Five years on, the Valencian government will contribute 3 million euros in 2018 to the co-owner alliance of Sabadell Bank and Alicante City Council, in equal parts. The Alicante City Council has finally unlocked its share of 1.5 million euros for the Colosseum rehabilitation, signaling a push for reform after years of external damage and internal shortcomings. The scope of work includes comprehensive seating and floor replacement, restoration of the stage foundation, and modernization of electrical installations, among other urgent improvements.
Alicante Mayor Luis Barcala spoke about the progress during a meeting of the Owners Community Management Council. The Directors’ Meeting took place on a Friday, following the General Assembly held in October 2022, fourteen months after the previous gathering.
This advance marks the first step toward drafting the rehabilitation plan. According to the mayor, theater construction is currently underway and the Infrastructure Department is actively preparing the paperwork needed for the plan.
The delay in this action was attributed to objections from the intervention service. After receiving written information from Banco Sabadell, the city council decided to use the funds in question, which had not yet been approved year after year. Once the city council vote was published, Sabadell announced that it would release 1.5 million euros, though it remains unclear whether this amount will address outstanding debt. The 2019 departure of the former manager Francesc Sanguino had already dragged the stadium debt of 900,000 euros into focus. The principal role at the Coliseum has been vacant since then, with duties assumed by the deputy principal, María Dolores Padilla.
Budgets and programming, approved
The Board of Directors approved the theater program for 2024/25 and the 2023 budgets. As the year closes, the 2024 budget totals 3,062,000 euros, with 62,000 euros more than the previous year. There remains no increase in annual allocations from each owner, maintaining 180,000 euros per participant and totaling 540,000 euros.
The Municipal Socialist Group had already criticized the 2024 accounts after evaluating contributions at the General Assembly, calling them ridiculous and inadequate. They claimed that contributions should rise to 380,000 euros per person, reaching 1,140,000 euros annually.
Socialist criticisms
Critics argued that quality programming cannot be delivered with funds that are too small. After four years of principal shortages and a deteriorating building, the deputy speaker noted that reforms had been promised since 2018. Five years later, it was argued that little had been done. The sense of urgency remains strong among supporters of stronger cultural investment.
Everything stays the same at Alicante Main Theater
More viewers
Mayor Barcala highlighted that the theater’s management has driven higher revenue returns, with the box office showing a 121 percent increase. After 52,600 attendees in 2018, the auditorium closed the year with roughly 86,000 spectators. The possibility of further increases in contributions for 2024 was left open for discussion at the next meeting.
Another topic for the upcoming session is potentially changing the theater’s legal ownership structure from a community model to a more suitable form, such as a foundation or board of trustees. This would better align the charter with the interventions carried out and provide clearer oversight of future actions.
New advisors
The government council appointed new directors from Generalitat Valenciana and Banco de Sabadell. The team now includes the mayor, a member of the Cultural Council Nayma Beldjilali, the General Manager of Culture Sergio Arlandis, and representatives Juan Fernando Canos and Miquel Molins from Banco Sabadell.
Free annual transfer
An agreement was reached to transfer the Main Theater to a non-profit organization for a free annual period, enabling the venue to host galas or festivals within the socio-health sector. From 2024, the Alinur Foundation is expected to coordinate year-end events at the theater. To date, only essential facilities needed for ongoing works have been provided free of charge, including events like the Blood Marathon and the José Estruch Awards.