By: ELOISE WALTON
A VILAMOURA nightclub was forced to cancel an event featuring an internationally acclaimed DJ after it was closed down by four government inspectors.
The Nikki Beach venue, which opened this summer in the conference centre at the Tivoli Marinotel, was closed by four inspectors from the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE), food and economic security authority, at midnight on Thursday evening due to a lack of a discotheque licence.
Mituxa Jardim, a spokesman for Nikki Beach in the Algarve, told The Resident: “ASAE inspectors had visited the week before requesting a disco licence, which, according to Loulé Câmara, we don’t need. The Tivoli Marinotel, which has been open for 20 years, has a 24 hour music licence”.
It is understood that the ASAE had inspected the venue on August 17 and asked for the same document, giving the hotel time to acquire it before the next inspection.
“After that visit, we checked with the hotel and Loulé Câmara, who issue the licences, and they assured us that everything was legal,” said Mituxa Jardim.
Closing party
As a result of the closure, the Black Eyed Peas DJ could not perform. “He travelled 18 hours by plane to the Algarve to have the venue shut down, but he was fantastic and played anyway at another Nikki Beach venue in Portimão,” said Mituxa Jardim.
As the end of the summer season is approaching, Loulé Câmara and the ASAE came to an agreement that the Nikki nightclub could have its final closing party, which went ahead as scheduled on August 25.
Nobody from the ASAE or Loulé Câmara was available for comment.
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