Entertainment in Gran Via (Madrid)

Bash Line/Ohm/Week-End

On weekdays, it's a dance club for sophisticated over-25-ers who like funk, garage and house music. On Fridays and Saturdays it changes its name to Ohm and plays equally danceable and more up-to-date music for a trendy crowd of gay men. On Sunday nights it's called Week-End and again it attracts gay men. Sunday evenings are for ballroom dancing and on Wednesdays at 1a there's always a risque cabaret show that'll raise your temperature. It's a popular venue for promotional events as well. You'll find it under the old cinema, Palacio de la Prensa.

Arena

A multi-purpose venue that has taken over from where Ku left off, it holds large-scale events like movie premiere parties and concerts by well-known groups. The last Thursday of each month it houses Space, Ibiza's celebrated nightclub, with renowned DJs. On disco nights be prepared to wait a long time in the queue before getting in. There are a few tables by the main entrance where you can sit away from all the action and talk.

Teatro Español

Madrid's oldest theater belongs to the Town Hall. It holds up to 733 spectators and specializes in staging works by Spain's major classical, romantic, and contemporary dramatists. The building has a neoclassical façade featuring impressive windows, pillars, and busts of famous playwrights. You'll find it on busy Plaza de Santa Ana.

Teatro Lara

One of Madrid's few remaining 19th-century theaters, it's popularly known as La Bombonera (the chocolate box) due to its small size and ornate art-nouveau decor. It seats 500 spectators and presents a program featuring contemporary drama, musicals and comedies. It's named after its founder, Cándido Lara. You'll find it incorporated into an attractive early 20th-century residential listed building close to Gran Vía. Advance ticket sales: at the box office or by telephone.

El Teatro Alfil

A popular venue for younger theatergoers, its program concentrates on comedy, alternative and fringe theater. It's also headquarters for the International Festival of Comedy Theatre. You'll find yourself in a cafe-theater with tables and chairs in the front row and then just rows of chairs behind. There's a small bar to one side where you can buy drinks before the performance and you're allowed to smoke. The Yllana theatre company runs it.

Teatro del Círculo de Bellas Artes

Theater forms part of the cultural feast offered by the Círculo de Bellas Artes in the course of a season. The program normally features a range of contemporary and experimental work in the Fernando de Rojas performance space. This is where you'll also get the chance to see the autumn festival of provincial theater companies and some of the spring dance festival. Children's theater shows are performed in the Sala de Columnas. It's worth visiting the delightful period cafeteria on the premises.

Teatro Príncipe Gran Vía

This theater was originally Teatro Príncipe, though in 1997 it was also called the Palacio de las Variedades (Variety Show Palace). The program, unlike the name, has gone unchanged. It is dedicated almost exclusively to comedy theater. It is found in Madrid's main shopping district, where fashion shops, boutiques and the inevitable souvenir shops abound. Close by, there are numerous department stores, hotels and car-parks. The theater is flanked by Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol, two of the city's busiest spots. Tickets can be bought in advance at the box office and by telephone.

Círculo de Bellas Artes

This is a highly respected cultural institution that organizes regular stimulating exhibitions, conferences, and concerts in its spacious function rooms. The building itself is an impressive example of 1920s art deco design. It is worth lingering in the relaxed and romantic café after visiting one of the shows. The price of concerts, exhibitions, and plays varies.

Teatro Real

Madrid's Opera House has one of the largest stages in the world and seats up to 1630 spectators. Its annual program features the whole range of operatic styles and genres from the baroque to the contemporary, including the ever-popular works of composers like Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Wagner. It also hosts lyric concerts and dance performances. You'll find it close to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). Tickets are hard to come by, so book early.

Teatro de la Zarzuela

Built in 1856 in the same style as La Scala in Milan, this grand theater is dedicated to a particularly Spanish form of 17th-century light opera called zarzuela that includes spoken as well as sung parts. It's also used for performances of classical opera, dance, and concerts. At Christmas time the Spanish National Ballet Company presents their new work here to expectant audiences. The traditional semicircular seating area has three galleries with private boxes and holds up to 1259 spectators.

La Pequeña Bety

La Pequena Bety is a place where all the intellects and the arty people of Madrid gather together and bond over the shows put up there. Concerts, movies, documentaries, short films and more are shown here. The genres of the show varies and the venue happens to be buzzing whenever there is something on. Known for their impeccable taste in events shown, La Pequeña Bety is a place dedicated to all art lovers. Call for further information.