The closure of Valencia's Teatro Principal reveals a rift between the Generalitat and the Diputación over the maintenance of the building. Both administrations, from the same party, are passing the buck regarding inspections and the self-protection plan.
The closure of the Teatro Principal de Valencia has exposed a dispute between the Generalitat and the Diputación de Valencia over who was responsible for maintaining the building. According to lasprovincias.es, the Consell claims it is unaware if the periodic inspections were carried out, while the provincial body asserts that those tasks fell to the Institut Valencià de Cultura.
The controversy comes at a delicate time for the Valencian PP, just before the appointment of Juanfran Pérez Llorca as the candidate for the Generalitat for the 2027 elections. Discrepancies between two institutions governed by the same party are unusual and highlight internal tensions between Pérez Llorca and the president of the Diputación, Vicent Mompó.
Sources from the Diputación have explained that the responsibility for the building and its facilities should not be confused with the responsibility for the activities that take place within it. They remind that the provincial corporation regained the maintenance responsibilities for the theatre in 2024 precisely because for years these tasks were not being carried out with the necessary diligence.
“The Diputación regained the maintenance responsibilities for the Teatro Principal in 2024 precisely because for years that maintenance was not being carried out with the necessary diligence. Since then, the Diputación has assumed its obligations regarding the building and has acted on the identified deficiencies, including hiring the necessary work to obtain the corresponding certifications.”
From the provincial body, they insist that one thing is the preservation of the building, a responsibility they have taken on and are exercising, and another is the cultural activity and the self-protection obligations associated with that activity. The regulations link the Self-Protection Plan to the activity holder, who must identify and assess risks, establish prevention and control measures, and determine actions in the event of an emergency.
“In this case, the responsibility for the cultural activity taking place in the Teatro Principal lies with the Generalitat. Therefore, it is not correct to transfer to the Diputación, merely by virtue of being the owner of the building, obligations that the regulations assign to the activity holder.”
The Diputación denies that it is shirking responsibilities. They assert that since regaining maintenance, they have acted to correct a situation inherited from the past, and that when the expert report indicated a risk to public safety, they prioritised citizen protection.
“Moreover, the Diputación is not evading any responsibility. On the contrary: since regaining maintenance of the building in 2024, it has acted precisely to correct a situation that has been ongoing. And when the expert report warned of a situation affecting public safety, the Diputación acted with the utmost responsibility: in the face of doubt about the safety of a public building, the priority must always be to protect people.”
From the Generalitat, the spokesperson for the Consell, Miguel Barrachina, acknowledged on Friday that he is unaware of “the backstory” regarding those inspections. He admitted that part of the cultural programming was managed by the Generalitat and that, as a temporary user, it should have commissioned the maintenance of the facilities.
“Maintenance before, during, and after performances is one thing, and rehabilitation is another. Aside from the question you are asking me, what is important is the rehabilitation. I understand that you may not know about the building's maintenance.”
Barrachina has requested help from the central government to rehabilitate the theatre and has highlighted the speed with which both administrations acted once the expert report recommending closure was known.
“We are very proud of the Principal. We will cooperate to ensure it is rehabilitated as soon as possible, as a theatre of such dignity deserves. The key is whether the Spanish government will help us as it does with other theatres.”
The spokesperson for the Consell recalled that on Monday night the situation that technically required closure was known, and by Tuesday, the 8 performances scheduled had already been relocated to the Palau de les Arts. The cultural activity, he assured, will not be affected.
The temporary closure of the Valencian coliseum directly impacts the city's cultural agenda, which has seen parts of its programming moved to other venues in recent days. The rehabilitation of the building now depends on whether the central government decides to get financially involved, as the Generalitat is requesting.
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