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Madrid Seals Teatro Barceló After Judge Lifts Injunction Over Capacity Breaches

Officials cite repeated over-capacity events that they say endangered patrons, triggering a one-year suspension of operations.

Overview

  • City officials and Municipal Police sealed the venue on Thursday morning, posting an official closure notice at the entrance.
  • The Agency of Activities will enforce two consecutive six-month shutdowns to complete the one-year penalty.
  • Police inspections in December 2022 and February 2023 found roughly 1,500 people inside against a licensed limit of 990, classified as a serious safety violation.
  • The nightlife coalition Plataforma por el Ocio condemned the action, alleged pressure from the Urban Planning department, and vowed further legal challenges and a stepped-up information campaign.
  • Emergency measures had briefly kept the club open and delayed a planned November 20 closure until a court revoked them; the current owner is Grupo Sounds, which acquired the venue after the pandemic.