Summer is coming to an end and with it comes music festival season. Behind are the tall ones bills paid by the municipalities, even in very crowded events and in which attendees pay hundreds of euros for tickets or season tickets. Only in 2023 and in just six municipalities did it exceed the support given to promoters of festivals or concerts by international artists 3.4 million euros. Executives justify support with return financial (not always proven) and the opposition complains of lack of transparency in these aids.
The Observer analyzed the municipalities where the main festivals were held in 2023 (Lisbon, Porto, Gaia Oeiras, Paredes de Coura and Odemira) or large concerts (Coimbra) and found that support takes various forms: financial contributions, logistical support for the event and often exemption from municipal taxes. Accompanying these aids are homologs required by the municipalities, ranging from tickets to be distributed to employees and elected representatives, credits for the municipality’s support in promotional materials and the provision of promotional spaces for the municipality and the region at the event venues.
The expenses often provoke harsh criticism from the opposition, which condemns the lack of judgment in the allocation of aid, which they accuse, for example, of benefiting the largest companies and leaving local entities at the mercy of municipal taxes. The cameras almost always defend themselves with the return that large events bring to the economy of their respective cities, increasing the occupancy of restaurants and hotels on the dates in which national and international fans attend the concerts.
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Source: Observadora
