Local politician attends six-day illegal rave in Spanish desert
The 8,000-strong rave lasted a total of six days, with locals saying they “didn’t mind” it taking place
A week-long illegal rave in a rural area of Murcia, Spain, has been curtailed after six days, finishing up a day earlier than expected as ravers “ran out of steam”, according to Olive Press.
The unlicensed event, named Big Fucking Party, began on December 30 and was expected to run for a full week before it was called to a close. It took place in a remote desert area on a disused race track close to Fuente Alamo, which was broken into by organisers.
Over the course of six days the event attracted more than 8,000 people, many of whom were said to be expats from Germany, France, Italy, and further afield, Olive Press reports.
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Big Fucking Party was reportedly praised by locals and local politicians, including Victor Egio, a spokesman for Podemos, a Spanish political party, who attended the rave.
Egio reportedly told rave organisers to return again next year for another New Year’s celebration. One local farmer also told Spanish newspaper El Pais that the party was “fine” permitted no litter was left.
The event follows last year’s rave of the same name, which took place in the small village of La Peza in Granada, attracting more than 5,000 people. The village mayor, Fernando Álvarez, was even in attendance, telling The Guardian that it was “magnificently organised”.
In a similar setup to last year’s event, the rave consisted of tents, stages, five soundsystem stacks, bars selling beer, t-shirt stands, and confectionery stalls selling tomatoes, cheeses, pizzas, and more.
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Despite going undetected on December 30, local authorities reportedly learned of the event by midday on New Year's Eve but said it would be “impossible” to move so many people off the site. Guardia Civil put in an eviction notice on January 4, just a day before it came to an end.
According to Murcia Today, a Brazilian man was found carrying 90 “LSD pills” and more than four grams of liquid LSD. A further 92 people were fined for drug possession, Olive Press reports.
Another 57 people were also said to have been fined for drug driving, while 14 were fined for dangerous driving. It’s unclear if anyone has been arrested following the event.
[Via Olive Press]
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter