Teatro de la Axerquía in Córdoba

Teatro de la Axerquía is an open-air performance venue cut into a hillside in Córdoba, right beside Parque Cruz Conde. For half a century it has hosted the city's largest concerts and cultural events, combining a working theatre with the garden setting it was built into.

Who built it, and when?

The project was commissioned under Antonio Guzmán Reina, Córdoba's mayor from 1962 to 1971, and designed by municipal architect José Rebollo. Construction started in September 1970, conceived from the outset as a "garden theatre" — a stage folded into the surrounding parkland rather than walled off from it. The venue opened on 15 September 1976, when the Compañía Nacional de Teatro staged Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Why did it close, and when did it reopen?

Decades of use eventually called for a full overhaul. Renovation work began in 1993, stalled just two years later, and sat unfinished for close to a decade before resuming in 2004. The works wrapped up in May 2007, and the venue reopened on 2 July that year with a concert by Paco de Lucía, which opened that summer's Córdoba Guitar Festival.

How many people does it hold?

The venue combines a 1,500-seat floor area with tiered seating for another 2,434 spectators, adding up to a total capacity of roughly 3,900. That makes it one of the larger open-air stages in the region, used mainly in spring and summer, when weather allows for outdoor shows.

What kind of events take place there?

Since its 2007 reopening, the stage has regularly hosted major pop and flamenco acts, including Niña Pastori, Malú, Sergio Dalma, Mägo de Oz and Rozalén. Programming is run by Córdoba's municipal performing-arts body, the Instituto Municipal de Artes Escénicas (Teatro Córdoba), which oversees cultural events across the city.

What's around the venue?

The theatre sits beside Parque Cruz Conde, with its tiered seating rising up the slope of Colina de los Quemados and looking out toward Córdoba's historic centre. Standing at the southern end of Avenida Conde Vallellano, it occupies a quiet, green pocket of the city — an easy walk from the old town, but well removed from its bustle.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Teatro de la Axerquía? On Avenida Menéndez Pidal, s/n, in Córdoba, next to Parque Cruz Conde, on the slope of Colina de los Quemados.

How many seats does the venue have? 1,500 on the floor plus 2,434 in the tiered seating, for a total capacity of about 3,900.

When was it built, and who designed it? Construction began in September 1970, designed by architect José Rebollo at the initiative of mayor Antonio Guzmán Reina. It opened on 15 September 1976.

Why was the theatre closed for so long? A renovation begun in 1993 was halted in 1995 and only resumed in 2004. Work finished in May 2007, and the venue reopened on 2 July that year.

What marked the reopening? A concert by Paco de Lucía, which opened that year's Córdoba Guitar Festival.