Teatre Principal

Teatre Principal, now officially known as Teatre Margarida Xirgu, is a performing arts venue in the centre of Badalona, a coastal city right next to Barcelona. Standing at Carrer de Francesc Layret 41, the building has anchored the city's cultural life for more than eighty years, first as a cinema and later as a full theatre.

How did this building become a theatre?

The site started out in 1942 as Cinema Principal, a picture house that kept showing films until 1980. When the cinema closed, the city council took over the building and turned it into a municipal theatre. For years the space stayed in poor condition and was mostly used for civic events and rented out to local schools and associations rather than staged professionally. Two major renovations changed that: a first round in 1998, followed by a far more extensive one completed in 2010. That second renovation removed the orchestra pit entirely and reconfigured the hall as a flexible, multipurpose space, with seating that can be arranged in different layouts or cleared out completely for standing-room events. Since 2010 the venue has operated as a professional, multidisciplinary theatre. In 2020, following approval from the city's naming commission and municipal council, it was officially renamed Teatre Margarida Xirgu, though many locals and listings still refer to it by its older name, Teatre Principal.

What does the inside look like, and how many people fit?

The building holds two separate halls. The larger one, Sala Enric Borràs, seats 354 people; the smaller one, Sala Pepe Rubianes, seats 90. Thanks to a retractable seating system, the main hall can also be cleared entirely, opening up roughly 320 square metres of floor space and standing room for up to 500 people — a setup that works well for concerts or events where flexibility matters more than fixed rows of chairs. The venue is wheelchair accessible and fitted with an induction loop for visitors with hearing difficulties.

What kind of shows are staged here?

The programme mixes theatre, dance, magic shows and concerts. The venue is run under Badalona Cultura, the public body that manages several of the city's cultural facilities.

When is it open, and how do you get in touch?

The box office and administrative offices typically keep hours from Monday to Friday, 9:30 am–1:30 pm and 4:30–8 pm, and on Saturdays from 10 am–1:30 pm and 5–8:30 pm. For programme details or bookings, the theatre can be reached at +34 93 384 47 00.

Frequently asked questions

Are Teatre Principal and Teatre Margarida Xirgu the same place? Yes. It's the same building on Carrer de Francesc Layret in Badalona — only the official name changed, in 2020.

How many people can the theatre hold? With seating installed, 354 in the main hall and 90 in the smaller one. With the seats cleared away, the main hall can take up to 500 people standing.

Is the theatre accessible to visitors with disabilities? Yes, it has wheelchair-accessible seating and an induction loop system for hearing-impaired visitors.

What kind of events does it host? Theatre, dance, magic shows and concerts, thanks to a hall designed to be reconfigured for different kinds of performances.