When we talk about Paral·lel we are not just talking about a street in Barcelona; we are talking about a myth. From the late 19th century to the 70s, this avenue was the heart of culture and bohemia in the city. In fact, popularly, people knew it as “the avenue of life” and it was here that the city buzzed, danced, and enjoyed itself.
Workers from the factories of Poble-Sec or Sants gathered in the theaters of the area to see a variety show, a cabaret, or a popular play. And the most notable thing is that even bourgeois families from the Eixample came down to this artery to enjoy the freedom and fun that was breathed there.
Over time, Paral·lel has been equated with the Montmartre of Paris, the West End of London, or Broadway in New York. Be that as it may, what is clear is that none of this would have happened if spaces and theaters that went from being shacks to authentic temples of culture had not been installed here.
And many still endure today.
Teatre Condal
The Teatre Condal was founded in 1903 by the Italian-born Onofri brothers and was one of the great spaces of Paral·lel's nightlife for decades. After a long period in which it was converted into a cinema during the sixties and seventies, in 1983 its owners transformed it into a theatrical exhibition space. A short time later, in 1992, the Grup Focus took over its management to consolidate it as the industry benchmark it still is today.
Since then, the venue has opted for a programming line oriented towards comedy and mass entertainment. Some of the best companies in the country and acting duos as remembered as the one formed by Paco Morán and Joan Pera, protagonists of great box office hits such as La Jaula de las Locas, ¡Mamaaá! or Matar al Presidente, have passed through its stage.
In addition, the Condal has also hosted works that have become authentic theatrical classics such as El sopar dels idiotes, Políticament incorrecte or Germans de Sang. Since the 2018-2019 season, the artistic direction has been held by the renowned actor and producer Daniel Anglès, who remains firm in his commitment to comedy and great musicals.
Teatre Victòria
The history of the Teatre Victòria began in 1900 when the showmen Ricardo and Manuel Soriano arrived in Barcelona and set up a fairground stall. In this space, they organized textile product auctions and, to attract the public, offered small circus and variety acts.
In 1916, it was acquired by Joan Fradera, who redefined it and renamed it Teatre Victòria. But in 2019, a new stage began when the Tres per Tres group sold the venue to the illusionist Antonio Díaz, known as El Mago Pop.
In a few months, his first show achieved the highest pre-sale of tickets in all of Spain, and the following year, the Victòria was recognized as the most visited theater in the world thanks to the success of the show Nada es Imposible.
Teatre Apolo
The Teatre Apolo was born in 1901 in a modest fairground shack that served as a warehouse and where musical shows began to be programmed. But a storm knocked down the original structure, and for this reason, the entrepreneurs built a brick building that was officially inaugurated in October 1904. The Apolo became a reference point for zarzuela, revue, and music-hall.
Aside from its festive character, the Apolo holds key moments in the history of Catalan dramaturgy: in 1946, it hosted the first professional theatrical performance in Catalan authorized by the dictatorship, El ferrer de tall by Frederic Soler. In the fifties and sixties, under the direction of businessman Matías Colsada, the theater experienced its peak as a temple of musical revue, making stars like Lina Morgan or Concha Velasco famous.
The surroundings of the Apolo included the popular Bodega Apolo and a small amusement park that were demolished in 1991. The space was completely restructured, reserving the ground floor for the new theater, which reopened its doors in 1993. After a final renovation in 2021, the venue is managed by SMedia Producciones and maintains a varied program that combines comedy, musicals, magic, dance, and family shows.
El Molino
It would be impossible to understand the myth of Paral·lel without stopping in front of the El Molino façade. This iconic venue was built at the end of the 19th century and soon became a temple of transgression, bohemian culture and the cheekier side of Barcelona’s nightlife. It opened in 1898 as La Pajarera Catalana, was renamed Petit Moulin Rouge in 1910 and, under Franco’s dictatorship, was forced to adopt its Spanish name, El Molino, which it still bears today.
For more than a century, El Molino found creative ways around censorship, using double entendres, satirical humour and shows inspired by burlesque, revue and music hall. After closing in the late 1990s, the venue underwent a major renovation that restored its famous 1929 façade. Since then, it has continued to reinvent itself, adapting to the times while keeping its unmistakable character.
Today, the space is managed by Barcelona Events Musicals, the team behind Festival Cruïlla. Although it is currently closed due to bureaucratic issues, it normally hosts comedy, jazz and intimate live concerts, keeping alive the spirit that has made El Molino one of the most recognisable landmarks of Paral·lel
Teatre Lliure de Montjuïc
The Teatre Lliure was founded as a cooperative in 1976 by a collective of artists led by Fabià Puigserver. Today, it is one of the most important centers for creation and exhibition of performing arts in the State. The entity has its heart at its Montjuïc headquarters, and is integrated into the well-known Ciutat del Teatre.
