Barcelona's historic Diagonal Cinema has reopened on Avinguda Diagonal as Espai Diagonal, a new event venue aimed at corporate and private gatherings. The project follows a two-year renovation and a €3 million investment.
The venue is at Avinguda Diagonal 458, at the junction with Passeig de Gràcia in the Gràcia district. Wevenue S.L., the investment group behind the project, said it spent four years looking for a central, high-capacity property in Barcelona.
Espai Diagonal is being positioned for the MICE sector, which covers meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. Barcelona city officials have been backing that market, and the new venue adds another option for business events in the city. For more on local business and venue news, see our Community coverage and Sport updates.
The building first opened in 1961 as the Diagonal Cinema, part of the Balañá group, with seating for 1,000 people. It closed in 2003, then housed retail uses including a BioscaBotey lighting store and later DekoPalace, a 2,000-square-metre decoration shop.
DekoPalace closed in 2023. The property's size, limited street-facing frontage and subterranean floor made it difficult to use as retail space. The redesign kept some original features, including the Catalan vault, while adding new technical infrastructure.
The main hall, Platea, has a 9.5-metre ceiling and a 20-metre LED screen. The venue can hold about 500 people and includes spaces such as Galería, Palco and Gallinero for receptions, exhibitions, executive meetings and technical teams. Vehicles can also enter the building, which helps with large installations and productions.
Espai Diagonal has joined Turismo de Barcelona and the Diagonal Boulevard merchants' association. Wevenue S.L. says events are already booked for the rest of the year with pharmaceutical, automotive and audiovisual companies. The group also plans to expand in Barcelona and other cities.
Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.
