Less than a day had passed since the incident when the Murcia Municipal Council ordered an immediate shutdown of nightlife venues and the suspension of all related activities. At approximately 21:00, Local Police began sealing the concert hall. Spectrum sits in the Mariano Rojas district, where the license was deemed invalid, and a separate police operation also closed down Golden Nightclub. A third establishment affected by the fire that claimed thirteen lives last Sunday faced a closing order issued by the city’s Consortium.
As the afternoon progressed, two additional bodies joined the initial actions, expanding the shutdown to four facilities. Inspection teams from the Murcia City Council sealed three venues in the Las Atalayas and Mariano Rojas entertainment area and one in the Gea and Truyols district.
The City Council held a morning press conference to convey that the remaining venues were already identified, with large entertainment spaces like these having previously received cease and desist orders that had not yet been executed.
Deputy Mayor and Council Member for Public Works, Rebeca Pérez, was unable to provide an exact tally of how many businesses were affected. She did confirm that initial inspections and investigative work were underway in the Mariano Rojas and Atalayas entertainment districts. Inspectors are checking whether the nightclubs ordered to close have complied with the applicable regulations. If a venue is found noncompliant, authorities will proceed with immediate sealing.
“The screening process had to be prioritized based on two criteria: geographic location and areas with the highest concentration of nightlife venues and traffic, especially those with the largest capacities”, officials explained.
Change of Ownership Under Review
In a statement from the scene, a representative from the concert hall, Juan Pedro López, described a long-running coordination with city authorities. He noted that the facility had been approaching Urbanism for changes in processing, questioning whether any modifications had occurred in the procedures. He indicated that initial inquiries suggested nothing had changed and that activity could continue, a claim that raised further questions as closures unfolded.
Spectrum’s status as a sealed venue was highlighted in a caption accompanying a recent photograph. Francisco Penaranda provided the description.
The Spectrum representative reported that the venue has stood as a concert hall for 25 years, and the only outstanding matter was a change of ownership. He explained that what had occurred was a name change, a process that would typically require a fresh event request. Although the operator insisted that the core activity remained the same, López clarified that the person currently running the space is a cultural association, Ghosts of HMC, of which he is a member as well.
Observers noted what they described as a shift in municipal policy. López criticized what he viewed as an inconsistent stance, claiming that there had been signals about altering the law and that now, with close to the seals, many venues were being closed. He added that notices were delivered roughly 45 minutes before enforcement actions began.
Across the city, inspectors and officials stressed that the rapid closures were aimed at maximizing safety and ensuring that venues meet updated standards. The unfolding actions prompted discussions about the balance between cultural life and public safety, especially in districts with dense nightlife activity. [Attribution: Murcia City Council]