Teatre Goya, Barcelona, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Teatre Goya is a theatre on Carrer de Joaquín Costa in the Raval district of Barcelona, opened in 1916. It is one of the city's long-standing stages, linked to the great actress Margarita Xirgu, and it has survived a spell as a cinema to return to live performance.

The story behind it

Teatre Goya opened in 1916 and quickly became part of Barcelona's busy theatre scene in the early twentieth century. Among the leading figures of the stage who performed here was Margarita Xirgu, one of the best known actresses of her time in the Spanish-speaking world.

Like many theatres of its era, the Goya was later turned into a cinema, a fate that took many stages out of live use. In 1986 it went back to its original purpose as a theatre, and it has kept programming live shows since.

What to look for

• The entrance and billboards on Carrer de Joaquín Costa, which show what is currently on stage and give a quick sense of the theatre's programme.
• The street itself, where the theatre sits among the bars, small shops and everyday life of the Raval, a neighbourhood with a very different feel from the grand avenues across town.
• The scale of the building compared with its neighbours, a reminder that neighbourhood theatres once anchored whole districts of Barcelona.
• The posters and signs around the doors, which often tell you at a glance whether the evening's show is drama, comedy or music.

Tips for your visit

• Allow ten to fifteen minutes to see the outside and soak up the street, or a full evening if you book a performance.
• You can go inside by buying a ticket for a show, so check the current programme and opening hours before you plan around it.
• Late afternoon and early evening are the liveliest times, when people gather for the evening performance.
• The Raval has plenty to see within walking distance, so pair the theatre with a wander through the neighbouring streets, cafes and squares.

See it on a quest

The Goya is one stop on Iconic Barcelona: The Hidden Treasure of Joan Miró, a self-guided walk with a Joan Miró theme. You reach the theatre on foot as part of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group, so you can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.