A Marbella beach club has been ordered to close indefinitely following a years-long battle with the local community.
The town hall has ruled that Opium, near El Pinillo beach, must also be dismantled and cannot open for the summer 2025 season.
The decision was made by the General Director of Projects and Infrastructure of Marbella City Council, reports local newspaper Malaga Hoy.
Opium received a wave of complaints in 2022, when local residents denounced the venue for alleged noise pollution.
They also claimed the club made them feel ‘unsafe’ due to the daily influx of hundreds of people during the high season.
Things came to a head when there was a shooting at Opium in the summer of 2022, which left five people injured and three arrested.
Lawyer Salvador Campos has been representing the residents in the area for the past three years.
He told Malaga Hoy: ‘2022 was a crazy year, with the venue operating at full speed with concerts every day, afternoon and night.’
Following complaints from residents, Marbella City Council revoked the license for Opium’s ‘restaurant and pool’ at the end of 2022, and suspended the licence for its stage and ‘auditorium’ – which effectively acted as an open-air nightclub.
The company behind the venue applied for new permits in 2023, and last year, it was able to operate its pool area once more.
However, in a January decision made public today, Opium’s opening licence was revoked, and the owners have been ordered to dismantle the venue, reports La Opinion de Malaga.
