Early Closing in Spain?

Hi All,

A real gripe.

Is Spain going mad, spiralling to even further disaster and/ or signing its own death warrant?

We went to a "Summer Jam" to see a very good  live band at Palm Beach in Estepona, a great, cosmopolitan lively bar.

It started at 5.00. p.m. last Sunday and we were looking forward to many hours of music and fun. The day was going so well until it was announced that the "Live Music" had to finish at 9.30. p.m. with a D.J. continuing to entertain us.

Evidently the Police issued a directive that the "Live Music" had to finish at 9.30. p.m. The Bar stands relatively alone with Houses and Apartments some way away!

Now is this bureaucrocy gone mad or what?!

Is it the Police? the Government? the Town Hall? Whoever is responsible is mindless, short sighted and plainly idiotic.

The Country bemoans the lack of tourists, lack of spending and general lack of interest in Spain and, of course the Bar owners are also "Up In Arms".

Wake up Spain and cater for ther people and what they want instead of spoiling the life as was in Spain.

These issues hardly encourage tourism, do they!

Rondeau.

It's the same in Los Alcazares. There is now no live music including karaoke in any bar Bar in the main plaza. The police have stopped it all. Is this what I want from a holiday destination? No it is not! 

Maybe the bars or people organising things should talk to their local authorities. Bars here in Mazarron can have music until very late as long as they have the necessary permission/licence. One local bar here has a nightclub licence which allows them to stay open with music until 4am. Another open air bar has karaoke, music etc until 12am.

All the bars/clubs did here was talk to the Town Hall.

Know that local authorities have different rules but cant believe that they would knowingly close bars at 9.30pm, more the case of people not speaking with Town Hall.

As Hammer100 stated, all bars in Spain must have an entertainment license.

"Wake up Spain and cater for ther people and what they want instead of spoiling the life as was in Spain.

These issues hardly encourage tourism, do they!"

The same applies in the UK and other EU countries.

Not everyone may want live music, karaoke and DJ's playing music.

Sometimes people just want a quiet drink mixed with intelligent conversation in a peaceful surrounding!

That's why there is such a wonderful mixture of bars and clubs along the Costas,,, something for everyone!

Techno said. "That's why there is such a wonderful mixture of bars and clubs along the Costas,,, something for everyone!"

Not in Los Alcazares there isn't, not anymore...

There's not much of a mix of bars where I am either.  There's a load of expat/guiri bars where you can get your pints of Carling and fish and chips, and then there's the Spanish bars, which are mainly for the old fellas. 

The lack of decent bars/nightlife is one of the reasons we'll be moving elsewhere.

Hi - I was in San Javier this week (just up the road from Los Alcazares) and there was a live band playing on the beach to a large crowd, very late in the evening - I think we left about midnight and they were still playing.

.We also have lots of bars in Orihuela Costa playing live bands so it may well be about applying for the correct licence. 

 Yeah, I don't think there's been any issues around here where we are.  The only problem is the lack of tourists to enjoy the music!

Justin

Hi again,

I do understand and appreciate the fact that maybe different areas have different regulations, however, I can assure you that the proprietors of Palm Beach are very much in touch with the respective influential people.

In any case what the hell are the Spanish playing at??

I remember years back when holidaymakers went to Spain for the late "Nightlife". These stupid restrictions are ruining what was once a thriving and lively Country for tourists. No wonder we keep reading of Turkey, Egypt and many other destinations enjoying a large share of tourism poached from Spain.

We have lived here for 4 years and the changes taking place are ruinous.

We too love Spanish Bars and quiet nights watching the world go by but by the same token we love the late energising nights all to sadly disappearing!!

Bureaucracy eh!!

Rondeau

Rondeau, I totally agree with you. Well said!
 

Thanks for your support and agreement Mr Fish.

All I do is speak how I see it from experience and I say it as it is!

Sadly many other people that post on this site on a number of matters want to continue painting this picture of Spain how it was/should be but things/times have changed.

When making statements I am not knocking Spain, just posting my observations.

Indeed we have many Spanish friends made by virtue of me learning the language fluently. But the overall picture is not encouraging.

