Esatur, an Alicante-based company, has emerged as the sole bidder for the Torrevieja City Council’s cultural management contract. The firm, which has been providing the service in a joint venture with Mediapro since 2021, has now submitted its bid independently. It is the only offer registered with the contracting authority, despite the service contract having a turnover exceeding 10.3 million euro and lasting for one year with the possibility of three annual extensions.
The contract includes comprehensive management services for the Municipal Auditorium Theatre, the International Auditorium, and, for the first time, public services for the Torrevieja Floating Museums. Responsibilities encompass cultural programme execution, routine maintenance, cleaning, security, box office operations, communications, ticket sales, visitor services, and the opening of the integrated museums housed within the S61 Delfín submarine and the Albatros 3 patrol boat. The contract sets a base bid price of 2,931,882.70 euro per year, including VAT, and an estimated value of 10,351,610.32 euro excluding VAT if the initial year and the three planned extensions are completed. Public information regarding Esatur’s bid does not yet indicate whether they have submitted a lower bid than the tender price, which will be revealed upon awarding the contract. Technical experts have indicated that Esatur is the only bid submitted that meets the requirements for evaluation.
The current contract ends on 31st August, with the planned start date for the new service set for 1st September 2026. This means the City Council could meet the deadline and avoid prolonging the current service on a precarious basis without administrative support. For the PP governing team, this new tender reaffirms the commitment of the Joaquín Chapaprieta Municipal Institute of Culture to modern and efficient management of its cultural infrastructure, consolidating a network of spaces that has become a leading force in cultural programming in the Vega Baja region and throughout the province of Alicante. In addition to this contract, Esatur also holds the contract for managing sports schools and instructors, is linked to the academic institution implementing the first on-campus university degree programme with Miguel Hernández University, and leads a consortium to manage the innovation hub planned for the new nuns’ building. Former councillor Luis María Pizana serves as an executive at the company.
The minimum mandatory cultural programme for the first year includes 22 activities at the Municipal Theatre and 13 at the International Auditorium. The theatre must offer dance, musicals, theatre, concerts, comedy, opera, children’s shows, film screenings, and one MICE event, while the auditorium requires orchestral concerts, chamber music concerts, one opera showcase, and five MICE events. The programme must be approved by the technical committee and submitted to the Governing Board of the Municipal Institute of Culture every four months, with revenue generated returned to the administration. The tender specifications include a provision of 164,859 euro per year for ticket sales of tourism and cultural experiences or products.
Personnel represents the largest financial burden, with the cost annex estimating 1,341,830.05 euro once indirect costs and profit are added. The tender includes full-time staff—such as a coordinator, artistic director, technical directors for the Theater and the Auditorium, four administrative staff, and four caretakers—as well as pooled hours for front-of-house managers, lighting and sound technicians, guides, box office staff, labourers, ushers, cleaning, maintenance, and security personnel.
The company will also handle routine maintenance of the Theater and Auditorium, including regulatory, preventative, corrective, and conservation work, along with minor repairs to plumbing, carpentry, masonry, and electrical systems. Repairs, renovations, or replacements carried out by the successful bidder will be included in the contract price provided the cost of materials does not exceed 10,000 euro excluding VAT per project. The Administration will continue to pay for water, electricity, and gas consumption, and reserves the right to handle complex systems such as the transformer substation, air conditioning, building controls, fire protection, elevators, and major structural replacements.
Indicative ticket prices at the International Auditorium range from 15 euro to 45 euro for large-format seating, 10 euro to 30 euro for standard seating, and 5 euro for charity. At the Municipal Theatre, prices range from 25 euro to 40 euro for large-format seating, 15 euro to 25 euro for standard seating, 8 euro to 12 euro for small-format seating, and 5 euro for charity. Admission to the Floating Museums is set at 2 euro.
The Administration reserves 35 days a year for its own programming between the Theater and the Auditorium, requiring three months’ notice. For these events, the company must provide technical equipment, management, coordination, and customer service staff, as well as a pool of hours for ushers. The Floating Museums will operate under a specific system managed by the winning bidder, with the contracting authority having a maximum allocation of 5,000 opening hours per year. Furthermore, the company must maintain the Cultura Torrevieja website, publish the programme schedule, keep social media updated, and handle external media relations with a communication and marketing budget estimated at 20,708.78 euro in direct costs and 24,643.45 euro including indirect costs and profit.
