More than a concert venue

Today brought the presentation of a new management model for the Paral·lel 62 venue, the result of a public competition awarded to the joint venture between the cooperatives L’Afluent, Quesoni and Sala Upload.

The winning project opts for a horizontal management system linked to the social and solidarity economy, transforming the concert hall into a home for culture. This way, Paral·lel 62 will drive citizen participation and promote social and cultural projects beyond music.

Through a programme where quality, inclusion, accessibility, interculturality and parity all feature, the venue will combine music by leading artists with new voices, backing the local scene and inviting international performers as well. At the same time, the goal is to give continuity to collaboration with cultural events in the city such as the Grec festival, the Barcelona Jazz Festival, the Primavera Sound and Acció Musical (BAM).

Notable changes at Paral·lel 62

Changes linked to the new management model include:

• One of the goals of the project is to have a positive impact on the local area. To drive social and cultural projects, Paral·lel 62 will coordinate with organisations, facilities and associations working in local neighbourhoods and adopt shared strategies to promote the social and solidarity economy.
• Online ticket sales will be managed with Tickètic, an ethical management platform.
• A restaurant project will be set up and managed by Cooperativa Abarka, taking advantage of the professional kitchen space which has been unused for years. Through gastronomy, the cooperative will work to generate job opportunities for racialised migrants and offer catering services and specific workshops.
• Unused in recent years, the recording studio will also be revamped. Once equipped, this will be used as a resource for creation and music training.
• The funding project has been conceived to combine private and public investment. The goal is for around 80% of the project to be funded with income generated by activity at the venue and around 20% with private and public funding.

A cultural space with history

With a capacity for up to 1,450 people in the main hall and 130 in the Sala Club, the venue at Paral·lel 62 has been a point of reference for culture for decades. Initially the Circo Español Modelo, it later became the Teatro Circo Español, the Gran Teatro Español, the Cine Teatro Español, the Studio 54 disco, the Scenic Barcelona restaurant with shows and, after being acquired by Barcelona City Council, the Artèria Paral·lel and the Sala Barts.