EXCLUSIVE Hell hath no fury like a hen do scorned! Fury as bar owners in Seville start turning stag and hen parties away – just days after mayor declares scantily-clad Brits are NOT welcome
- A group of 15 women from Madrid were turned away for wearing builders’ hats
Bar owners in the historic city of Seville are already turning away raucous stag and hen parties – after mayor Jose Luis Sanz said they weren’t welcome.
A group of women on a hen party were berated by a local resident and then turned away from an open-air bar in one of the city’s most popular squares over the weekend.
The group of 15 young women – all smartly dressed and seemingly sober – were told to leave the Salvador Plaza in the city old town after staff at the bar noticed they were all wearing toy builders hats.
The gimmicky bright yellow hats marked them out as a hen party and staff at the La Antigua Bodeguita bar moved quickly to order them away.
Earlier, a local man had berated the women and remonstrated with them as they walked into the square looking for somewhere to eat.
A group of women on a hen party were berated by a local resident and then turned away from an open-air bar in one of the city’s most popular squares over the weekend
Another hen party being held in the city for Veronica del Cerro – who was accompanied by ten friends all dressed in pink – carefully chose where they would have a meal
The turning away of stag and hen parties comes after mayor Jose Luis Sanz said they weren’t welcome
The gimmicky bright yellow hats marked them out as a hen party and staff at the La Antigua Bodeguita bar (pictured) moved quickly to order them away
The women – who were all from Madrid – left without making a scene and had lunch at another restaurant.
‘It is ridiculous that we cannot sit down just because we are here to celebrate our friend’s wedding,’ said one of the women from the hen party.
‘We know they are bringing in these rules, but we are not drunk and not making any trouble.
‘It is only because we have the hats that they have singled us out.’
The bride-to-be Maria Bertram de Lis Sanchez said she wasn’t worried about being turned away as there were dozens of places to celebrate her forthcoming nuptials.
The construction worker hats were a recognition of her job in the building industry.
READ MORE: Boozed up Brits on tour are NOT welcome in Seville, says local mayor: Spanish council moves to outlaw scantily clad hen and stag dos ‘with brass bands behind them’ from marauding through the historic city
Another hen party being held in the city for Veronica del Cerro – who was accompanied by ten friends all dressed in pink – carefully chose where they would have a meal.
The group from the city of Toledo were unaware of the proposed ban – with the final say on what happens and how severe the fines will be yet to be agreed by the city council.
Seville Mayor Jose Luis Sanz is seeking cross party support for the measures as he maintains boozed up Brits and other revellers are not the sort of tourism he wants for his city.
Mr Sanz said: ‘It will be one of the first things I’ll do because this type of tourism doesn’t interest Seville.
‘Anyone can celebrate their stag or hen do in Seville. What we don’t approve of are those groups of people wearing all sorts and blaring out loud music and annoying all those other people here who have the right to enjoy their city and their rest in the old part of the town.’
Seville is likely to follow other Spanish cities such as Malaga on the Costa Del Sol who have had enough of drunken groups causing nightly mayhem.
The city introduced fines of £650 in February for anyone seen carrying round an inflatable doll or walking around in their underwear.
Seville, famed for its cathedral and architecture as well as some of the best tapas in Spain, is most popular with stag and hen party groups during the spring months.
The new laws being put forward will likely be in place before the party season begins and when temperatures are much cooler than the 30C blanketing the city this weekend.
Most of the bars that attract the crowds are in the Alfalfa area of the city as well as Almeda near the Guadalquivir River.
During the day – and also at night – the tapas bars are packed with locals and tourists to well past midnight.
Bride-to-be Maria Bertram de Lis Sanchez (far left) said she wasn’t worried about being turned away as there were dozens of places to celebrate her forthcoming nuptials
The all-in-pink hen group from the city of Toledo were unaware of the proposed ban with the final say on what happens and how severe the fines will be yet to be agreed by the city council
The group of 15 young women in construction hats – all smartly dressed and seemingly sober – were told to leave the Salvador Plaza in the city old town after staff at the bar
Seville Mayor Jose Luis Sanz is seeking cross party support for the measures as he maintains boozed up Brits and other revellers are not the sort of tourism he wants for his city. Pictured is Antigua Taberna which has banned hen and stag parties
Hen Veronica del Cerro said her and her group of friends were unaware of the ban on hen and stag parties in Seville
Seville (pictured) is likely to follow other Spanish cities such as Malaga on the Costa Del Sol who have had enough of drunken groups causing nightly mayhem
Clubs that stay open to 4am are a major attraction for stag groups visiting for the weekend.