Rondeau

"The only problem is the lack of tourists to enjoy the music!"

Justin, you should have been down the port last Friday night, it was heaving!

We got there about 11.30pm after dropping kith 'n kin back at Malaga airport (so needed a drink.. ahem!) and there were people everywhere... I don't think we've ever seen the port that busy!

When we left just after 1am is was still the same, and our friends at Oasis and C Bar told us that they don't close until around 3 or 4 am during the season.

There are loads of Bars in the port, as there are in Sabinillas, and there are also the odd nightspot such as Lola's Show Bar, but I do agree with Sanchez that if you want the 'serious' non-stop Ibiza style nightlife, then you do need to look somewhere else, such as Puerto Banus, Calahonda, Fuengirola and Benelmadana along the CDS coast, or somewhere like Madrid inland.

The Ibiza style nightlife along the coast is all expat/guiri orientated anyway and those areas are truly 'Little Britiain', but we didn't want that sort of noisy, larger lout style atmosphere, hence we moved to the Manilva area, where there is plenty of nightlife... just a bit more relaxed!

If you want fun, family style, relaxed bars and restaurants with plenty of entertainment, then Duquesa and Sabinillas is where you need to go!

At the end of the day, it all depends on what sort of atmosphere you want as to where to go on holiday or live!

I agree that it is sad about what is happening to your area and if it continues then the evening scene will be destroyed (I may advertise that for the moaners round here who want a donkey and zero noise, maybe they will move to Los Alcazares)

Maybe the bar owners can talk to opposition parties as this must be a local authority thing and if the owners of that other bar have applied for licences and I assume been refused then getting support from the opposition may be the way - could make the case that it will ruin the local economy. As much as some hate it, bars, restaurants, entertainment are an attraction for holidaymakers and without holidaymakers there is no property investment and without investment house prices drop..........if only the moaners here would understand that.

Hope things get straightened out for you guys

"All I do is speak how I see it from experience and I say it as it is!"

Rondeau, I believe most of us, including myself, do the same.

If you look at previous posts I have made over the years I have been a member, you will see that I give credit where it is due, and also vice-versa.

I say things from our perspective and experience of Spain, just like you and others do the same.

Understand what you are saying TechnoApe, that where you live you can have both sides of the coin. That's good for you. The point I was making is that when I moved to Los Alcazares 5 years ago it was an up and coming town and it developed into a good mix of both quiet bars and bars that were a bit more lively. I'm not even comparing the lively bars with the Ibiza scene. (I wouldn't want that. The most we ever had in a live band was a duo with a backing cd and sometimes a guitarist with the same). But over the past two years I would say, the police have been stopping any form of live music and fining the owners of the bars quite hefty sums of money. I've spoken to the bar owners and they tell me that the risk outweighs the benefits. Frankly, if I didn't own a poperty in LA, there is no way I would go there for a holiday, and I'm not looking for 24 hour non-stop boom boom, just the option to enjoy live music somewhere in the town. I don't want to have to get a taxi to another town and then have to try and get one back again after midnight. I couldn't enjoy the night with that in mind.

TechnoApe:

The Ibiza style nightlife along the coast is all expat/guiri orientated anyway and those areas are truly 'Little Britiain', but we didn't want that sort of noisy, larger lout style atmosphere, hence we moved to the Manilva area, where there is plenty of nightlife... just a bit more relaxed!

I don't think you could get any more "Little Britain" than Manilva/Duquesa to be honest.  Especially the port.  That's why the Spanish never step foot in the port. 

Anyway, back on topic.  This does seem to be a problem in just particular areas, mainly the costas.  I haven't come across this when I've been out in Madrid, Barcelona or Jaen recently.  It seems daft to target the tourist areas like this.  Maybe local residents have been complaining.

Actually the Spanish do frequent the Port.  Usually in very large groups.  This makes them quite noticeable along with the jovial noise.   

It sounds as if the bars in Los Alcazares do not have the correct licences.

A couple of years ago the police stopped all the bars on Camposol from playing music for months because they did not have the correct licences. It took quite a while for them to sort it out.

I presume they all have them now as there is all the usual entertainment around now.

Jean