Álvaro Martínez, the director of the Mallorca Live Festival and the Es Jardí series of concerts held at their site in Magaluf, has strenuously defended the legality of these events and feels that the ABONE nightlife association is attacking them “because we do things well”. It was reported on Wednesday that ABONE, which represents clubs and other establishments, had applied for a judicial review of these outdoor music events and requested an injunction for their suspension while legal proceedings are pursued. Speaking in response to
the ABONE legal action, Martínez said on Wednesday that the “competent authorities” will have to make a decision but that “it pains us to have to go through this situation”. On the Es Jardí season, which starts on Friday and runs until the end of August, he added: “We consider Es Jardí to be one of the most important cultural events in Mallorca. Every year we bring in more top-tier international and national artists.” For him, the ABONE accusation of unfair competition is unfounded. Nightlife
and the events he organises are aimed at different audiences and operate at different times: “It’s a family-friendly, cultural and musical event. We don’t understand why the nightlife sector, with which we complement each other because we operate at different times – our events end at midnight – sees it not as a complement but as competition. They are completely different products; ours is culture, family, and music. “We tried to establish a line of communication with ABONE to explore synergies, but there was no
response. We wanted to talk to them to try to collaborate, to see what kind of synergies could be found, or to have a more cordial relationship.” He points to the reasons behind the lawsuit: “I see it as private interests being pursued through an association. They’re attacking us because they know we do things well, and that doesn’t sit well with everyone. “We are obviously going to defend ourselves, upholding culture as our guiding principle. It’s a shame that something so beautiful has to
be in this situation. We are relaxed because we legally comply with everything necessary to obtain the licence, including the noise restrictions. It is a 100,000 square metre site, which is where we generate the activity. So there is no disturbance and we are strictly within the limits established by law.”
Mallorca Live Festival, Es Jardí, ABONE, Magaluf, judicial review, injunction, outdoor concerts, nightlife association, noise restrictions, cultural events