“By the seaside, in Costa del Solhe is waiting for you there Tivoli“. It is a melody that resonates in the memory of generations of Malagasy people who passed, first as children, then with their children and grandchildren, through the emblematic amusement park from Benalmadena. Its doors closed in September 2020. Its Ferris wheel has stopped spinning, the mysterious ship’s fountains and pond are empty, and no one anymore feels the stomach-churning sensation caused by its free fall or roller coaster. But in Tivoli, there is still life. This is evidenced by the peacocks which still wander through its streets and squares thanks to the elders. workerswho, altruistically, maintained the pieces of this playful universe as best they could for 1,480 days while waiting for the legal battle for ownership of the park to be resolved.
This Sunday, former employees, their families and neighbors from Benalmádena and other municipalities gathered at their doors to demand a solution that avoids closure and allows the resurrection of what for many was more than just a job. “Legally we are out, but emotionally we are still here“, this is how he explained it to ABC Beli Nietofor which Tivoli has been and is a fundamental element of their lives. “I have been here for 30 years and I have seen generations of Malagasy people enjoying the park. It is a place of hope that we cannot allow to be lost,” he said.
Nieto arrived at Tivoli in 1994. The venue had already established itself as an icon of the entertainment industry with more than two decades of history since its inauguration in 1994. 1972 as the first amusement park in Andalusia.
Founded by the Olsen family and inspired by Copenhagen’s famous Tivoli Park, this 65,000 square meter space has been the scene of memorable moments on summer afternoons on the Costa del Sol, welcoming artists of international stature like Julio Iglesias, Montserrat Caballé, Lola Flores, Rocío Jurado or Alejandro Sanz.
Of this golden age, only memory remains. After almost half a century of history, the park is going through one of its most critical moments, immersed in a complex legal and financial procedure this keeps its future in suspense and the possibility of it once again becoming an economic engine for the region and the livelihood of more than a hundred workers.
The decline began to manifest itself with the real estate crisis of the 2000s, a period in which real estate passed through several hands and faced various legal conflicts until in 2004, the man d cordovan business Rafael Gómez ‘Sandokan’ He acquired the park during a golden age for his company Arenal 2000. However, Gómez’s subsequent involvement in the Malaysia operation, as well as the outbreak of the 2008 crisis, slowed the park’s development and crippled modernization projects.
The park closed four years ago.
From then on, the park experienced financial decline, accumulating debts which, according to the most recent reports, amount to 11.5 million euros. The transfer of Tívoli to the Tremón company in 2007 as part of a real estate transaction only made things worse. The group acquired several properties from Gómez, but the sale was mired in disputes, as the businessman claimed he never received the agreed money.
This legal conflict persists to this day, with Gómez claiming ownership of the park and Tremón claiming ownership of the land, a dispute that even reached the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, a receiver declared Tívoli World bankrupt in 2020 due to debt accumulated with the Treasury and Social Security. Despite everything, the administrator’s report notes that the park was still economically viable if it were reopened, which would not have happened but it would encourage the workers to continue their struggle.
Juan Francisco Carmona He is one of the veterans. He lived through both the glory days of the park and the complicated times that began after its closure and remembers how they decided to ensure surveillance and maintenance to prevent theft and vandalism. “From the first minute we knew the situation was not good,” he noted, “while the courts are ruling, we decided maintain the facilities“. A task for which they receive no form of remuneration and which responds to the emotional connection with the park.
“What more than one investor has found is that it costs less to repair than to buy. “Many see the possibility of reopening it,” said the employee at the gates of the park, which he defines as a “icon” not only for the employment it has generated, but “for what it represents for so many generations of Malagans”.
Workers defend that the park was profitable when it closed its doors
Juan Francisco, like Beli Nieto, did their part to prevent Tivoli from being lost. “We do what we can. We clean, we take care of the animals, like the peacocks who have always been there. They They don’t understand closures or owners“They have to eat every day.”
Despite four years of closure, workers like Antonio Barrerawho was head of security, confirmed that the park could reopen with a little effort. “In two or three months we could have it up and running. Just clean, oil the attractions and open the doors,” he assured.
The staff, which once numbered more than 200 direct and indirect collaborators, depends on it. All with the goal for a long time to see the “tivolinos” -their own currency- and “relive moments they never thought would happen again…”, as someone hummed over the iconic sound system blaring in the background while walking through this corner of happiness and pleasure on the Costa del Sol.
