Costa Blanca

City of Arts and Science exceeds the figures for 2023 with 3.5 million tickets sold last year

The Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Science) in Valencia has sold more than 3.5 million tickets in 2024, exceeding last year’s figures. By building, a total of 1,125,954 sales have been recorded at the Museu de les Ciències, which is 4.3% more than in 2023, while at the Oceanogràfic this figure rises to 1,952,916 tickets, 3% more.

In 2024, the Hemisfèric stands out in ticket sales with a total of 479,415, 18% more than in 2023. The commitment to renew the cinema offer of the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències has led to the premiere of three films: the nature documentary ‘Animal Kingdom’, the screening ‘Auroras. Luces del norte’ and the musical planetarium ‘Pink Floyd. The Dark Side of the Moon’, which has attracted more than 18,776 spectators, on the billboard from July to December. New editions of the live planetarium ‘Las Nocturnas’ have also been launched, both winter and summer.

Looking to 2024, in addition to the good results of the summer, with a total of 1,251,662 tickets sold from June to August, reservations for school tickets stood out, with 12% more than the previous year.

The flood on 29 October affected bookings and ticket sales in November, with school visits and general public visits cancelled during the first few weeks and around 50% of the total for the month. In addition, the Museu de les Ciències, the Hemisfèric and the Oceanogràfic were closed on 2 and 3 November.

During the Christmas period, from 20 December 2024 to 6 January 2025, more than 143,817 ticket sales have been recorded. It is also worth noting that during these festive weeks, a total of 11,487 people from towns affected by the COVID-19 pandemic visited the Museu de les Ciències free of charge. Of the total number of invitations handed out, 8,022 were for adults and 3,465 for children.

Content renewal in 2024

In 2024, the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències has dedicated a large part of its content to space with new exhibitions and activities linked to this theme. The Museu de les Ciències’ offer has been renewed with three new exhibitions on space exploration (‘Up to Space. Space Mission’, ‘The Moon within reach of your hands’, ‘Mediterranea’), new educational activities such as observations with telescopes and scientific workshops, and the launch of the competition dedicated to astrophotography ‘AstroCiutat’, which also includes the exhibition of the award-winning photographs.

Also noteworthy in 2024 is the public art exhibition outside the complex ‘Hacia el futuro’, with sculptures by the artist Pablo Atchugarry and the installation of a baby grand piano on Calle Menor, which was a great success among the visiting public.

For its part, Oceanogràfic reaffirms its commitment to marine conservation and animal welfare. Among the most relevant milestones is the international rescue of the two belugas from the NEMO aquarium in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which will soon be seen alongside the other two resident animals, Kylu and Yulka.

In the area of dissemination, initiatives such as the OceanFest festival and the dialogue series ‘The Tide of Change’ have been maintained and strengthened, attracting broad participation from the public. In addition, educational experiences have continued to arouse great interest among visitors, with proposals such as the ‘Backstage Tour’ and the visit to the Sea Animal Recovery Centre, where the work of rehabilitating sea turtles can be observed first-hand.

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Costa Blanca

Driver arrested, one dead and two injured after car hits cyclists in Calpe

In El Mascarat, a motorist allegedly struck a large group of cyclists after veering off the road on the N-332 highway, passing through Calpe. The incident resulted in the death of one person and the hospitalisation of a 14-year-old child, the deceased’s son, with a fractured femur. The 20-year-old car driver has been arrested by the Guardia Civil and charged with three offences: injury, homicide, and violation of road safety.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, April 20th, the catastrophic incident transpired. Two Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU) units, a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit, and a medical helicopter were initially mobilised by the CICU (Centre for Emergency Medical Assistance). The cyclist’s death was verified by medical services after he fell off the cliff following the violent collision. His 14-year-old son was transported to Dénia Hospital due to a fractured femur. In addition, an additional 20-year-old man was treated for anxiety attacks and released on the scene.

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Costa Blanca

Firefighters extinguish fire in a restaurant in the centre of Murcia

A fire that erupted in the early hours of Friday April 18th was extinguished by the firefighters of Murcia. Sources from the Firefighting Service say that the incident happened at a restaurant located in the heart of Murcia, at Plaza de las Flores.

In the early morning, the kitchen on the first floor of the establishment was the site of a fire that began at approximately 1:00 a.m. and did not result in any injuries.

Thirteen rescuers and three fire engines were dispatched to the location. The personnel successfully extinguished the fire and returned to their base one hour later.

The square was cordoned off by the Murcia Local Police to mitigate potential hazards, according to the same sources.

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Costa Blanca

Two years in prison for smashing a glass in a young man’s face

The Alicante Court has sentenced a 33-year-old man to two years in prison for assaulting another man and causing facial injuries by breaking a glass during a dispute at a nightclub in Aspe.

The defendant, who was 27 years old at the time, arrived at the establishment with three other unidentified individuals at approximately 5:10 a.m. on February 17th, 2019. The altercation ensued within the establishment.

The victim was involved in an incident with the four for reasons that remain unexplained. The defendant struck him in the face with a glass, resulting in a fracture that needed medical attention, and the four individuals who were present at the time began punching and shoving him.

The victim, who was 22 years old at the time of the incident, required 63 days to recuperate from the injuries sustained in the attack, according to the sentence issued by a court in the Tenth Section.

At the commencement of the April 14th hearing, the defendant acknowledged the assault after reaching a resolution with respect to the allegations. Consequently, the sentence determines that he is guilty of the offence of bodily injury with deformity. Consequently, he is sentenced to two years in prison, with the sentence suspended.

Additionally, the court ruling mandates that the victim be prohibited from approaching within 300 metres for a period of three years and that he be awarded €9,000 in compensation, with the obligation to pay the sum in monthly instalments of €500.