Teatre Arnau

Teatre Arnau stands at Avinguda del Paral·lel 60, on Plaça Raquel Meller in Barcelona, right where the avenue meets Carrer Nou de la Rambla and Carrer de les Tàpies. It is one of the last physical traces of the era when Paral·lel was Barcelona's own theatre and cabaret strip.

When was the building built and where does its name come from?

The site's story starts in 1894, with a wooden "barraca" — a temporary fairground-style hall, the format used by the earliest entertainment venues along Paral·lel. It took the name Arnau from its first owner. The permanent, brick-built theatre that still stands today opened on 28 October 1903.

What kind of shows has the venue hosted?

In its early decades the stage held pantomimes, zarzuela performances and popular music concerts. Film screenings were added as early as 1904, a common combination for Paral·lel venues at the time. In 1915 the theatre was renamed Folies Bergère, echoing the Parisian revue houses. Through the 1930s the cinema side of the business gradually took over, and the venue became known as Cine Arnau.

How did it return to being a theatre?

In 1982 businessman Pepe Buira bought the building and brought it back as a stage for musicals and variety shows. A decade later, in 1992, Arnau hosted the revue "Ven al Paralelo," fronted by Sara Montiel — one of the venue's best-remembered post-war shows. Falling interest in variety theatre eventually forced the closure in 2004.

What is the current state of the building?

Barcelona City Council took ownership of the theatre in 2010. A renovation contract worth close to 9.5 million euros was signed in April 2025. The restoration project, led by architecture studio H Arquitectes under the name "Teatre Arnau 1738," is scheduled to finish by the end of 2026. Until then the building stays closed to the public and is undergoing construction work.

Is it worth stopping by while walking along Paral·lel?

Even closed, the building works as a landmark for anyone tracing the history of Barcelona's own "Broadway" — the stretch of Paral·lel that packed in more than a dozen theatres and cinemas around the turn of the 20th century. The facade and overall shape of the building give a sense of the scale that the entertainment business reached here, and the square it stands on, named after another Paral·lel stage star, adds another layer to the story.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Teatre Arnau located? At Avinguda del Paral·lel 60, on Plaça Raquel Meller in Barcelona, at the junction with Carrer Nou de la Rambla and Carrer de les Tàpies.

Can visitors go inside Teatre Arnau right now? No. The theatre closed in 2004 and has been under full renovation since 2025, with completion expected by the end of 2026.

What makes Teatre Arnau different from other Paral·lel venues? It is one of the few surviving buildings that trace directly back to a wooden "barraca" from 1894, the original, makeshift format of the earliest theatres on the avenue.

Did Teatre Arnau only stage theatre productions? No. From 1904 it combined live stage shows with film screenings, and by the 1930s cinema had become its main use.