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, El Teatro Rialto has hosted other great shows such as ‘Enamorados Anónimos,’ ’40 El Musical,’ ‘Cabaret’ and, recently, two seasons of ‘Nada Es Imposible,’ with Antonio Díaz ‘El Mago Pop’ (Europe’s best illusionist). It has also hosted plays such as ‘Sé infiel y no mires con quién,’ ‘Buena gente’ and ‘La función que sale mal.’ It is also a reference venue for holding concerts. The Rialto Theater has also hosted other prestigious shows such as “Sombras” by Sara Baras and “Los Morancos.”
The third season of The Book of Mormon premiered in October 2025.
The Rialto Theater features a large stage, a capacity of over 1,000 seats, a rehearsal room, and a cafeteria. It offers all the necessary accessibility facilities so that anyone can enjoy our space, such as stair lifts and direct access ramps.
Its exceptional technical equipment allows for high-quality and complex shows.
Cafeteria Service
The theater has a cafeteria service on the access floor and mezzanine of the theater. In the stalls area, there are two bars that provide direct service at the entrance to the main seating area.
The cafeteria is located on the mezzanine of the theater, on the same level as the Club entrances.
*This venue does not have an elevator
Organize your events at the Rialto Theater
The Rialto Theater is your best option for celebrating any event or concert on Madrid’s Gran Vía.
From corporate events to private parties, including caterings, press conferences, presentations, private functions, space rentals, or filming… Whatever event you wish to hold, the Rialto Theater offers its great adaptability and all the technical and human resources to turn it into a success.
Equipped with a large technical infrastructure that meets the needs of any performance or event, the Rialto Theater offers the latest technology in sound and lighting equipment, digital controls, moving heads, lifting systems, about fifty counterweighted bars, and direct load/unload access to the stage.
In-house Catering Service
We put all our infrastructure, human team, and catering service at your disposal to make your corporate event a success.