In November 2001, the Montjuïc headquarters and its main stage were inaugurated: the Sala Fabià Puigserver, a large-format space with capacity for 720 spectators. This venue is complemented by the Espai Lliure, a smaller format (up to 172 seats), which is the chosen stage for intimate and more experimental proposals.
The current direction of the Lliure is led by Julio Manrique, who keeps alive the mission of transmitting and transforming the theatrical craft. This season, the Lliure celebrates its 50th anniversary, and will offer a varied program and parallel activities that pay homage to Barcelona's cultural and theatrical legacy.
Teatre Grec
The Teatre Grec is one of Barcelona's most unique stages. It was built in 1929 as part of the International Exposition to urbanize Montjuïc mountain and was designed by architects Ramon Reventós and Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí. The project took advantage of the bottom of an old disused quarry to excavate an open-air amphitheater inspired by the plan of the Epidaurus theater: the same cut stone wall was used as the stage background.
Initially, the theater hosted classical performances, but the venue suffered periods of abandonment until 1976 when it began its stage with the Grec Festival de Barcelona. Since then, the amphitheater opens every summer to host theater, dance, circus shows and music concerts.
Teatre Tantarantana
Also very close to Paral·lel we find the Teatre Tantarantana, a space with more than thirty years of history. Since 2017, it has been recognized as a Creation Factory by the Barcelona City Council, thanks to its programs supporting artistic research, the development of emerging companies, and the production of educational and community projects.
The Tantarantana offers a committed, risky theater understood as a motor for social change. Its activity is rooted in the neighborhood fabric of Raval, as they regularly collaborate with the Mutual Support Network, the secondary education institutes in the area, and various social agents to bring culture closer to the residents. Through its artistic residency programs like El Cicló, the venue acts as a laboratory for contemporary creation.
Dau al Sec Performing Arts
Dau al Sec is located in a modernist-style industrial building constructed in 1910 on Salvà street in the Poble-sec neighborhood. The venue opened its doors to the public in 2018 to become a center focused on commitment to words, dialogue, and reflection on the conflicts of current society.
The central hall is an open-plan and almost square space of one hundred and twenty square meters with capacity for ninety spectators, reminiscent of the shape of a die (dau in Catalan). This, coupled with the desire to pay homage to the mythical avant-garde group Dau al Set, gave its name to a project that champions proximity between text, actors, and audience.
Its programming focuses on authorial shows, but the venue also promotes the Dau Award, an initiative designed to give visibility and financial support to unreleased professional projects by emerging companies.
Barcelona Teatre Musical (BTM), a large disused theater
Although currently closed, the Barcelona Teatre Musical (BTM) is one of the large cultural venues near Paral·lel. Its origins lie in the old Palau Municipal d'Esports de Barcelona, a project by architects Josep Soteras and Llorenç García-Barbón inaugurated in 1955 for the II Mediterranean Games. But the building stopped hosting sporting events in the mid-90s to host musicals and large-format theatrical productions.
In 2001, the venue was remodeled and reopened as BTM with the musical Nôtre-Dame de París. During its first years of activity, productions by Sara Baras or performances by Les Luthiers passed through its stage, in addition to the musical Mamma Mia!, which exceeded 400,000 spectators there.
Due to the difficulties in adapting the old sports palace to the technical needs of large modern musicals, the operating companies gradually abandoned the project. Currently, the building is out of service and deteriorating, awaiting an institutional plan that defines a new use for the city.
El Paral·lel and its legend in the history of theatre
We cannot talk about the theatres of Paral·lel without mentioning the great historical importance that this avenue has had for Barcelona's culture. This artery was the natural border between the old city and Montjuïc mountain, but in the late 19th century, it was urbanized and transformed into a meeting point for popular leisure.
The working class and the bohemia of Barcelona went to Paral·lel, because here culture was not elitist, but accessible, fun, and colorful. Unlike the large theatres in the city center, Paral·lel was the territory of popular and mass genres; shows that were performed in fairground barracks, café-concerts, or the purpose-built theatres that were finally constructed.
The avenue saw the birth and triumph of variety comedy, musical revue, effects theatre, zarzuela, and cabaret. It was our particular West End or Broadway, a unique place that the press of the time even compared to Montmartre in Paris for its lively nightlife, neon lights, and popular spirit.
Today, Paral·lel continues to be the symbol of the democratization of culture in Barcelona.