The Corral de Comedias in Alcalá de Henares, the oldest in Europe still in operation, turns 425 years old and opens its 2026-27 season on September 18. Last season surpassed 35,000 spectators and approached 80% occupancy.
The Corral de Comedias in Alcalá de Henares is celebrating its 425th anniversary and is facing a new season that will kick off on September 18. The 2026-27 programme, presented this Wednesday, comes after a year that exceeded 35,000 spectators and nearly reached 80% occupancy, with two out of five attendees coming from outside the city, according to data released by Noticias para Municipios.
Under the motto The Heritage that Drives Us, the venue will host more than 160 evenings and 36 shows, featuring over 180 artists from nine countries. Half of the companies are from the Community of Madrid. The programme includes six absolute premieres, three of which are national, and a significant representation of the Hispanic-American scene, with works arriving from Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States.
The season opens on September 18 and 19 with Errantes, by Laura Garmo and Nacho León, and closes on May 29 with Bodas de sangre, by García Lorca, directed by Irina Kouberskaya. In between, titles such as Casting Lear, winner of two Max Awards in 2025, or the in-house production Amor es más laberinto, co-produced with Mexican institutions and premiered last June at the Hispano-American Festival of the Golden Age Classics in Alcalá.
On the occasion of the centenary of the Generation of '27, the Corral will inaugurate a new creative space dedicated to Luis de Góngora in the attic of the building, designed especially for the local audience. The programme also includes tributes to figures such as Federico García Lorca, María Teresa León, or Clara Campoamor, and several titles set in the Golden Age, the historical period that names the venue.
The management and programming of the Corral has been handled by the Fundación Teatro de La Abadía since 2005, commissioned by the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Community of Madrid and in collaboration with the City Council of Alcalá de Henares. In addition to performances, the venue offers guided tours, discussions, and school campaigns throughout the year, serving as both a theatre and a historical museum.
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