Pamplona says no to ‘botellones’ until the end of the Covid-19 crisis

All other public activities in open areas of the city will suffer restrictions, too

As of yesterday, ‘botellones’ are prohibited in the city of Pamplona. This is part of a resolution that was adopted by the City Council with the aim of limiting excessive and uncontrolled social gatherings in the public areas of the Navarrese capital.

‘Botellón’ is something of a social tradition among the Spanish youth

The casual gathering of groups of people on the street, squares or parks to socialize and consume (usually alcoholic) beverages is known in Spain as ‘botellón’. It is most popular among young people and students, who see it as a cheaper way to bond, but authorities have in general been ambivalent about it.

Be as it may, now the practice will fall victim to the new social restrictions imposed in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which does not show signs of abating. To that end, the Pamplona City Council passed a resolution which declared that the practise will be outlawed for the time being with the idea that this will not only prevent viral transmissions but will keep the streets cleaner and quieter.

Meanwhile, more formally organized social events that are planned to take place on the city’s public spaces will also have to observe stricter-than-before rules. On one hand, there will be a limit to attendance numbers, in order to provide for social distancing measures. On the other hand, the organizers of the events will have to set a defined perimeter and implement controlled entries.

If there will be a seated audience, chairs should be placed at a distance of 2 metres from each other and disinfected. For standing groups of people, the number of attendants should be such that it allows 3 square metres per person.