Alex Trelinski
LIVE entertainment has been given the green light for an indoor return to Benidorm’s bars and restaurants, as well as across the Costa Blanca.
Indoor venues have been entertainment-free since November 6 after new restrictions came into force across the Valencian Community.
A limited number of professional singers and comedians have tried to keep going by performing outdoors for diners and drinkers.
Lobbying from the Abreca hospitality association and Benidorm council has led to the regional health department ruling that ‘there is no legal impediment’ against professional live acts working indoors.
Professional DJs are also now allowed to work inside, but ‘amateur’ and ‘spontaneous’ acts like in the case of karaoke continued to be prohibited.
The new interpretation offers a much-needed boost to local businesses and around 150 people that earn a living from performing in the Benidorm area.
Music and comedy performer, Pablo Bloom, said:
“Live music and entertainment is very much part of the Benidorm culture and its what British tourists want to see.”
“We began to get gigs running in the summer after the lifting of restrictions, but the UK quarantine and subsequent closure of nightlife venues left us in trouble again.”
Some Benidorm venues unwittingly hosted live acts earlier in November with sanctions imposed on them of up to €3,000.
