Too much party

Any excuse is good for throwing a party. And although this is nothing new, after the pandemic years people have tried to increase their moments of social interaction. The need for hedonistic abandon and for spending more on leisure is reflected in the rise of all kinds of events and shows.

A trend in which two movements converge. One part of society is exhausted. The other is swept up in the euphoria of the moment. We have gone from restriction to excess in the blink of an eye and, at times, it has taken its toll; the body is now asking for a bit of calm.

The explosion of the “festival” concept has shifted traditional nightlife towards the idea of the event: more days of partying in an atmosphere created for the senses. Music, dance, food and culture come together in spaces devoted to many fields: music, literature, gaming… even politics.

In this sense, Spain has become one of the leaders in the number of festivals held on its soil. The boom in these gatherings has led experts to speak of a bubble, which is starting to show its holes.

The festival offer keeps growing. At the same time, however, their quality is being questioned, with complaints that conditions are not always ideal: ticket touting, overcrowding, unsanitary camping areas, demanding payment terms, unsustainable policies…

A situation that, added to the festival fatigue the public is experiencing, puts the sector's long-term viability at risk. Is fast and badly done good enough? Festivals and other parties have become top events for young people and adults; it remains to be seen whether they will put quality before quantity.