Margherita Theatre

The Margherita Theatre is one of Bari’s historic theatres, which reopened in December 2018 after an extensive restoration and has since been transformed into a contemporary art museum. Originally built between 1912 and 1914 on pillars in the sea at the old port, the Margherita Theatre replaced the Varietà Margherita, a wooden theatre that was inaugurated on 5 September 1910 but tragically burned down in less than an hour on 22 July 1911 under mysterious circumstances, possibly due to arson. Designed in the Liberty style, the Margherita Theatre was entirely surrounded by water and connected to the mainland by a pier. It was inaugurated on 22 August 1914 under the name Kursaal Margherita. The theatre closed its doors on 20 February 1980, allowing for restoration work that continued intermittently until its completion in 2019. Throughout the years, and continuing today, the Margherita Theatre has served as a hub for the press activities of the Bif&st, the Bari International Film Festival.

The Margherita Theatre appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Bari!

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