and tell us secrets, curiosities, and anecdotes that would help us understand how our ancestors lived.
And, due to this historical and cultural legacy, among its streets we also find theaters that, day by day, work to keep the artistic spirit of our city alive. Large and emblematic spaces like the Liceu or the Teatre Romea, but also small-format venues like El Maldà, l'Antic Teatre, or the Fènix.
Teatre Goya: the home of contemporary dramaturgy
The Teatre Goya was founded in 1914 as the headquarters of the Aragonese Center of Barcelona. Its theatrical activity began in 1916 and, since then, the venue has not stopped staging theater productions. Today, the Goya is one of the great cultural temples of the Raval and historical figures of the stature of Margarita Xirgu have passed through its stage; it has also been the theater that has programmed great box office successes by Paco Morán, Pepe Rubianes, or the Gutiérrez Caba sisters.
In 2004, the venue was on the verge of disappearing, but the intervention of the Grup Focus in 2008 allowed its management to be rescued and prevented the loss of an emblematic space. Under the artistic direction of Josep Maria Pou between 2008 and 2019, the Goya consolidated itself as the great space for its own productions, great authors of the 20th century, and contemporary pieces in Catalan. Today, its program continues to host more established names in Catalan theater, from Emma Vilarasau and Joel Joan to Francesc Orella or Pere Arquillué.
Teatre La Biblioteca: history of Barcelona and sand underfoot
Few theatrical spaces in the world have the strength of Teatre La Biblioteca. It is built in one of the 15th-century Gothic naves of the old Hospital de la Santa Creu, the entity that managed the city's first theater in the 16th century. Now, in the 21st century, La Perla 29 has established its stage here to pay homage to the cultural past of our city.
The encounter with this space was almost casual when the company was rehearsing The Misanthrope on the upper floor. They discovered the medieval vaults on the ground floor and decided to condition the nave and cover the floor with sand to improve acoustics and create a unique atmosphere. As scenographer Jean-Guy Lecat rightly pointed out, Teatre La Biblioteca responds to the idea that "the audience creates the theatre's environment". The space breaks with the Italian arrangement and each production completely transforms the architectural space, integrating spectators and set design into the same universe.
Gran Teatre del Liceu: the temple of opera on La Rambla
The Gran Teatre del Liceu is one of the great symbols of the social, political, and cultural evolution of Barcelona since its birth in 1847. Unlike other great European opera houses promoted by monarchies, the Liceu was born thanks to private initiative and the local bourgeoisie, at the hands of the Liceo Filarmónico Dramático Barcelonés created in the old convent of Montsió.
Located for almost two centuries on the site of the old convent of the Trinitarians on La Rambla, the Liceu has overcome fires, reconstructions, and changes of era without losing its status as a temple of opera, dance, and symphonic music. It is a publicly owned space and is managed by the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu which currently maintains its international projection by collaborating with networks such as Opera Europa or the association Òpera XXI.
Interior del Gran Teatre del Liceu
Teatre Romea: a century and a half of debate, provocation, and commitment
Born in 1863 as a private theatre aimed at the petty bourgeoisie and the popular classes of the Raval neighborhood, the Teatre Romea is the ancestral home of Catalan theatre. Its importance became evident when in 1981 it became the headquarters of the Centre Dramàtic de la Generalitat, that is, it assumed the role of National Theatre before the TNC was built near Glòries.
Since 1999, the Romea has been managed by Focus and, thanks to this, it has experienced one of its most brilliant periods. The artistic direction of Calixto Bieito turned the hall on Hospital Street into a reference point for international contemporary creation known for its transgression, critical reading of classics, and political reflection. This line of commitment has continued with artistic directors such as Julio Manrique, Borja Sitjà, Carles Canut and, since 2019, Josep Maria Pou.
Teatre Borràs: the temple of laughter
On the border between the old town and the Eixample, in Plaça Urquinaona, the Teatre Borràs represents the most festive, fun, and popular side of the performing arts scene. It was born in 1931 as a cinema, but in 1953 the Balañá Group bought the building to introduce theatrical activity, a genre that would end up being the protagonist from the 1990s onwards.
Today, the Borràs is one of the most beloved spaces by professionals and the public. Great names of the scene such as Rosa Maria Sardà, Josep Maria Flotats, or Mario Gas have passed through its stage, but also the most innovative companies such as La Calòrica. Its current program focuses on text comedy, monologues, live podcasts, and emerging talent through platforms such as La Casa de la Risa or the Insomnia festival.
El Maldà: proximity theater in the Gothic Quarter
In the oldest commercial gallery in the city, the Palau Maldà, one of the most unique projects of Barcelona theater is hidden: El Maldà. Since December 2013, the company Els Pirates Teatre manages this space, a multidisciplinary collective made up of actors, musicians, playwrights, and managers. The theater has made its smallness its great asset: its dimensions force a very close relationship between performers and spectators.
The venue is committed to small-format dramaturgy, chamber musical theater, poetry, and cabaret. Works such as El llarg dinar de Nadal, Les dones sàvies or Barbes de Balena were born in this space. But they also organize other shows such as Maldà 1700, a series of early music or intimate concerts by figures such as Clara Peya or Marco Mezquida.
Teatre Raval: from parish theater to contemporary space
Located on Sant Antoni Abad street, the Teatre Raval is proof that Barcelona's heritage can reinvent itself. This space was originally linked to the Parròquia del Carme in 1930 and lived decades hosting local and neighborhood theatrical initiatives.
But in July 2025, a major transformation began at the hands of the company Oblideu-vos de nosaltres, led by Evelyn Arévalo and Pep Tosar. After a comprehensive renovation lasting more than ten months, the theater has reopened as a modern space equipped with high technology. The building now has two exhibition spaces: the Sala Tadeusz Kantor, with 195 seats, offering the right size for medium format, and l'Espai Damià Huguet, a 50-seat room with a relaxed atmosphere for concerts and intimate format pieces. The venue thus recovers the company's emblematic repertoire (with productions such as Federico García) while opening its doors to new contemporary productions.
Antic Teatre: experimentation and neighborhood resistance in Born
A few meters from the Palau de la Música, is the Antic Teatre, a space located in a building built in 1650 and cataloged as architectural heritage. It was born in 2003 as a self-managed space and its philosophy is clear: an independent, critical, and community theater. The project has gone through almost two decades of struggle to save the building from disappearance and consolidate itself as a multidisciplinary resource center.
The Antic Teatre makes experimentation, risk, and research its leitmotiv. It is a springboard for emerging creators and body arts, physical theater, and new dramaturgies that do not fit into traditional circuits. Beyond the theater hall, the space is also well known for its garden, one of the few preserved period interior courtyards in the city center.
Sala Fenix: the theater of social commitment
Felipe Cabezas and Isabella Pintani founded Sala Fènix in March 2013. And, since then, it has consolidated itself as a local space specialized in small-format theater that deals with hot topics in current society: social issues, gender perspective, and historical memory.
The space also has a small lobby used as an exhibition gallery and, in addition to an exhibition hall, it is also a space for artistic residencies for companies from Barcelona. They constantly dialogue with the neighborhood and offer a varied, current, and reflective program that invites to improve coexistence.
Centre d'Arts Lliures - Fundació Brossa: transgression at La Seca
In the old mint of the Crown of Aragon, a 14th-century heritage building known as La Seca, is located the Centre d'Arts Lliures de la Fundació Joan Brossa. The center has been in this headquarters since 2018 and its mission is to preserve and disseminate the legacy of the visual poet while functioning as a contemporary creation laboratory.
The space does not function as a conventional theater, but as an interdisciplinary center where performing arts, visual arts, literature, and poetic layout intersect. It is a venue faithful to Brossa's transgressive and playful spirit, which is why its programming includes proposals from young emerging creators, pieces that challenge genre conventions, and work processes open to the public.
Café Teatre Llantiol: the corner of magic, humor, and small format
El Llantiol was inaugurated on July 25, 1980, in an old printing house on Riereta street. Today, it is Barcelona's café-theater par excellence. Awarded in 1982 with the FAD Sebastià Gasch Award for Paratheatrical Arts, this modernist aesthetic space was initially conceived by Ferran Rodríguez and Lluís Fortuny as a club dedicated to close-up magic.
El Llantiol has been the testing ground for key figures in Catalan theater: for example, El Tricicle debuted here in 1980 testing their first gags, and companies like The Chanclettes also took their first steps. Names like the great Eugenio, Ángel Pavlovsky, Pepe Carrol, Juan Tamariz, or Mag Lari have been part of the history of this venue which, today, continues to bet on small format, absurd humor, and illusionism.
La Puntual: the art of puppetry on an intimate scale
In Born is located Barcelona's puppet theater: La Puntual. This space with a capacity for 50 people takes its name from the haberdashery in Santiago Rusiñol's work L'Auca del Senyor Esteve, a nod to the spirit of Catalan modernism that made puppets a major art in late 19th-century cafes.
Directed by Néstor and Eugenio, the theater is entirely dedicated to the art of traditional puppets, Chinese shadows, and object theater. Every weekend, its stage hosts both its own productions and internationally renowned companies, making it one of the most visited spaces for families looking for an original, different, and high-quality artistic experience.
Coming soon... Teatre Principal!
The old case is preparing to reopen one of the most important historical spaces of theater in Barcelona: the Teatre Principal of Barcelona. It is expected that by September 2028, this space, which was the old Teatre de la Santa Creu or Corral de Comèdies in the 16th century, will reopen. It is the oldest theatrical space in the city, a building that has survived fires, closures, and renovations over four centuries.
The project aims to restore the splendor to the facade designed by Francesc Daniel Molina in 1840 and connect the large arches of the ground floor with La Rambla. It will feature a main hall for 850 spectators, the recovery of the space of the old Jai-Alai fronton for large formats, and the restoration of the old Teatro Latino (with a capacity for 200-250 people), dedicated to formats such as jazz or chamber music.
Between the streets of Raval, Gòtic, and Born, we find theaters that demonstrate that culture is the best engine for continuing to build neighborhood and city. And keeping this scenic network alive is protecting the identity of Ciutat Vella and, also, of our city.