NewsThe Santiago Londoño Londoño theater marked the history of the people of Pereira, but it will now be demolished due to the damage caused by the earthquake. Teatro Pereira . terremoto Foto: Laura Sepúlveda12.11.2026 18:45 Updated: 12.11.2026 18:45
The people of Pereira said farewell to their traditional Santiago Londoño Londoño Theater, the city's most important cultural venue, which was severely damaged during the earthquake of last August 10. Although several technical inspections were initially carried out, the Fiducentro shopping center, where the theater is located, will finally have to be demolished due to the damage it suffered, as stipulated by a technical report of September 1 and subsequently by resolution number 008270 of October 22 from the Pereira Mayor's Office, which formalized the demolition. Teatro Pereira . terremoto Foto:Laura SepúlvedaThe renowned theater operated for almost 40 years and had already withstood the earthquakes of 1995 and 1999. The city's most important artistic performances were held there; it was a stage for art, culture, dance, and hundreds of gatherings that marked the history of the people of Pereira. The Pereira Mayor's Office and the city's Secretariat of Culture called on citizens to a tribute in front of the theater's facade. The Santiago Londoño Theater, located in downtown Pereira, was severely affected by the earthquake. Photo: Laura Sepúlveda. Amid music, artistic expressions, and a floral offering, this farewell event took place, featuring Colombian singer-songwriter María Isabel Saavedra, who performed the songs "Y vivirás" and "Decir adiós," amid the memories and tears of those attending. The last musical piece was accompanied by the Ballet Ciudad Pereira under the direction of Víctor Mejía and the dance collective Dida. "How difficult this moment is for everyone, what nostalgia accompanies us today; we feel sadness, but hope for rebirth is also present. Today more than ever, the memories of moments and stories lived in our theater come to mind; we bid farewell to the building, but not to what it gave us, nor to what it leaves in our souls. The Santiago Londoño Theater takes a little piece of the life of each one of us here," said the Secretary of Culture, Emilia Gutiérrez. Teatro Pereira . terremoto Foto:Laura SepúlvedaThe theater venue is located on 18th Street in downtown Pereira, one of the areas most affected by the strong quake. At least four blocks of this street were devastated by the tremor, and even a few weeks ago, a hotel located in front of the theater ended up collapsing. "It is a very powerful, but also instructive, experience to be standing on the rubble of one of the most emblematic sites of Risaralda and the Coffee Axis. The Santiago Londoño Theater represents the beginning of my career; from the age of 17 I sang here, when I won the Mono Núñez Festival, and afterwards I returned many times to perform boleros. For me, this is one of the most emblematic and beautiful stages in Colombia. I hope we build truly cultural spaces for a lifetime. Artists are the lifeblood of the land, and I believe art is humanity's only salvation," said singer-songwriter María Isabel Saavedra. Last September, the Official Fire Department of Pereira had already demolished two walls to rescue a grand piano that had been in the theater for 35 years. Teatro Santiago Londoño Foto:Laura SepúlvedaThe rescue operation was described as a true 'surgery' with chisel and hammer. The piano had patrimonial and cultural value for the city, as it remained in good condition after the earthquakes of 1995, 1999, and 2026. With the demolition of the theater, an open wound also remains for the city, not only because of the memories, but also because of the mural called 'Metáfora del equilibrio' (Metaphor of Balance), which was on one side of the facade, right next to the Carlos Drews Castro exhibition hall. The work had been painted by the Revolucionarte collective and chosen by an international platform in May 2025 as the most beautiful mural in the world. Although the mural had been left with several cracks, most of it remained visible and became a symbol of resistance in that part of downtown Pereira, but now it too will have to be demolished. "Everything the Metáfora mural has meant demands that this work cannot die, it cannot remain only in memory; we made the public promise to recreate it, we cannot say whether it will be the same or whether it will be in the same place or elsewhere, because we don't know what will happen, but Metáfora is an icon that we are not going to let die," said Ximena Tabares, one of the artists of the Revolucionarte collective. Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter.
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