Cine Teatro Blue, Portugal

Cine Teatro Blue is a collapsing enterainment venue in Portugal. The roof collapsed many years ago, and now vegetation grows infront of the stage. It has been abandoned for many years, and it is facing an uncertain future. Will it be left to collapse entirely? At the moment, this seems to be the most likely destiny for this crumbling building. I explored this abandoned cinema/theatre during the Portugal Summer 2022 Tour.

History of the abandoned Cine Teatro Blue

History about Cine Teatro Blue is quite scarce, this is as much I have managed to dig up so far.

This old cinema-theatre stands atop a hill, overlooking the town below. It was built in the 1920s and was once a popular cultural venue. Inside, there were seats for up to 130 people. Interestingly, these chair rows are movable. The seating configuration could be altered depending on number or the nature of the evening’s entertainment. It would have also been possible to remove the chairs entirely, allowing the floor to be opened up to other uses.

It is unclear when the cine teatro closed, but some online resources suggest it has been disused since the 1980s. There is also an abandoned house next door, probably the former owner or cinema projectionists house. Additionally, the roof has collapsed sometime in the last 10 years. Since the collapse the inside of the cine teatro has been exposed to the elements.

The town council brought Cine Teatro Blue around 15 years ago. There were plans to regenerate the building, and bring it back into use as a cultural hub. However, some town residents argue it is better to be demolished and the funds spent elsewhere. The town already has two cinemas, one of which has operated at a loss for many years. With this in mind, another cinema is not required. Emphasis was placed on making this a multi-functional space, but no concesus was reached and no work started. Discussions were rekindled a few years ago, but as you can see from my photos nothing has yet been done.