AUDITORIO ROCÍO JURADO
Closed · Awaiting Major Rehabilitation
The auditorium was created as part of the enormous transformation of Isla de la Cartuja for the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992.
Unlike many structures built for the exposition that were conceived as temporary installations, the auditorium was designed from the beginning as a permanent cultural venue capable of continuing beyond the six months of Expo '92.
The project was entrusted to architect Eleuterio Población Knappe, who created a monumental open-air performance space beside the Guadalquivir.
1991
The auditorium opened before Expo '92 itself, forming part of the cultural programme created in preparation for the Universal Exposition.
1992
During Expo '92 it became one of La Cartuja's principal performance venues, hosting music, dance and major stage productions.
The new Auditorio de la Expo was officially inaugurated on the night of September 6, 1991.
The artist chosen to open the venue was Rocío Jurado, one of the most celebrated Spanish singers of her generation.
The concert was broadcast live on Spanish television and radio, helping introduce the new performance venue to audiences across the country months before the opening of Expo '92.
Rocío Jurado
The singer from Chipiona inaugurated the auditorium with a major televised concert.
A Sold-Out Opening
Contemporary reports recorded around 4,500 tickets for the inaugural concert, which sold out shortly after going on sale.
The auditorium became especially associated with Azabache, one of the major musical productions created for Expo '92.
The show celebrated the history of Spanish copla and brought together some of the genre's best-known performers.
Rocío Jurado
One of the central stars of the production and already closely associated with the auditorium after its 1991 inauguration.
A Historic Cast
Imperio Argentina, Nati Mistral, Juana Reina and María Vidal joined Rocío Jurado in the celebrated Expo production.
Azabache became one of the productions most closely remembered from the cultural programme of Expo '92 and reinforced the relationship between Rocío Jurado and the auditorium.
Eleuterio Población designed the auditorium as a large open-air performance venue whose architecture responds directly to the landscape of La Cartuja.
Rather than creating a traditional enclosed theatre, the design incorporates a large stage, broad public seating areas and the natural slope of the site.
Approx. 3,000 m² Stage
The enormous stage platform became one of the most distinctive characteristics of the building and allowed very large productions.
Natural Hillside
Part of the landscape itself was incorporated into the venue as an informal additional viewing area.
Orchestra Pit
The original design included a pit capable of accommodating a large orchestra, reflecting the venue's initial ambitions for opera and major musical productions.
Macael Marble
White marble from Macael was used on significant exterior surfaces, giving the monumental structure its characteristic appearance.
Capacity changed according to configuration and alterations carried out after Expo '92. The original auditorium offered several thousand fixed seats, while later adaptations allowed total audiences of approximately 8,000 people for some events.
After the Universal Exposition closed in October 1992, the auditorium remained part of the physical legacy of La Cartuja.
Ownership initially passed to AGESA, the state company responsible for managing many of the assets inherited from Expo '92.
During the following years the venue continued to host major concerts and cultural events, although its open-air configuration limited activity during parts of the year.
Concerts
Spanish and international artists performed on the enormous stage during the decades following Expo '92.
Summer Venue
Its uncovered design made the auditorium particularly suitable for large concerts during Seville's warmer months.
In 2006, the City of Seville became the owner of the former Expo auditorium.
That same year the venue was officially renamed Auditorio Municipal Rocío Jurado in memory of the singer who had inaugurated it fifteen years earlier.
The tribute took place only months after Rocío Jurado's death in June 2006.
Despite its enormous dimensions and historic importance, maintaining a large uncovered auditorium proved increasingly difficult.
Various proposals over the years sought to cover the venue, increase its capacity or give it a more stable year-round programme, but the most ambitious plans did not materialize.
Problems surrounding its concession and management eventually led to prolonged inactivity, and the auditorium closed in 2023.
The City of Seville subsequently recovered effective possession of the property and began planning a new future for the site.
In 2026 the City of Seville advanced a major project to transform the former open-air auditorium into a covered, modern and flexible large-capacity venue.
In September 2026 the municipal government approved the preliminary project and tender specifications for its comprehensive rehabilitation, modernization, covering and future operation.
15,339 Spectators
The proposed future configuration would more than double the capacity associated with many of the auditorium's previous large-scale events.
New Roof
Covering the auditorium would allow the venue to operate throughout the year rather than depending so heavily on weather.
Improved Acoustics
The project includes a major acoustic redesign for concerts and other large-scale performances.
Multipurpose Venue
Plans envisage concerts, cultural shows, entertainment, sporting events and formats ranging from very large audiences to smaller configurations.
The latest municipal documentation places the estimated private investment at approximately €43.9 million. The concession model is intended to finance the works without direct municipal investment in the construction itself.
The auditorium occupies a strategic position on Isla de la Cartuja, surrounded by several important remnants of Expo '92 and centuries of earlier Sevillian history.
Monastery of La Cartuja
Santa María de las Cuevas and the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo are only a short distance away.
Jardines del Guadalquivir
One of the most important surviving landscaped areas created for Expo '92 extends nearby.
Isla Mágica
Seville's theme park occupies part of the former Expo site.
Expo '92 Heritage
Bridges, pavilions, gardens and surviving infrastructure throughout La Cartuja recall the Universal Exposition that transformed this part of Seville.
Why Is the Auditorio Rocío Jurado Important?
The Auditorio Rocío Jurado is currently not a place to attend a concert, but it remains one of the most significant surviving cultural buildings of Expo '92. Its enormous stage, distinctive open-air architecture and relationship with Rocío Jurado form an important part of the modern cultural history of Seville.
If the planned rehabilitation is completed, the auditorium will begin a very different second life: transformed from a seasonal open-air venue into one of southern Spain's largest covered multipurpose arenas while preserving the memory of the building created for Expo '92.
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