Former Imax in Port Vell to host immersive exhibition about Andrés Iniesta before demolition

The Port of Barcelona has granted a four-year concession for the building, which will open in late 2026 with a 2.5 million euro investment.

Facade of the former Imax cinema in Port Vell, Barcelona, overlooking the sea.

Facade of the former Imax cinema in Port Vell, Barcelona, overlooking the sea.

The Port of Barcelona Board of Directors approved the concession for the former Imax cinema building in Port Vell this Wednesday, transforming it into a temporary exhibition center opening in late 2026 with a show dedicated to Andrés Iniesta.

The new phase for the building, which lay abandoned for a decade after closing in 2014, will serve as a transitional use before the construction of the future Liceu Mar. The first installation will be Iniesta: The Inner Game, dedicated to the career and legacy of the renowned FC Barcelona footballer Andrés Iniesta. Subsequently, the space will host other cultural and sports exhibitions.
To adapt the old cinema for new immersive uses, the concessionaire company, AC House Barcelona SL, will carry out renovation works. These include demolishing the seating amphitheater to create a clear, open space of 2,250 square meters. The estimated investment for the interior reform, museographic design, and necessary technological production amounts to nearly 2.5 million euros.
This four-year concession aims to provide continuous use of the property while the Liceu Mar project is processed. The Port expects the Liceu Mar to become "a key point on Barcelona's cultural map." This second headquarters for the Gran Teatre del Liceu will transform 32,000 square meters of the Moll d’Espanya and involves an investment of about 50 million euros, with construction expected to finish around 2031.
The project replaces the previous temporary use, the America's Cup Experience, a center installed to review the history of the sailing competition hosted by Barcelona in 2024. The building, inaugurated in 1995, closed in 2014 due to high maintenance costs and suffered a fire in January 2020.
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