The Teatro Principal in Valencia was shut down on Tuesday, a day after its programme for October to January was announced and two days after it hosted a children's performance, ABC España reported. In the best case, the venue will remain closed for four years.
The theatre has stood for two centuries and weathered armed conflicts, but the closure was attributed to political neglect that left its future unplanned after decades of postponing the inevitable. One worker asked in astonishment why the situation had been allowed to reach this point, the outlet reported.
"¿Por qué hemos tenido que llegar hasta aquí?" — "Why did we have to get to this point?" — one of the venue's workers said, according to ABC España.
Staff had already warned in 2017 that the cultural space required "an urgent intervention" because of a shortfall in investment. Its stage once hosted leading names in opera.
