Nearly a day after the incident in Murcia, the city’s Local Police sealed the concert hall around 21:00 on Thursday, ordering the immediate shutdown of nightlife venues and halting all activities. The Spectrum venue, located in the Mariano Rojas district, became a focal point of the response.
In a morning press briefing, the City Council confirmed that other impacted venues had already been identified. Large entertainment spaces damaged in last Sunday’s fire received cease-and-desist orders, though many of the orders remained unfulfilled at that stage.
Deputy Mayor and Public Works Council Member Rebeca Pérez did not attend the briefing to provide numbers, but she reported that initial inspections and investigations were already underway in the Mariano Rojas and Atalayas entertainment zones. Inspectors are verifying whether nightclubs that have been ordered to close are complying with safety and licensing requirements. If violations are found, closures will be enforced immediately with seals placed on the venues.
“The screening had to be prioritized according to two criteria: geographical location and the areas with the highest concentration of nightlife venues and foot traffic, especially those with the largest capacities”, officials noted.
The police also visited the Atalayas area, requesting documents from several open venues to confirm the validity of their licenses. Among the establishments checked was the Golden nightclub, which had links to the fire event last Sunday.
They processed the change of ownership
Officials described the situation as a coordinated, ongoing process that has been in motion for some time. Juan Pedro López, a representative of the concert hall, spoke from the scene, expressing surprise at the closure and indicating that discussions with Urbanism had been underway for two days to clarify any changes in processing. He noted that he had been assured that nothing would prevent the venue from continuing its activities.
The Spectrum representative confirmed that the venue has a long history of 25 years, with the sole pending matter being a change of ownership. He explained that what occurred was a formal name change, a step that typically requires a fresh activity permit request, even if the operation remains the same. López added that the current operator is a cultural association, Ghosts of HMC, in which he is also involved.
There were comments suggesting a shift in municipal policy, with some officials perceived as attempting to alter regulations. López criticized the timing of notices, stating that the venues were informed about the sealing only 45 minutes in advance and that the announced actions appeared to reflect broader policy moves rather than venue-specific issues.
As the situation evolved, inspectors continued to verify compliance across the district, balancing enforcement with due process and ensuring that any changes in ownership or operation were properly reflected in official records and licensing documents.