Teatro de la Ciudad (Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris)

The Esperanza Iris City Theater is located on Donceles Street. The theater is just after the Legislative Assembly building of Mexico City, in the center of the city. It is the main stage for the performing arts and regularly hosts around 30 or more national and international performance organizations each year. It is also a historic building. The main façade is in neoclassical style. However, strong Art Nouveau elements can be seen in the window moldings and the glass canopy at the entrance. The current building was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the then-famous Mexican actress and singer (also known as the “Queen of the Operetta”), Esperanza Iris, who inaugurated the theater in 1918. She built it to replace the Xicoténcatl Theater, which It had been in the same place since the 19th century. The architects Federico Mariscal and Ignacio Capetillo y Servín designed and built the new theater. The venue became the most important theater in the city and the country. It regularly hosted important national and international artists. Unfortunately, a serious fire almost destroyed it in 1984. Recognizing the importance of the place, the city government restored it and reopened its doors in 1999. Renamed Esperanza Iris City Theater, the capacity is 1,344 seats. The programming includes musical productions, dance, theater, opera, operetta, zarzuela, interdisciplinary shows, cinema, festivals, and all types of large-format productions.