Events will return to Spain this month, with open-air parties of 800 allowed in June
As part of the country’s gradual easing of restrictions, beginning May 11th, the outdoor terraces of restaurants and bars will be allowed to open at 50 percent capacity, The Local reports. Events will also be allowed to return, according to IQ magazine, with no more than 30 people for indoor events and 200 for open-air events. They will require social-distancing guidelines, like spaced-out assigned seating, to be implemented.
The next phase will tentatively come on May 26th, though it is subject to change. When cinemas, theatres, art galleries and museums can reopen at partial capacity, while the threshold for events rises to 50 people indoors and 400 outdoor, still with assigned seating. Finally, planned for June 10th, the capacity for indoor events rises to 80, while outdoor functions can host up to 800 people in seats.
While the news sounds positive on the surface, some promoters have concerns about the viability of operating under such extreme restrictions.
“It makes no sense for us to operate for only one-third capacity,” Eloisa Blitzer of Barcelona-based queer party MARICAS told Resident Advisor. “Government gives no aid to collectives like us, which is very sad… My feelings for the government plan are conflicted, since for one side I understand these are the measures that must be taken, for health reasons, but I feel they are really not taking into account that for promoters or venues to open for [30 percent] capacity will only mean they are losing money, and again Spain is giving no aid to this scene, since clubbing is not considered culture here.”
Purificación Salgado of Barcelona club LAUT echoed that sentiment to RA. “With a capacity restriction (one-third maximum), we don’t have the plan to hold events under these conditions,” Salgado said. “So at this point for us, it is not possible to operate within the strict guidelines.”
Spain is under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. For more on how the pandemic is affecting nightlife and dance music globally, check out our ongoing news coverage.
We’ll update this story as we hear back from more local promoters.
This post has been updated to include new figures on capacity percentages.
Photo credit: Frank Müller
