The network of public performing arts venues already has its first stable legal framework

The Network —the Network of Publicly Owned Performing Arts Spaces in the Basque Country— is regulated by Decree 167/2026, which has been in force since November 11, 2026, having been published in issue number 215 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on November 10, and taking effect the following day according to the final provisions of the decree. The regulation was promoted by the Department of Culture and Language Policy, approved at the Governing Council meeting on October 13, and regulates the functioning of the network for the first time: how venues enter and exit, what technical and artistic conditions must be met, and which bodies make the decisions. The text comprises 25 articles, four chapters, and one transitional provision, with the official reference 2026/4742.

The Network is a cooperation network created in 1993 and until now had no specific regulations: the Basque Government, the three provincial councils with competencies in the cultural field, and the municipalities that own the venues in the network have functioned under voluntary coordination for three decades. According to the statement of motives of the decree, the accumulated experience demanded a “certain, stable, shared, and agreed-upon regulatory framework by all parties,” which is now reflected in the regulation. The Network continues to have no legal personality, but it now has bodies of a regulated nature.

The gateway to enter the Network opens for three months every year

For a venue to enter the Network, its municipality or owning municipal entity must submit a request, using the standardized form in Annex I along with a validation report provided by the corresponding provincial council. Requests can be submitted annually during the first three months of the year, after the decree enters into force.

The procedure has a maximum period of six months for resolution and notification from the date the request is made. If no express resolution is issued after this period, administrative silence shall be considered as acceptance of the request. Entry is carried out by order of the head of the Department of Culture and Language Policy, upon the proposal of the Presidency of the Network and with prior notification to the Assembly, and the order is published in the BOPV.

At least nine performances and half of the programming in Basque

The regulation establishes technical, management, and programming conditions for the venues that join:

• A minimum capacity of 80 people and a stage of 5x6 meters or 30 square meters, with professional sound, lighting, and audiovisual equipment.
• A manager responsible for programming and civil liability insurance for the shows.
• At least nine performances by professional companies, groups, or artists, complying with the current Collective Agreement for Performing Arts.
• Of those nine, at least one must be dance, one circus, and one concert.
• At least 50% of the performances must be productions by companies based in the Basque-speaking territories, and at least 50% of the programming for spoken performing arts must be in Basque.

Venues will remain outside the Network if they do not have programming exceeding 20,000 euros per year in cache (excluding taxes), those that only offer music performances or “turnkey” contracted shows, those without family programming —at least four performances per year— and those that do not fulfill requirements regarding language or equality.

Governance is composed of seven bodies

The decree establishes the structure of the Network, including the Presidency, Secretariat, Assembly, Steering Committee, Artistic Committee, territorial committees —Araba, Bizkaia, and Gipuzkoa— and special committees. The Steering Committee will have a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 14 members, and the Artistic Committee a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 11; in both, the term is four years, and in the Artistic Committee, at least one person will change annually.

The number of Territorial Representatives depends on the number of venues in each territory: one representative for between 5 and 15 venues, two for between 16 and 25, and three for over 25. The Assembly will hold at least three ordinary meetings per year, and the Secretariat will produce a management report annually, before January 31, published in the Gardena government transparency portal.

Artistic catalog and compensation

The Artistic Committee will develop the catalog of recommended Performances annually, after reviewing market shows, using quality, diversity, timeliness, and technical and economic conditions as criteria. The catalog’s validity is between 12 and 24 months and is renewed at least every two years.

The work of the members is paid: a maximum of 8,000 euros per year, taxes included, per person, and expenses are paid according to those established in Decree 16/1993, including, among others, 0.29 euros per kilometer for own vehicles and 42 euros per day for maintenance expenses outside the Basque Country.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 215, 10 de noviembre de 2026, I. atala (erreferentzia ofiziala: 2026/4742).