Just a few meters from the National Congress, there stands a nearly hidden building with 100-year-old architecture and a cultural history that’s about to be revitalized. Amid film screenings with live music and theatrical premieres, there’s an Art Deco mansion from the 1930s, historic murals, and impeccable acoustics—making it the new place to discover in Buenos Aires’ nightlife. Here’s a clue: it’s on Hipólito Yrigoyen Street.
It’s the Empire Theater, one of the few places in the city where you can enjoy a retro cinematic experience—featuring screenings of silent film classics accompanied by live music —and also relive a play that has already been performed by 800 actors.
An architectural masterpiece born of the labor movement
Opened on June 20, 1934, the Empire Theater was designed by architect Jorge Sabaté for the train engineers’ union. The result is a building that perfectly embodies pre-war Art Deco. Walking past its façade always catches your eye because its 1930s style stands out among the surrounding buildings.
As soon as you walk in, you’ll discover its fresco murals created by artists Juan Carlos Montero and Dante Ortolani. The main auditorium features a vaulted ceiling designed in layers to naturally amplify the acoustics without the need for microphones (and you’ll definitely notice this if you go to see a play). Did you know that in the 1940s it served as the auditorium for LR3 Radio Belgrano, where tango concerts were broadcast?
Silent films with a live orchestra: a journey back to the 1930s in a one-of-a-kind Art Deco building in Buenos Aires
Currently, the Empire Theater hosts plays and special silent film series projected on the big screen with live musical accompaniment. The fan-shaped acoustics of the main auditorium and its period atmosphere make watching these film classics an unforgettable experience.
On the program, you’ll find screenings like Fritz Lang’s *Metropolis* or *The Invisible Man*, with each showing accompanied by pianists, ensembles, and chamber orchestras improvising or performing original compositions live.
The inside scoop: the venue where the play featuring 800 actors premiered
In 1997, the theater was abandoned and in danger of falling into disrepair, but it was saved and restored by theater director Carlos Mathus and actor Antonio Leiva, the creators of *La lección de anatomía* (The Anatomy Lesson), a 1972 play that shook up Argentine society at the time (and long after its premiere) with its famous opening group nude scene. At its premiere, it challenged the censorship and taboos of the time.
Today, the play holds a national theater record for having been on the bill for 50 consecutive years and for being the production in which more than 800 actors have appeared.
That same production returns to the stage in August 2026 at the Empire Theater itself—that 1930s Art Deco building that revolutionized the cultural scene. If you’re looking to do something special, steeped in history, you’ve found your event and your venue.
📍1934 Hipólito Yrigoyen Ave.
