Unauthorised music festival in Tabernas desert went ahead regardless

Unauthorised music festival in Tabernas desert still went ahead regardless

TABERNAS DESERT: Regulations ban spectacles and leisure events Photo credit: Ziegler 175

THE organisers of the Apache Music Festival held in the Tabernas desert on May 1 now face prosecution.

They sold 6,000 tickets for the concert, despite knowing that Tabernas town hall had refused to authorise the event.  The promoters presented incomplete documentation, town hall officials pointed out, and in any case the Natural Resources Management Plan (PORN) for  Sierra Alhamilla and the Tabernas desert prohibits spectacles and leisure activities.

“What’s more, the organisers failed to present third-party insurance,” Tabernas mayor Jose Diaz told the Spanish media.

He went on to explain that the town hall, suspecting that the promoters intended to go ahead with the event with or without permission, contacted the Junta and the Guardia Civil.

Policia Local and Environmental officers turned up at the Western Leone venue, where they started proceedings against the promoters on finding more than 2,000 people attending the event.

The organisers face further fines for illegal camping, dumping rubbish and creating a parking area for the coaches ferrying the concertgoers to the festival site.

“It’s true that the company stated that it would remove the rubbish from the area, but it only did so two days later when the wind had already scattered the litter,” Diaz said.

“Although it was not within our remit, we went round constantly afterwards to keep the place clean.”

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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