The Animalist Party Pacma has requested the complete authorization file for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 editions of the festival from the City Council, as well as reports on acoustic and light impact. The organization links the deaths of ducks and swans to the concerts.
The Animalist Party Pacma has once again focused on the Icónica Festival, which takes place every summer in the Plaza de España in Sevilla. The coordinator in Sevilla for the party, Clara Márquez, has submitted a request for access to public information to obtain the complete administrative file of the authorizations for the 2024, 2025, and 2026 editions. Additionally, she is demanding the technical reports that have analyzed the acoustic impact, light pollution, and vibrations generated by the event.
The animal rights organization has been denouncing the appearance of dead ducks and swans in the vicinity of the Parque de María Luisa for months, attributing them to the concerts. They have also pointed out that the festival could be causing damage to the historical heritage of the Plaza de España, an emblematic monument of the city. However, the festival promoters have always denied any responsibility.
The controversy with the influencer 'Lost in Seville'
In recent hours, the Instagram account 'Lost in Seville', one of the most followed in the capital of Seville, has reported that the lawyers of Icónica have demanded that she delete a post from August 1. In it, the influencer claimed that "the Plaza de España is breaking apart" and collected information from sources such as the platform 'Sevilla se Muere' and publications from Pacma regarding animal suffering.
"I didn't make anything up. I simply compiled and cited information from third parties, like a report from the platform 'Sevilla se Muere', publications from Pacma about animal suffering, or articles in the media," declared the influencer, who announced that she will not comply with the promoter's request because she believes that "I shouldn't have to" as she has discussed issues that "concern us all."
The festival, for its part, has always denied being responsible for the situations reported by various platforms and, therefore, also for what appears in this content creator's post. The controversy adds to the criticisms from Pacma and other organizations that believe the event does not respect the environment or the heritage.
The political and judicial pulse
The festival is not only under scrutiny from animal rights activists. The Ministry of Culture has recently requested clarifications from the City Council regarding the potential damage that may be caused to the work of Aníbal González, after the City Council launched a new ordinance to "protect" the heritage with fines of up to 30,000 euros. Facua, for its part, believes that this ordinance "privatizes even more" the Plaza de España.
In judicial terms, the Sevilla Prosecutor's Office archived last December the complaint filed by 16 promoters against the municipal concession of the Plaza de España for the celebration of the festival. The Public Prosecutor concluded that the investigated facts did not constitute a crime and that the authorizations had been processed in accordance with the current municipal ordinance. However, the archiving decree left open the possibility for the complainants to reproduce the complaint before the Instruction courts.
The festival's CEO, Javier Esteban, has defended the management of the event on several occasions and has assured that they make available to anyone who wants to see them the certified reports that demonstrate that Icónica respects the plaza. "No one has yet come forward to say that Icónica is damaging the plaza with a single document justifying that claim," he recently stated.
What exactly is Pacma asking for?
Pacma's request to the Sevilla City Council includes the complete administrative file for the authorizations of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 editions, as well as the technical reports on acoustic impact, light pollution, and vibrations. The organization wants to access all documentation to assess whether the festival complies with regulations and whether necessary measures are being taken to protect wildlife and heritage.
The City Council, governed by José Luis Sanz (PP), must respond to the request within the legally established timeframe. Meanwhile, the controversy continues to grow, and the Plaza de España has become the centre of a debate about the balance between organizing large events and conserving heritage and the environment.
In the background, the municipal ordinance for heritage protection, which includes fines of up to 30,000 euros, could be applied if damage is proven. For now, the City Council has acknowledged minor incidents and damage, although they associate them with the general use of the spaces and not directly to the festival. Residents and visitors to the Plaza de España will be attentive to upcoming decisions.
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