In a recent development, a popular night-time venue has been shut down by the local authorities in Arona for flouting safety regulations. The establishment had been advertising itself on social media as a nightclub with a license that allowed it to stay open until 6:00am, however, according to the authorities it only has a bar licence which doesn’t allow this, as there is a significant distinction between a bar and a nightclub.
Nonetheless, the venue was operating to its fullest capacity allowed by the law, until as late as possible which attracted the attention of municipal authorities and the Arona Local Police, as confirmed by official sources yesterday to Diario de Avisos.
They explained that "officers had been conducting surveillance and monitoring for several months, resulting in the issuance of penalty notices for schedule violations" and other serious infractions directly related to the safety of its patrons.
The establishment, previously called TIBU, is located in a well-known entertainment district in Playa de las Américas called The Patch, which falls under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Arona. Following the municipal intervention, a sign was hung outside explaining that "the nightclub will be closed for renovations until further notice," which aligns with what happened last Friday.
On Friday night, officers from Arona's Local Police Group 4 proceeded to close the venue. Furthermore, the sources stated that "corrective measures are not feasible" and that "the establishment is incompatible with the activity it is carrying out," suggesting that the license granted did not match the nightclub activities promoted on its various social media platforms.
All of this is the echo of the tragedy that recently occurred in Murcia in mainland Spain, where a fire broke out in a club in a similar situation with a closure order, and 13 people were killed and a further 24 injured, which has made the local authorities look closer at licences and night time venues. Several venues have been closed throughout Spain since, but this is the only one that has come to light so far in the south of Tenerife.
The fire in a Murcia nightclub spread quickly to the whole building. (Image: Costas News)
However, since Friday, when the venue was closed by the police, they have now been advertising a large-scale event for Halloween on Facebook called the "Heart Attack Party," which includes descriptions of booths set up for the party and various DJ performances.
Official sources consulted yesterday maintained that the venue is currently under a closure order, and that the alleged violations identified by the Arona Local Police cannot be rectified. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the establishment's license does not align with the activities being carried out within it, which is a clear contradiction to the posts for Halloween. The investigation continues.
