Mérida’s City Theater to Open in 2027 With 1,100 Seats

Mérida, Yucatán — Construction is nearing completion on the Teatro de la Ciudad, a 1,100-seat performing arts venue being built across from Itzimná Park. The theater is scheduled to open in 2027.

The project, backed by more than 100 million pesos in investment, is a joint venture of Escena Producciones, TusBoletosMX, Producciones Carba, La Gran Audiencia and actor Óscar Martínez, known for his regional stage character Tila María Sesto.

“It will be the largest-capacity theater in the city,” said Mario Cuevas of Escena Producciones. “The difference is that it will have the conditions and characteristics of a true theater in every sense.”

The venue will accommodate 1,100 people across the main floor and a mezzanine with space for 350 attendees. It will feature a 14-by-10-meter stage, a rigging system, lighting, specialized acoustics, cafeterias, service areas and all the technical requirements of a space designed for the performing arts. Beyond hosting shows, the partners envision it as an open forum for theater companies, producers and entertainment businesses.

The idea has been gestating for years. According to the developers, the project began taking shape in 2018 with a search for land and was paused in 2020 because of the pandemic. They said Mérida’s continued growth has made an investment of this scale viable.

“As an actor and comedian, there is always the dream of having your own theater,” said Martínez.

The partners chose the traditional Itzimná neighborhood for both its location and its urban development potential. The site was selected after meeting technical and civil protection requirements covering access, roadways and emergency exits, and it will have adjacent parking. Martínez said the theater could stimulate more activity in the area by drawing people to performances.

The construction incorporates 32 different engineering disciplines, including acoustics and isoptics, as well as fire suppression, sound insulation, professional rigging and technical equipment designed so touring companies do not have to bring their own audio, lighting or stage machinery. The theater is intended to host plays, musicals, family shows and other stage events, with plans for about 20 productions a year.

Civil works are roughly 90% complete, electrical installations about 50% and the stage about 30%, the developers said. They estimate six to eight months of work remain and are already preparing the first in-house productions for the theater’s inauguration.

Once in operation, the theater is expected to create 30 to 50 direct jobs, while each production typically involves about 40 collaborators, including technicians, set designers, publicists, box-office staff and operations personnel.

What began as the idea for a small theater has grown into a large-scale complex, with partners comparing it to theater corridors in Mexico City, where cultural venues have boosted nearby commercial and gastronomic activity.