By Laura Serra, journalist

Now that we’re already in February and it’s a good time to revisit our always optimistic lists of goals, we’ve asked journalist Laura Serra to reaffirm our commitment to the performing arts. As you’ll read, she claims that 2025 will be one of the best years for Catalan theater.

We invite you to explore with her the rich and ambitious lineup of international theater and local productions awaiting us this year, both before and after the Grec.

Some resolutions aren’t meant to be kept
There should be a rule: if a resolution appears on your New Year’s list for more than three consecutive years, it should be automatically discarded and invalidated by the gods of resolutions—who else is keeping track of the goals we secretly set for ourselves? There’s nothing sadder than a wish so weakly desired that you don’t even manage to get started on it. I think resolutions should have an expiration date. That way, they wouldn’t linger in the background, aging into vintage regrets.

That’s what happens with theater—if you don’t act on your wish to see a certain artist or play, the opportunity vanishes, leaving only the nostalgia of what could have been: Peter Brook, Pina Bausch, Camí de nit, Angels in America… If you don’t seize the moment, you’ll regret it.

It’s February, the gym discounts are over, and you didn’t even sign up. Forget it—leave that for another day. Theaters are switching from holiday programming to bold and ambitious new productions. Here are four names to watch this month:

At Teatre Lliure, The Inheritance by Matthew López, directed by Josep Maria Mestres—a six-hour epic that immerses us in what it was like to be a young gay man in post-AIDS epidemic New York (starring Carlos Cuevas, Albert Salazar, Ferran Vilajosana, and Francesc Cuéllar).

At Teatre Nacional, L’aranya by Àngel Guimerà, a classic reimagined in the era of Spain’s democratic transition, directed by Jordi Prat i Coll, set to the rhythm of El general Bum-Bum.

At Teatre Goya, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, directed by Pere Arquillué—a great script, great actors, and nothing more is needed.

And for something totally out there: Macbeth in an English cabaret version. Oriol Broggi has enlisted The Tiger Lillies, with their accordions and ukuleles, to sing Shakespeare’s tragic fate at Biblioteca de Catalunya.

March: Time to dance
By March, you plan to start Zumba but swap it for the Dansa Metropolitana festival instead. If you’re after flawless movement, catch the Humanhood company at Teatre Nacional. If you’re a fan of Rodrigo Cuevas and want to see tradition reinterpreted for today, check out Kukai Dantza at Teatre Sagarra in Santa Coloma or avant-garde flamenco dancer Israel Galván, who will dedicate the spring to Granollers. If you want to move, always check what’s on at Mercat de les Flors.

April: Scaling new theatrical heights
By April, you’ve dropped some of your overly ambitious resolutions (besides, Catalans hate long queues), but instead, you can embark on a panoramic journey through fresh Catalan playwriting—like a GR trail for contemporary theater.

Stop 1: Pau Miró returns with Expulsió (Sala Beckett), a Chekhovian-style drama about three siblings forced to sell their family’s summer home.

Stop 2: After the success of The Swallow, Guillem Clua now presents Death of a Comedian, promising a tour de force performance by Jordi Bosch (Teatre Romea).

Stop 3: A must-see: Fantastic Ramon by Clàudia Cedó and the Escenaris Especials team (Teatre Lliure), a genre-bending comedy about raising a child with a disability.

April also offers a poker hand of great comedies:

Stop 4: Cristina Clemente’s sharp and witty Radio Therapy at La Villarroel.

Stop 5: Marta Buchaca’s bubbly and insightful Kramig at Teatre Texas.

Stop 6: Jordi Casanovas’ A Closed Menu at La Villarroel, a provocative take on fragile masculinity.

Stop 7: An intimate performance by Ramon Madaula in Loop at Sala Flyhard, exploring the generational gap between father and daughter.

Stop 8: Anything by La Calòrica is a must-see. In The Roar of the Deer, their characters escape existential emptiness through wilderness retreats, risky business ventures, and experimental rituals.

May & June: Catching up before the Grec
As the season winds down, now’s the time for a theater sprint before the Grec Festival. Get your last tickets for Mar i Cel, because those sails won’t stay raised forever. Also returning: the award-winning The Categorical Imperative by Victoria Szpunberg, The Favor by Susanna Garachana, and Travy, an enduringly magical show by Oriol Pla and his family.

July: The Grec takes over
When July arrives, forget about any other extracurriculars—the Grec Festival will consume your schedule. Until Leticia Martín Ruiz reveals her top-secret lineup, you can warm up with some major international productions coming our way, like Angélica Liddell’s Vudú (3318) Blixen at Teatre Nacional or Tiago Rodrigues’ Heart of Lovers at Teatre Lliure.

Fall: A fresh start for theater lovers
By fall, you’ve shed your failed resolutions and are free to dive into new and exciting performances. FiraTàrrega, the global epicenter of street arts, kicks off the theater season with record-breaking attendance expected this year. La Mercè’s stage performances mark the official start of the cultural calendar, alongside the BCN Districte Cultural circuit, where I caught Ma solitud by Guillem Albà last season—a show that’s been touring worldwide but only made a brief stop in Barcelona’s alternative venues.

Looking for something fresh and unexpected? Check out Escena Poblenou and Viu Montjuïc for hidden theatrical gems. The new Cruïlla Comèdia festival is bringing humor to El Molino and Paral·lel. Meanwhile, the RBLS Festival continues to push boundaries with bold youth-oriented productions—last year’s highlights included the dark Dirrrty Boys and the intense monologue Boja.

Winter: The final curtain call
By December, theaters pull out all their biggest hits for peak ticket sales. Don’t miss the Circ d’Hivern at Ateneu 9 Barris and the holiday theater lineup at Plaça de Catalunya, as classic as making New Year’s resolutions you won’t keep.

Resolution accomplished?
If you followed this guide, maybe you didn’t do enough Pilates. Maybe Duolingo didn’t work out. Maybe you’ll need to do some soul-searching. But you will have indulged in an exhilarating year of theater, flooding your brain with endorphins.

As the experts say, doing something for 21 days makes it a habit. So, going to the theater is no longer an exception—it’s a routine. Resolution fulfilled!