The attractions of the Poblenou festival are in danger due to a disagreement with the City Council

BarcelonaThe Poblenou main festival, celebrated from September 10 to 20 in Barcelona, could this year be without one of its most characteristic events. A disagreement between the City Council and the Gremi de Firaires de Barcelona could leave the neighborhood without attractions. The reason behind the dispute is the location of the fair, conditioned by the works being carried out near the site where the fairgoers usually set up, on Passeig de Calvell, at the end of Rambla del Poblenou.

The controversy erupted on Monday when the president of the Gremi, Marcos Orús, released a statement alerting that this year the fair for the neighborhood's main festival could not be held. In this statement, Orús denounced that the City Council had denied them the license despite having already agreed everything with the Poblenou Neighborhood Association. According to his account, the council argued that the area was under construction and therefore it was not possible to install the attractions there.

In the same statement, Orús argued that a few weeks ago another traditional event was held at that very location in the neighborhood: the Beer Fair. According to the president of the Gremi de Firaires, at that time the enclosure was simply moved to allow the beer fair to be set up there. He added, moreover, that in the case of the main festival "the impact on the works would be minimal because it would only affect two or three attractions", and that the site management "has no objection to coexisting with the fair".

For all these reasons, the fairgoers claim to feel "discriminated against" by the Sant Martí district, and recall that years ago they already had to leave their traditional location – in the most central streets of the neighborhood – to move to an extreme, close to the beach. "It seems we have no right to carry out our activity with dignity", they conclude. Faced with this scenario, Orús did not rule out in his statement calling for mobilizations so that "the residents of Poblenou know the reality of what has happened".

A meeting to resolve the conflict

Faced with this statement, the City Council denies most of it and assures that from the Sant Martí district "the license for the amusement fair has never been denied". According to municipal sources, last July the fair organizers were informed that they had to look for a new location because the works being carried out behind the cemetery – the new Districlima plant in Bogatell – require maintaining a safety distance from any activity with a large public influx.

As these sources indicate, two alternative locations were always proposed: one on the same Calvell promenade, but at the intersection with Bilbao street, and another next to the beach. According to the City Council, the fair organizers did not respond to this relocation proposal. However, to try to find a way out of the situation, the Sant Martí district has called a meeting next Monday with the association of streets of the main festival with the aim that the events are celebrated "with the normality and safety of each year".