The 2023-2024 theater season in Barcelona marked a historic milestone, reaching record figures in both the number of spectators and box office takings. During this period, Barcelona’s theaters received a total of 3,020,710 spectators, thus surpassing the previous season’s figure by 8.24%. This result also surpasses the previous record set in the 2011-2012 season. Total takings reached 92.20 million euros, a sign of the sustained growth of the theater industry in the city.
Theaters in Barcelona
These results were presented by the Association of Theater Companies of Catalonia (ADETCA) and the Public Theaters of Barcelona. This at an event that took place in the Villarroel hall, where the mayor of the city, Jaume Collboni, expressed his pride in the success of the season. Collboni stressed that reaching three million spectators in a city of 1.7 million inhabitants reflects the magnitude of the success of Barcelona’s theatrical model. He also stressed that the outlook for the future is encouraging and that the figures could continue to rise. He also assured that the City Council is reviewing the cultural exception to adequately protect and regulate the theater sector.
For his part, the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí, emphasized the high level of quality of the theater in Barcelona and the coherence of the programming. He pointed out that one of the challenges for the government is to advance in the implementation of the Statute of the Artist, as well as to improve tax incentives for the sector. ADETCA and Barcelona Public Theaters revealed that the 2023-2024 season was also notable for the increase in theatrical offerings, with a total of 1,235 new projects and 13,035 performances, resulting in an average occupancy rate of 61.6%.
Consolidation of theater in Catalan
One of the most relevant data of the season is the consolidation of theater in Catalan. Sixty-five percent of the productions were of Catalan origin, and 39% of the plays were presented in Catalan. In turn, Spanish was present in 30% of the productions, and 54% of the shows were created by Catalan authors. This boom in Catalan playwriting reinforces the presence of local theater on the billboard, with 800 productions presented during the period.
December was the most successful month of the season, with 392,223 spectators. Among the most outstanding shows were “El Mago Pop”, “The Producers” and “Escape Room 2”. In smaller theaters, the most-viewed productions included “Fairfly,” “No et vesteixis per sopar” and “Austràlia.”
The president of ADETCA, Isabel Vidal, stressed that the next challenge for the sector will be to further increase revenue. To this end, she pointed out the importance of having “organized audience departments” and ensuring that 2% of the Generalitat’s budget is allocated to culture. She also mentioned the need to reduce bureaucracy in cultural management and to implement regulations that facilitate theatrical activity.
The work of theater entrepreneurship was also recognized during the event, where tribute was paid to Daniel Martínez de Obregón, honorary president of ADETCA, who led the entity in the 2011-2012 season, when the previous record number of spectators was reached.
Vidal added that conversations have already been held with the current Minister of Culture, who has shown a willingness to continue the policies of her predecessor in the struggle to obtain a larger budget for culture. He also stressed that one of the most important demands of the sector is to increase the audience and promote access to theater for all audiences.
Vitality of Barcelona’s theaters
The 2023-2024 season has not only been a success in terms of audiences and box office, but has also demonstrated the vitality and relevance of theater in Barcelona’s cultural life. With a promising future, the sector faces new challenges, such as consolidating economic growth and fostering the creation of new audiences. Collaboration between the government, cultural institutions and the business community will be key to further strengthening theater in Barcelona. Moreover, to ensure its place as one of the fundamental pillars of Catalan culture.
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