Theatro Circo
Braga's 1915 theatre on Avenida da Liberdade, restored in 2006 for drama, music and dance.
The Theatro Circo was conceived by a group of Braga citizens in 1906 and opened on 21 April 1915 to a design by the architect João de Moura Coutinho. Built on the city's main avenue, it combined a theatre with a circus ring, and its interiors mix Art Nouveau plasterwork with painted ceilings and a tiered horseshoe auditorium. In its early decades it hosted touring opera companies, visiting orchestras and recitals by musicians such as Guilhermina Suggia and Arthur Rubinstein.
After years of uncertainty the building was given a major restoration from 1999, reopening in 2006 with its original decoration repaired and new stage and acoustic equipment installed. It is now run by the municipality as Braga's main performing arts venue, with a main hall, a smaller black-box studio and a foyer used for exhibitions. Programming covers theatre, dance, classical and popular music, opera and cinema, and includes the Semibreve electronic music festival.
Highlights
- Art Nouveau auditorium of 1915 with painted ceilings and tiered boxes
- Restored between 1999 and 2006 and reopened as a municipal venue
- Main hall plus a black-box studio and exhibition foyer
- Guided tours in Portuguese and English on selected Saturdays
