The iconic Guimerá Theatre in the capital of Tenerife is scheduled to close its doors in early 2025 for the long-awaited comprehensive refurbishment, costing over seven million euros. This restoration is part of an ambitious plan to preserve the historical heritage of the Canary Islands. Consequently, the Autonomous Organization of Culture of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is actively seeking alternative and temporary venues to host planned events until the projected completion of the renovations in 2028.
Councilor for Culture, Santiago Díaz, stated, “We are currently identifying a venue to accommodate most of the events scheduled at Guimerá, ensuring that the city does not lack cultural activities during the almost three years of theatre closure. Moreover, the theatre, built in 1851, is one of the oldest in the Canary Islands.”
During the presentation of the area’s 2024 budgets, totaling 7.1 million euros (10% higher than 2023), Díaz announced that over 1.5 million euros will be allocated to the Guimerá Theatre this year to cover programming expenses, maintenance, box office, technical services, and copyright fees. Additionally, an extensive program of activities will be launched to commemorate the centenary of Ángel Guimerá, the late 19th-century writer, poet, and playwright after whom the theatre is named.
The mayor disclosed, “From May 6 to March 24, we will host a series of conferences, presentations, and performances to mark this anniversary, with an investment of 260,000 euros.”
Major Attractions
An allocation of 700,000 euros will be made to bring prominent national shows to Guimerá throughout the year, including the musical ‘Grease’, the play ‘Poncia’ starring Lolita Flores, Nuria Espert’s ‘The Island of Air’, ‘La Madre’ featuring Aitana Sánchez Gijón, ‘Adictos’ with Lola Herrera, a tribute concert to Montserrat Caballé, and a performance by Dani Rovira, amongst others. Furthermore, there will be a subsidy of 100,000 euros to support contemporary stage productions of Canarian origin,” Díaz added.
Over 340,000 euros will also be invested in historical heritage, focusing on guided tours, heritage street exhibitions, restoration of artworks, and the second edition of Escape City, among other projects.
Furthermore, existing subsidies for culture promotion, a fund for cultural activities, and aid for students of the Music School will be continued, with an allocation of 84,000 euros and 5,000 euros respectively.
