OCU denounces abusive practices at music festivals: this is how you can benefit

Music festivals in summer They are very relevant and popular cultural events around the worldNot only do these offer a platform for artists from various musical genres to perform before a large audience, but they are also an opportunity for attendees to enjoy music in a different way.

Since the iconic festivals Coachella in the United States and Glastonbury in the United KingdomFrom small, regional events to smaller, summer festivals attract many people looking to enjoy live music, outdoor socialising and a vibrant, festive atmosphere.

In addition, these events They are usually characterized by a wide variety of additional activities, such as workshops, gastronomy and rest areas.making them ideal destinations for those who wish to experience unforgettable moments during the summer season. However, Many of them carry out abusive practices towards their consumers, as reported by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU). before the Consumer authorities.

“Not letting you in with food, charging you for entering or leaving or for restoring the balance on your bracelet… does that sound familiar? These are common practices at open-air music festivals that we consider abusive and that is why we have reported 7 festivals to the Consumer Authorities,” states the OCU statement detailing the complaint to the Spanish festivals.

Almost a million people affected

The OCU has included in his complaint to seven of the biggest festivals held in Spain: Benicàssim International Festival (FIB), Monegros Desert Festival, Puro Latino, Sonórica, Zevra Festival, Bilbao BBK Live and Fortaleza Sound; and, between them all, they add up to Almost 950,000 attendees.

Thus, the non-profit organization has put the spotlight on the Commission charged at festivals to recover the money that the attendee has on his cashless card to make payments within the festival itself, which ranges between two and three euros and which, if not claimed within the established period, often just a few days, the money goes directly to the account of the festival promoter. Something that the OCU describes as “unjust enrichment”.

Something similar happens with the charge for reusable cupswhich is usually two euros and fifty cents, or for the payment of a special fee to be able to leave and re-enter the festival groundswhich can cost up to 25 euros. In this case, the OCU points out that “it is another fairly common bad practice that does not respond to any additional service” and that could be considered “an illegal detention”.

Another common practice is the Prohibition of bringing food and drinks from outside into the festival groundssomething that the OCU has also included in its recent complaint. In this sense, the organization considers this another abusive practice, since “a festival is not a restaurant” and its main activity is artistic and musical, not restoration.

How to claim and benefit from it

The OCU has reported these abusive practices to the Consumer Authorities of the Autonomous Communities where these abuses have been detected. to determine whether or not all these festival practices are contrary to consumer protection regulations.

If this is the case, the non-profit organization has requested that the corresponding sanctions be imposed and that the promoters be forced to return the amounts they have charged improperly. All this while has asked the Ministry of Consumption to develop “a homogeneous regulation on the rights of attendees at this type of event”which in turn establishes automatic compensation in the event of bad practices.”

For its part, the OCU points out that if a festival tries to impose these measures on an attendee ask for the complaints formand if the festival organizers say they do not have them, it suggests that Call the local police to request that they appear in the place of the events.