Reggaeton Beach Festival fined €320,000 for violating festival-goers’ rights
The organizer of Reggaeton Beach Festival has been fined €320,000. The decision was made by the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs following a complaint filed by a Spanish consumer rights organization. The company acknowledged responsibility for four serious violations and must now remove the relevant provisions from its contracts.
The complaints included a ban on bringing outside food and drinks into the festival, a fee for leaving the festival grounds and returning, as well as additional charges when purchasing tickets. The ministry found that some of these payments were not linked to the provision of any actual services.
Particular attention was also paid to the cashless payment system used at the venue. The period for requesting a refund of unused funds was too short, visitors were charged a fee for refunds, and balances of less than €2 were not returned at all.
Following the case, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs reminded organizers of music events of the rules they must follow. In particular, festival-goers must have access to drinking tap water, and a ban on bringing outside food is not permitted if food is sold at the venue.
In addition, buyers must be able to see the full ticket price in advance. Additional charges are permitted only if they correspond to an actual service provided. When reselling tickets, the ministry recommends using officially authorized channels and checking in advance whether the ticket can be transferred to another person.
The case involving Reggaeton Beach Festival has prompted Spanish authorities to once again remind organizers of major festivals of the rules they are required to follow.
