Marbella Arena ownership dispute settled: green light for new development

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Following a final court judgment against Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banús SA, the current operators will reactivate major investments and event bookings at the iconic venue

José Carlos García

Marbella

Friday, 13 February 2026, 12:59

The company managing Marbella Arena has been given the green light to promote, develop and take ownership of the venue.

The ruling is final and legally binding, after the court in Marbella issued a judgment against the property owner, Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banús SA, which was not appealed within the required legal timeframe.

It marks the final chapter in the controversy that arose last June, when Félix Ruiz Hernández, founder of the now-defunct social network Tuenti, and current CEO of the sports platform Playtomic, announced the acquisition of Marbella Arena alongside other investors.

They even expressed the intention to demolish the building. However, the company that manages this venue, Leisure & Culture Marbella SL, has held a valid contract since August 2018, which not only allows it to continue operating the complex, but also grants it a preferential right, as a purchase option was included in the lease agreement.

The company says that it will "immediately" reactivate investment operations, commercial agreements and space reservations that had been "affected by the uncertainty generated"

The Marbella court ruling, which is now final, found that the contract had been breached, compelling Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banús SA to execute a public deed of sale of the estate to the company that operates the complex. “This decision removes any legal doubt regarding the company’s position,” said Leisure & Culture Marbella SL, following the investors’ announcement.

The claim for damages - “the cancellation of transactions, events and contracts that were at an advanced stage of negotiation” - remains the only legal matter still ongoing in relation to this site, where cultural, commercial, and leisure activities come together.

New strategic agreements

The company operating Marbella Arena said that the court ruling “allows the execution phase to proceed with full legal certainty”. It will also “immediately reactivate investment operations, commercial agreements and space bookings that had been affected by the uncertainty generated”.

With the core of the conflict definitively resolved in its favour, Leisure & Culture Marbella SL said that it “now looks ahead with the same objective that has guided the project from the outset: to develop Marbella Arena as a benchmark cultural and leisure venue on the Costa del Sol”.