Overview
- Karma confirmed on Instagram that it has permanently closed, ending a run that began with its opening in December 1978 on Plaça Reial.
- La Deskomunal in Sants announced it will cease operations at the end of 2026 after roughly five years hosting about 1,000 bands and drawing some 25,000 visitors in 2025.
- Partners at La Deskomunal cite accumulated strain from complaints, inspections, required adaptations and fines as reasons for the decision.
- The closures follow earlier losses such as Sidecar in 2024, Kasparo and Bar Raval, while other small venues including Heliogàbal, Bóveda, Meteoro and El Pumarejo are reported as vulnerable.
- Reactions range from nostalgia and worries about gentrification to warnings referenced in reporting that studies link the disappearance of pubs and live-music spaces to reduced social mixing and potential gains for the extreme right.