China Teatern

China Teatern is a private theatre and live-entertainment venue at Berzelii Park 9, beside Hamngatan and close to Berns and Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm. The building was designed by architect Albin Stark and opened in 1928 as a cinema, premiering Greta Garbo’s silent film Anna Karenina with a live seventeen-piece orchestra. Its Chinese-inspired interior was created by artist Ewald Dahlskog, while the auditorium’s diagonally arranged seats give unusually clear sightlines; the façade carries Chinese characters meaning “The Theatre of Perfect Vision.” Ernst Rolf brought revue performances to the venue in 1929, and China became Scandinavia’s largest variety theatre in 1938 before returning to live theatre after the cinema closed in 1980. It is primarily a ticketed performance venue rather than a bar, so check the specific show schedule and reserve seats in advance; the box office is generally open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00 and later on performance days.