In Barcelona, on Paral.lel Avenue, one of the city’s most famous theaters, El Molino, will cease operations by the end of June. The company Barcelona Events Musicals (BEM), which has managed the venue since 2024, has officially announced its early withdrawal from the municipal concession. The last performance at El Molino is scheduled for June 27, and the doors will close to the public on the 30th. Until then, the theater will continue to operate only on weekends.
The closure was prompted by complaints from local residents about noise, forcing BEM to undertake costly additional soundproofing. In addition, due to noise restrictions, the theater had to cut back its schedule and limit performances to weekends only. According to BEM, these circumstances made further management of El Molino impossible.
El Molino reopened in October 2024 after BEM won a four-year contract to manage the theater. Prior to this, the building was owned by the municipality, which acquired it in 2021 following financial difficulties faced by the previous operator Ociopuro. In recent years, El Molino operated as an intimate 250-seat venue, hosting concerts, jazz evenings, and performances by authors.
The history of El Molino spans more than a century: the theater opened in 1898, first closed in 1997, and then welcomed audiences again starting in 2010. Over the years, it has become a landmark for fans of cabaret and live music in Catalonia. The situation with El Molino echoes other high-profile closures of cultural venues in Spain—such as the recent shutdown of the Innova Academy in Madrid, which left more than a thousand people without classes, as reported in a russpain.com article.
Until the end of June, El Molino will continue to host guests according to its usual schedule. After closing, the fate of the historic building and its future use remain open questions for Barcelona’s city authorities and cultural community.
