Pending laws and the Palma 2031 agenda: the year's major challenges

PalmAs much as we might want to deny it, many of us take advantage of the arrival of the new year to make a list—whether involuntarily or deliberately—whether written down or kept in our heads, of proposals for improvement and pending projects. A significant number of those who succumb to the temptation to jot them down, in any case, forget them before the first month of the new year is over, while some manage to muster the necessary drive to carry them out and keep them in mind at all times. In the cultural sphere, there are numerous pending issues in the Balearic Islands, some structural and others more anecdotal and unique. Among the former, there are a handful that will have to be resolved throughout 2026. These are the main challenges in the cultural field on the horizon of the year that has just begun.

The Law of Cultural Industries

Seven years after the creation of the Balearic Islands Institute of Cultural Industries (ICIB), the long-awaited cultural industries law is still pending approval. According to sources at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sports, the law is "practically finished, awaiting parliamentary approval." This regional legislation aims to establish a regulatory framework and define public policies supporting cultural businesses, which the law itself will first define. In fact, one of the first key elements of the legislation is the creation of the Register of Cultural and Creative Industries of the Balearic Islands. According to the latest edition of the Yearbook of Cultural Statistics, published by the Ministry of Culture in November 2025, there were 5,807 cultural businesses in the Balearic Islands in 2024, more than double the number recorded ten years earlier—2,595 in 2014, according to the same report. All of them have been waiting until now for specific regulations that could become a reality in the first months of 2026.

"Since Diana de la Cuadra arrived at the ICIB, there has been a huge change," shares a producer and director with over 20 years of experience. "Not only in terms of grant allocation, but also in terms of support, involvement, and promotion of the sector. Things are being done that benefit us all and help build the industry," he adds. Next March will mark two years since the current director took over at the institution, and the approval of this long-awaited regulation for the sector would be one of the most important milestones promoted by this organization. Created at the end of 2018, the ICIB aimed to strengthen the cultural sector and promote its professionalization and dynamism, although during its initial stages, it seemed that these objectives were not quite being achieved, and the ICIB "sometimes hindered rather than helped," as the president summarized in statements to ARA Baleares.

In recent months, the new image of the ICIB (Balearic Islands Institute of Culture) and one of its main constituent organizations, the Balearic Islands Film Commission, has been unveiled. Both organizations launched a new website in October that is finally accessible, useful, and has remained active, at least until now. A grant map has also been launched, compiling public calls for proposals across the archipelago and allowing users to distinguish them by category, territory, and administration. Thus, the approval of the cultural industries law could confirm the ICIB as one of the sector's key strategic players.

Archaeologists' demands

Among the major announcements likely to come to the Balearic Islands in 2026 regarding archaeology are the salvage of the Les Fontanelles shipwreck—preparations for which have been underway in recent months with a series of workshops to explore and assess the process, as well as the inaugural meeting of the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca)—and the opening of the Pol·lèntia archaeological site. The island institution had organized an initial press presentation of the site, but it was canceled and has not been rescheduled. However, several archaeologists consulted emphasize that their priorities lie elsewhere. "I don't quite understand the idea of removing the Les Fontanelles ship in pieces, because conservation doesn't justify it, especially when the Portocristo Lamps shipwreck is in a similar state and can be preserved." in situ"The Archaeology Centre of Mallorca could be the big issue that the Consell will want to promote during 2026, although I think that, for better management, it would be much better to have another archaeologist in the Consell or two or three more in the Museum of Mallorca," shares an archaeology professional who asks not to be identified.

According to this expert, one of the most important issues for the sector this year will be the resolution of the conflict in Rafal Rubí (Menorca). This involves roadworks between Maó and Alaior that, after years of being halted, the Island Council wants to resume. The project would entail building a double-level roundabout a short distance from the Rafal Rubí cave dwellings. UNESCO has taken a stance and called for its suspension, urging those responsible to seek less impactful alternatives. Once it was confirmed that the Island Council was planning to proceed based on the argument of road safety, more than one hundred professionals from across Spain signed a manifesto calling for the project not to be restarted.

Palma's Agenda 2031

After twelve months of discussing Palma's bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2031, the Palma City Council (Cort) must finally get to work on the project in 2026, revealing its specific components and laying the groundwork for its implementation. The goal is to transform the city through culture, but at this point, information on how, with whom, and according to what framework this will be achieved remains a major question mark. Furthermore, tensions between the Palma City Council and the performing arts sector continue to escalate, as was evident in the plenary session of December 18th. At that time, the Councilor for Culture, Javier Bonet, called members of various organizations—almost all those related to the Balearic performing arts scene—"cowards," a statement that followed a press release in which representatives of the sector announced their severing of ties with the City Council. "They seem more concerned with making money directly than with defending the sector they represent," Bonet retorted when a representative of these entities—the Association of Playwrights, the Association of Actors and Actresses, Illescena, the Association of Producers, among others—spoke to explain the "uncomfortable situations experienced with the cultural sector." Aside from the performing arts sector, the bid includes a series of projects in different stages of implementation that the current governing team, headed by Mayor Jaime Martínez, considers fundamental to achieving the goal of becoming European Capital of Culture. The first is the transformation of the Gesa building, which the City Council acquired in February 2025. The intention is for the works to begin this year, and the deadline for submitting projects to convert this building, designed by Josep Ferragut, into a cultural and administrative center has already opened—the deadline is April. Martínez announced that 100 million euros will be allocated to the project and that the building will house the Municipal Institute of Art, a public library and media center, as well as the municipal archives and the headquarters of Palma Culture & Innovation Bay.

In 2026, barring any unforeseen circumstances, work will also begin on Palma's Plaça Major, based on the project submitted by Barceló Balanzó Arquitectes and Scop Arquitectura i Paisatge, winners of the competition launched just over a year ago. 21 million euros will be invested in the rehabilitation of this historic space, which will house the new City Interpretation Centre. It won't be the only one opening in Palma in the coming years. The Temple Towers, dedicated to the medieval period and defensive systems, are expected to reopen in early 2026. Access to Can Serra, which will house a museum of Palma's history, will be much later, although there is currently no information on deadlines or content.

The Music Box

The future of the Caja de Música (Music Box), a space intended to become the headquarters of the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra Foundation and to host rehearsals, performances, and administrative procedures, depends on the progress made during 2026. A decade after the project began—it started when the Palma City Council was leading the project at the time—the works remained stalled for more than two years and were only recently re-awarded on December 17th, with a budget of over 7 million euros. The planned duration of the renovations is 14 months, so, barring any further obstacles, this much-needed home for the Symphony could become a reality by early 2027. The press release issued by the Balearic Government to announce the recent awarding of the contract, incidentally, refers to it as "an important milestone for the Balearic Islands to become the leading center for the dissemination of music."