What does the city accuse the disco of?
The Ayuntamiento (city council) of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria wants to fine the La Pequeña Habana club €3,001. A resolution says the venue stayed open beyond its permitted hours.
Local police found the club running with its doors closed at 08:10 on Friday 23 October 2026. Six guests were inside, although the permit (declaración responsable) only covers 18:00 to 06:00.
The Ayuntamiento treats this as a serious breach of Law 7/2011 of 5 April on classified activities and public events. The resolution sets the range at €3,001 to €15,000, so the city proposes the lowest figure.
The resolution also mentions a possible cut in opening hours, a temporary suspension of activity or a three-month licence withdrawal. Whether the city imposes any of these is not known.
What happened with the police that same morning?
The Policía Nacional entered the club at around 08:00 on 23 October, according to reports. Officers found nine packets of a white substance, apparently cocaine, hidden in a bin in the toilets.
The reported weight was about 5.2 grams, and officers also found €1,407 in cash, some of it hidden behind the bar. A person responsible for the club was arrested on suspicion of drug dealing, and the name was not released.
A second person carrying a similar packet received an administrative report for possession. No one has been convicted so far, as this is an arrest.
The Policía Local also noted faults at the emergency exits. The club has not commented on the allegations.
Why had the closure been lifted shortly before?
On 8 October 2026 the Dirección General de Edificación y Actividades ordered the closure (resolution no. 35392/2026). The club had two days to comply, after which sealing was threatened.
The reason was a missing technical certificate showing that three defects had been fixed. They concerned the emergency lighting, the escape door and a missing sign with the maximum number of people.
At 10:00 on 23 October the Ayuntamiento revoked the order. According to reports, the certificate had arrived on 22 September but was never registered.
An internal report of 20 October had recommended lifting the order. Whether the closure was actually enforced between 8 and 23 October is unclear.
Who decides on the fine?
Municipalities hold the power to sanction under Canary Islands Law 7/2011, published in the BOC (Boletín Oficial de Canarias, the regional official gazette) no. 77 of 15 April 2011. This follows from article 10.4 of the law.
Under the law, a licence can be withdrawn as a sanction or suspended as a provisional measure. Articles 31.1.c and 31.3 govern this.
The fine bands here come from the resolution as reported. We could not check the wording of the law on opening hours and fines.
What changes for visitors in the south?
Nothing changes for guests in the south of the island, because the case concerns a venue in Las Palmas. According to reports, it stands at Calle Fernando Guanarteme 45, near the Plazoleta Farray.
The club is not closed, and the fine is a proposal in an ongoing procedure. Anyone planning a visit should ask the operator for opening times, as directory listings show different hours from the permit and are not official.
The case shows that the city checks opening hours, emergency exits and capacity signs. If it finds defects, it can order a venue to close.
The Ayuntamiento has published no advice for visitors. No new rules for clubs in other municipalities are known.
What happens next?
The club can cut the fine by 20% if it accepts responsibility. That works out at roughly €2,400.80, and under the resolution the club then gives up the right to appeal.
Whether the club accepts or objects is open. The report names no deadline and no next date on the status of the licence.
Whether criminal proceedings are under way against the person arrested is also unknown. Residents have reportedly complained for some time about noise and crowds, with complaints dating back to August 2018.