A Brit who lives in Spain has issued a warning to anyone planning on visiting Barcelona this summer. Laws have come into place which could leave you with a hefty fine if you are not careful about how loud you are.
Barcelona’s streets have long been full of the sounds of people dining, drinking, performing in the street and wandering among its famous landmarks.
The city is a popular spot for all age groups and not far from the UK, making it a hit for Brits wanting a quick getaway. However, Spain has introduced a crackdown on noise pollution in the city and other tourist hotspots. A surge in visitor numbers is bringing a plethora of adverse effects, from pricing out residents in historic centres to overstretching infrastructure.
It has cause growing backlash and has even led to anti-tourism protests across Spain, particularly in The Canary Islands and Barcelona.
The frustration with noise pollution has increased for citizens over the years, and in an effort to improve the problem, the city council is making an effort to improve the sound quality of the city by implementing a number of measures. These efforts are part of the Strategic Noise Map and the Plan for Reducing Noise Pollution.
“We all generate noise and, at the same time, we can all help to reduce it,” Ajuntament de Barcelona said. A resident issued a warning on TikTok recently, and said: Barcelona tourists beware! New law you need to be careful of because no one wants a €500 [£423.91] fine and no hotel.”
Meanwhile a British woman who lives in Barcelona and often shares life insights on her TikTok page – where she is known as Jet Set Gypsea – said: “There is a new law in Barcelona that you must know about if you’re coming here this summer. If you make any loud noise in the street in central Barcelona after 11pm and before 7am you can get find 500 euros on the spot.
“They can also escort you back to a hotel and the hotel then has every right to cancel your stay and not give you a refund. This is also the case if you are caught urinating in the street, but this is at any time, this isn’t just at night.”
“And so they should. I can’t imagine how annoying the tourism must be out there,” commented one on the video. One other pointed out: “It’s just common sense. Our cities are not theme parks for tourists to act in ways that they wouldn’t act like at home, we expect common sense, decency and to be able to rest,”
In Barcelona, authorities can take action against noise producers during the hours of 11pm to 7am if complaints are received. The restrictions are in place to reduce noise nuisance from houses and premises. When noise exceeds the permitted level, the district council can investigate and take action against the neighbour or other noise source.
Fines for excessive noise, particularly during late hours, can reach up to €3,000 (£2,544). According to the council, disturbing the peace by making a noise or acting in a way that disturbs local residents could land you with a fine, as could disturbing the rest and peace of local residents or pedestrians by singing, shouting, quarrelling or any other nuisance behaviour.
You can also land a fine for other antisocial behaviour, including consuming alcoholic beverages in glass bottles or cans in public spaces where it is not authorised.
This could fetch a fine of between €30 to €100 (£25 to £85), according to the city council in Barcelona. A similar fine could be incurred if you consume alcoholic beverages in public spaces where it is not authorised and where it causes a nuisance to people who use the space or local residents.
Plus dropping cans and bottles on the ground, or leaving them on a public highway could land you with a fine of up to 500 euros [£424]. You could also expect a fine if you ride a bike with headphones.