Karl Marx Theatre, Performance venue in Miramar, Cuba

The Karl Marx Theatre stands on Avenida 1ra between streets 8 and 10 in Miramar, Playa, Havana. Its auditorium seats 5,500 people, making it the setting for the largest shows by Cuban and foreign artists. The building was originally known as the Teatro Blanquita, named after the wife of its owner, Alfredo Hornedo.

The Karl Marx Theatre was built by Alfredo Hornedo and first named Teatro Blanquita after his wife. After the 1959 Cuban Revolution it was renamed Teatro Charles Chaplin, and in 1975 it took its present name following the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, held in the building.

The theatre's name comes from the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, held there in 1975, when it was renamed after Karl Marx; before that it was the Teatro Blanquita, then the Teatro Charles Chaplin. Its 5,500-seat auditorium has hosted Carlos Varela, Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Omara Portuondo, Billy Joel and Fito Páez. In 2001 Manic Street Preachers played there; warned the band would be loud, Fidel Castro replied: "No pueden tocar más alto que la guerra."

Miramar is a residential neighborhood west of central Havana, and the theatre sits right on the seafront avenue, which makes it easy to spot from the street. It is worth checking in advance whether an event is scheduled, as the building is not always open to visitors outside of performances.

The theatre's original name, Teatro Blanquita, honoured the wife of its owner and builder, Alfredo Hornedo. After the 1959 revolution it was renamed Teatro Charles Chaplin, and it took its present name in 1975, after hosting the First Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.