The Arriaga Theatre is a theatre in Bilbao, the Basque Country's Biscay capital (Spain). It is a late 19th-century neo-baroque structure created by the architect Joaqun de Rucoba and erected in honour of the "Spanish Mozart," musician Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, from Bilbao. It was officially opened on May 31, 1890.

It is an independent structure with a trapezoidal ground plan, cushioned base part, enormous main section with rectangular apertures and lavishly ornamented oculi, and third section divided from the first by a continuous cornice.

The main façade's curving-convex centre features a continuous balcony supported by ornate corbels, a crowning body covered in lavish sculpture, and a massive curving pediment with a lyre beneath which the clock is housed. Turret-like bodies and two other shorter, chamfered side bodies surround the core portion. The balconies of the main level are supported by corbels in the shape of Atlanteans or Titans on the latter, as well as on the side and rear façades. These sculptures are rumoured to have been imported from France, where they were mass-produced using moulds. They are built of stone-like concrete.

The front of the building, where a small dome sits atop the roof, and the rectangular body of the entry half of the structure both have double-sloped roofs. It has mansards around the outside of the building, a sloping roof, and domes on the side turrets.

There is a box for the authorities that is opened on important occasions and has decorations modelled like the Orient Express. Additionally, there are two plain boxes on the stage that were constructed for widows who at the time wanted secrecy. These boxes have separate entrances.

It is one of Bilbao's primary theatres and one of the most famous structures in the city. It has seen various vicissitudes, such as the fire in 1914 and the floods in 1983, which have necessitated its reconstruction and renovation.

first structure

On the same plot of land where the current Arriaga Theatre stands, the so-called "Teatro de la Villa" was first established in 1834 after being given to a group of businessmen who formed a partnership to exploit it for profit. Later, Luciano Urzar Echevarra would inherit the concession, and under his management, the theatre would achieve its pinnacle of splendour.

It was decided to replace it in 1883 with a newer, bigger building because the one it was in was too small for the city of Bilbao's expansion at the time. The Carlist Wars, which saw Bilbao endure two sieges, also caused damage to the historic theatre.

Construction on a new structure with 1,500 seats and a ground level for businesses was to begin three years later, in 1886, after the theatre had been demolished. The project was given to the architect Joaqun Rucoba y Octavio de Toledo, who reoriented the structure and expanded the nearby docks to overcome some neighbours' objections, who believed the new block would obstruct dock activity and Bidebarrieta street's ventilation.

The new theatre, which bore the name of the plaza where it stood—the Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga Square—was dedicated on May 31, 1890, four years after construction began. La Gioconda, an opera by Amilcare Ponchielli, was presented.

The cultural facility was outfitted with the most cutting-edge technology available at the time, including electric lighting and the option to watch musical concerts from home via telephone for a price of 15 pesetas per performance. The building's architecture and decoration, which had French influences, was quite classicist and merged with these technical advancements. Locals dubbed the theatre "the maternity home" because of its lavish bust caryatid façade decoration.

The Bilbao Stock Exchange's inaugural meetings were conducted on the ground level of the structure in 1891.

Miguel de Unamuno participated in a Floral Games that were held at the theatre in 1901.

The structure was destroyed by fire on December 22, 1914, while Salvador Videgain Garca's zarzuela group was performing there. Federico de Ugalde, an architect, was tasked with the rebuilding and reevaluated the original plan to make it bigger and safer.

The new facilities were officially inaugurated on June 5, 1919, five years after they were completed. Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlo was selected for the occasion and presented by Ercole Casali's company.
premium theatre... and decline

Being a part of the main circuit and hosting performances by the top companies at the time in the nation, the Arriaga was regarded as a first-class theatre. The performances were halted by the Civil War, but they were resumed as soon as everything returned to normal and the Madrid theatres opened.

The Diestro family took over control of the Arriaga theatre in 1924, and they leased it to the Sociedad Anónima Nuevo Teatro de Bilbao. The Sociedad Anónima Nuevo Teatro de Bilbao was dissolved in 1978, and the property was then turned over to the Bilbao City Council. The Diestro family had continued to run the theatre up until 1963, when the business Espectáculos Trueba took over management. The theater's primary use was for film projection as the theatrical activity had drastically decreased. The building's deplorable state prompted Bilbao City Council to decide to restrict public access. Work on the repairs and restoration started in 1980.

On August 26, 1983, Bilbao was severely damaged by floodwaters that reached the first level of the Arriaga.

The commercial bottom level, which had been destroyed by the flooding, was cleared out as part of the ongoing restoration work. Additionally, a two-sided imperial staircase was built and the main foyer was reconfigured. The idea was created by Francisco Hurtado de Saracho, a Bilbao architect.

The theatre reopened on December 5 under the management of a public limited corporation with municipal capital that had been established on October 3 of that same year.

Nowadays

The present Euskalduna Palace hosts events of larger scope and technical sophistication, such as opera, while it is currently utilised primarily for theatre, musicals, dance, concerts, zarzuela, and so forth.