Teatre Borràs

Teatre Borràs is a historic theatre in Barcelona, standing on Plaça Urquinaona at the edge of the Eixample district and the old town. Nearly a century old, the building has moved from silent-era cinema to a working stage that still hosts live performances today.

Where is Teatre Borràs located?

The venue sits on Plaça Urquinaona (coordinates 41.388788, 2.173572), right in central Barcelona, a short walk from Plaça Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter. That makes it an easy stop whether you're based near the old town or staying closer to the Eixample grid.

How did the building change over the decades?

A cinema from the start

The building opened on 16 May 1931 as Cine Urquinaona, an Art Deco picture house with stalls and a balcony that originally seated around 950 people. From its earliest years it screened international films and quickly became a notable cinema in this part of the city.

Civil War years and changing names

The Spanish Civil War brought a change of name: from 1937 the cinema operated as Cine Francisco Ferrer, reverting to Cine Urquinaona once the war ended in 1939. Another renaming followed in 1943, when the building took the name Cine Borràs, honoring Enric Borràs, a well-regarded Catalan stage actor.

The Balañá takeover and a return to live shows

In 1953 the Balañá group, a longstanding Barcelona operator of cinemas and theatres, took over the venue. After renovation work, it reopened in 1966, with titles shown at the time including the musical film "My Fair Lady" starring Audrey Hepburn. By the early 1970s the hall had shifted to second-run screenings, showing films after their initial theatrical run elsewhere.

The final shift to theatre

From 1990 the building combined film screenings with stage productions, and after 1995 films were dropped entirely in favor of live theatre. Today Teatre Borràs seats around 740 people and regularly stages Catalan and Spanish theatre productions, including comedies and musical shows popular with local audiences.

What should you know before visiting?

The programme at Teatre Borràs changes seasonally, so it's worth checking the current schedule and booking tickets ahead — central Barcelona theatres tend to sell out quickly for well-known titles. The building still carries traces of its interwar architectural character, which is itself of interest to anyone curious about the city's cinema and theatre history. Performances typically run in the evening, so pairing a visit with dinner in the nearby Eixample or a stroll through the Gothic Quarter beforehand works well.

Frequently asked questions

Is Teatre Borràs a cinema or a theatre? It's a theatre today — film screenings stopped here after 1995. For most of the 20th century the building operated as a cinema, briefly combining both functions during the early 1990s.

Where does the theatre's name come from? The name honors Enric Borràs, a noted Catalan stage actor. The building adopted his name in 1943, when it was still known as Cine Borràs.

How many people can the theatre seat? The venue currently holds around 740 seats, fewer than the roughly 950 it had when it opened in 1931, reflecting later renovations to the space.

How do you get to Teatre Borràs? The theatre stands on Plaça Urquinaona, close to Plaça Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter. It's easily reached on foot or by metro, with Urquinaona station right on the square.