Bar owners and staff have welcomed the crackdown.
Paula Gonzales, who works at the Café Manlo bar and restaurant, said they do not want people in fancy dress sitting at their outside tables.
She said: ‘They create a bad environment for the bar and put other customers off. We are happy that there will be fines for those who flout the rules.’
At the Bar Europa, waiter Jose Luis Diaz said he supported the mayor’s plans.
‘If people want to sit and eat and drink, then that is fine. We do not need so much noise and whatever comes with the groups. I am happy if they stay away.’
As many of the residents in the old town live in flats above the restaurants favoured by noisy groups, they are fully behind the mayor.
‘We are used to people who eat and drink at the outside places, but sometimes the noise is too much. They can get over excited and that is when the problems occur,’ said one elderly resident who lives near the Plaza Salvador.
She said the majority of the population are Catholic and the sight of men carrying round inflatable dolls has caused offence.
‘It is too much for such a beautiful place and we all support the planned new rules,’ said tour guide Theresa Carranza.
Paula Gonzales (pictured), who works at the Café Manlo bar and restaurant, said they do not want people in fancy dress sitting at their outside tables
At the Bar Europa waiter Jose Luis Diaz (pictured) said he supported the mayor’s plans, saying: ‘If people want to sit and eat and drink, then that is fine’
‘It is too much for such a beautiful place and we all support the planned new rules,’ said tour guide Theresa Carranza (pictured)
Bar owner Sergio Martin (pictured) said he backed the ban. ‘It is not the type of people that we want to come to the restaurant,’ he said
‘The place has become so noisy and unruly and residents just want it to go away.
‘We do not want to hear loud music all the time when you are sitting outside and eating. It is an annoyance.’
Bar owner Sergio Martin said he backed the ban.
‘It is not the type of people that we want to come to the restaurant,’ he said.
‘They are a nuisance and many people do not want to eat next to a loud group of young men and women.’
Seville’s mayor has cited one group of partygoers who paraded through the streets accompanied by a brass band as a perfect example of why he wants a ban.
He had viewed a TikTok video posted by a British tourist where a group of men dressed in animal costumes jumped up and down to the music.
The musical groups are known as ‘Charanga’ and dozens offer their services on the internet.
The professional musicians charge from £200-£400 to follow hen or stag groups around blasting out tunes.
The organiser of one of the groups, who asked not to be named, said banning Charanga was taking away a tradition known all over Spain.
‘I don’t get why the mayor is so upset with the brass bands He knows that at weddings and other social events Charanga is a tradition.
Seville’s mayor has cited one group of partygoers who paraded through the streets accompanied by a brass band as a perfect example of why he wants a ban – known as Charanga
Musical groups are known as ‘Charanga’ follow around hen and stag-dos playing music and dozens offer their services on the internet
The professional musicians charge from £200-£400 to follow hen or stag groups around blasting out tunes
The organiser of one of the groups, who asked not to be named, said banning Charanga was taking away a tradition known all over Spain
‘Does he want to put us all out of business because he wants to make a name for himself. It is very unfair and we are being penalised because of the actions of people who are drunk.’
Stag party organiser Juan Blanco is naturally opposed to any ban as it threatens his business.
He has been arranging between 15-20 events a month as his business recovers from shutdown during the Covid pandemic.
He told Mail Online:’ Of course I do not agree with what the mayor wants.
‘It is going to be so hard to regulate, and the police are not going to want to be out handing out fines.’
While Seville is not at the top of the list of stag and hen party destinations in Europe the cheap beer at £2.50 a pint and a glass of Sangria costing £2 has made it an attractive alternative to other cities, such as Prague and Amsterdam.
The all-year-round good weather with open air dining is also another attraction.
The city is particularly popular with Spanish revellers, but with three flights a day from Gatwick increasing numbers of British tourists are discovering the city.
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