Gijón set out to kill two birds with one stone. He wants to give a boost to the hospitality industry and also support local artists. To achieve this, he opted for a new formula: to launch a pilot scheme with the City Council consisting of both (hotel terraces and background music) to see how well the mixture bears fruit. All this, of course, to avoid causing any inconvenience to the neighbors.

He called the initiative “Feel Xixon en Terrazas.” And, at least on paper, it promises a concept that is already gaining traction in the industry: terraces with live background music, an initiative organized by the City Council.

New times, new terraces. The City Council of Gijón has decided to rethink the terraces of its bars in order to respond to the “social changes” it claims to perceive in the city and to opt for a “more modern model of entertainment and accommodation”.

Like? Such venues, including picnic areas, are encouraged to have a “musical atmosphere”. To achieve this, it has created a pilot project called ‘Siente Xixón Terrazas’ and aims to organize it on a regular basis from the City Council itself. Those responsible had previously warned that if the results were “positive” and “consensus was reached”, they would transfer what they had learned to the new terrace regulation.

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But… What does it consist of? The Asturian City Council places emphasis on music, but the foundations of the project seem to open up a much wider range of performances: “In general, the program focuses on all forms of artistic expression developed with analogue or digital elements in a small live format, on outdoor terraces or in local picnic areas”. The pilot project will start on June 15 and last for four months.

Purpose: coexistence. The Asturias venture presents no small challenge. And it’s not exactly about finding artists or finding bars and restaurants with terraces. Background music spilling into facilities can lead to noise problems and complaints. Therefore, the program details the conditions that interested businesses must meet and consider signing up by the end of May.

Clear rules. The distance of these terraces to houses or residences belonging to the elderly cannot be less than 40 meters and the facility must have all permits. People who have recently received complaints or sanctions for violating entertainment and noise regulations are also excluded from the call. The City Council’s text also warns that selected venues cannot plan events such as karaoke or farewell parties.

The documents they will need to submit will need to include an acoustic evaluation; A study that “verifies the compliance with sound levels, starting from an emission level of 85 decibels, and how these levels decrease with increasing distance.”

Purpose: hospitality and art. “We always argued that a more modern model of entertainment and accommodation was possible in Gijón. The project was born with this vocation,” explains Urban Planning Council Member Jesús Martínez Salvador. The City Council insists it wants to support local artists, and hoteliers have already applauded the measure, which focuses on terraces as one of their biggest assets for attracting customers, especially in the summer months. Some estimates say that more than half of business turnover comes from them.

The call states that venues or artists will be responsible for the costs of the shows, such as payments to SGAE, equipment or fees.

Image | Hernán Piñera (Flickr)

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