Noise complaints force terraces in Gracia to close one hour earlier

Five terraces in Barcelona’s Gracia district have been forced to close one hour earlier than usual by Barcelona city council due to noise complaints from people who live in the area. These restrictions are expected to come in from early September of this year. 

The squares which host bars usually open late at night will now have to close at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and evenings before bank holidays, and at 11pm throughout the week. 

The Gracia squares affected by the new curfew are del Sol, de la Vila, Diamant, Virreina and Revolucio. 

In order to make up for the custom they will lose after these times, the bars will be allowed to set out more tables on the terraces in order to accommodate more customers than usual, as reported by catalannews.com.

The additional tables can be added from 8pm until close and in square Revolucio bars will be allowed to have extra tables from when the bar opens. 

The city council recognised that people attending the bars in these squares in Gracia were regularly exceeding the permitted noise limitations  via noise sensors installed throughout the neighbourhood. The noise was often over the allowed volume by three decibels. 

Manager of the Sol Soler bar told Catalan News that he thinks the unfair application of shorter opening hours only for bars in the aforementioned squares will create “unfair competition” amongst other establishments throughout the neighbourhood. 

Similarly, bar owner Melisa whose bar is in Placa de la Vila de Gracia thinks that the new limitations will make the financial recovery of her bar since the pandemic more difficult. 

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