Tenerife's Teatro Guimerá could reopen at a later date

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The refurbishment of the Teatro Guimerá in Santa Cruz, which has been underway since 2025, could be delayed beyond the planned opening year of 2028.
Whilst dismantling the main roof, workers discovered a more severe termite infestation than expected, which means further construction work is required.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez has ruled out any funding issues and has announced, for the first time, that the upper areas will be made accessible.

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The refurbishment works on the Guimerá Theatre, which began in 2025 and were initially due to be completed and the theatre reopened in 2028, may be delayed because, once work had started, termite damage and other issues were discovered in certain areas of the main roof, extending beyond those identified in the original project plans.

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This was announced on Wednesday by the mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, who pointed out that this situation means the project will have to be amended to carry out more work than originally planned, although he gave assurances that the works have not been halted and that there are no funding issues.

«We have found that the damage to certain areas of the roof caused by termites was more extensive than expected,» explained the mayor, who pointed out that it had not been possible to carry out test excavations at those specific points whilst the project was being drawn up, and that the damage was discovered when those areas were opened up.

Teatro Guimerá: Mayor rules out funding problems

This situation «may delay the opening slightly», admitted Bermúdez, who stressed that his priority is for the work to be completed successfully and to ensure that no further work needs to be carried out on the building at a later date.

«There are no funding issues, nor is there any kind of delay to the works,» assured the mayor, who described the project as a «delicate» undertaking given that it involves a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).

«It is a delicate project; it is not like any other construction or even renovation project. It is a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC); it is the Guimerá Theatre in the Canary Islands, and whatever work is carried out must be done with great attention to detail,» he said.

Teatro Guimerá is being modernised to meet technical standards and ensure accessibility

According to Bermúdez, the aim of the project is to transform the theatre into a 21st-century venue in terms of technology and facilities, whilst preserving its history and architectural character.

The planned works also include improving accessibility to the building, which lacked a lift and meant that the upper parts of the theatre could not be opened to the public, the mayor explained.