The Sant Sebastià concerts may have been cancelled this year, but the number of people they normally attract is a reason why Palma Town Hall is rethinking the future of these and other events.
Increasing popularity has meant more and more people, and for Sant Sebastià - as deputy mayor Javier Bonet points out - the concerts aren't limited to those organised by the town hall for the January 19 'revetla'. On Monday night, and despite the town hall's cancellation, there were events organised by the Sant Sebastià Brotherhood, by Podemos, and by a group called Orgull Llonguet as well as the long-established alternative fiestas, Ses Sant Kanuteres.
All of these have given rise to considering capacities. Bonet asks: "How do we determine capacity? By the available square metres and the evacuation routes. In Plaça Cort (by the town hall), the streets are narrow." The square is really too small for the New Year's Eve party. Barriers have to be erected to stem the flow of people entering the square. This has also happened at squares for the Sant Sebastià concerts.
"Anything free leads to huge crowds, so we always organise safety plans with very high attendance expectations," adds Bonet.
For the party in Parc de la Mar in September, the initial forecast was 18,000 people. In the end, there were 30,000 for the Mare de Déu de Salut DJ concerts. That type of event had never been held in the park before. The Paseo Marítimo was closed to traffic. "We couldn't imagine a future celebration that doesn't involve closing the Paseo."