Theater Rialto
A Legendary Theatre
The Rialto Theater was built between 1926 and 1930 by architects José de Aragón and José María Mendoza Ussía and was founded by Antonio Ramos Espejo in 1930 as the Rialto Cinemas (between 1932 and 1934 it was called Cine Astoria). It is located at number 54 on Madrid’s Gran Vía.
Its first premiere was “Variedades de la Paramount” and it had the honour of debuting “El último Cuplé” by the late Sara Montiel, a film that broke all records for screen permanence and box office revenue at the time, turning Cine Rialto into the reference cinema on the Gran Vía. Furthermore, this cinema offered American musical comedies, anticipating its destiny as a theatrical venue for major musical theatre productions. In fact, after being converted into a theater, its first show was the premiere of “Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar,” the most successful Spanish musical in history.
Since then, The Teatro Rialto has hosted other major shows such as ‘Enamorados Anónimos’, ’40 El Musical’, ‘Cabaret’, and two seasons of ‘Nada es Imposible’ by Antonio Díaz ‘El Mago Pop’ (Europe’s best illusionist). Plays such as ‘Sé infiel y no mires con quién, ‘Buena gente’ and ‘La función que sale mal’ have also been performed there. It is also a leading venue for concerts.
The Teatro Rialto has also hosted other prestigious shows such as “Sombras” by Sara Baras and “Los Morancos”. Since autumn 2025, it has hosted the third season of The Book of Mormon, and in October 2026, it will premiere the multi-award-winning QUERIDO EVAN HANSEN, considered the most influential musical of the last decade.
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