Francina Armengol, the president of the Balearic Islands region in Spain, has issued a decree ordering discotheques and nightclubs to remain closed through the beginning of phase three of Spain’s reemergence from coronavirus-related lockdown, published in the Official Bulletin of the Balearic Islands (BOIB). The Balearic Islands contain the resort island of Ibiza, the international dance club destination that typically sees an influx of tourist traffic during the summer season. The islands have been in phase two since May 25, requiring nightclubs throughout Spain to remain closed.
On June 8, Ibiza will join more than half of the country in phase three, during which Spain’s national government has authorized nightclubs—like Ibiza’s Hï Ibiza, Amnesia, and Pacha, among others—to reopen during phase three of their lockdown deescalation with considerable restrictions. Nightclubs opening during phase 3 are required to operate at no more than one third of their maximum capacity, remove dance floors and convert them into space for tables, and require the use of masks when social distancing cannot be practiced. But the national government also left implementation up to local provinces, leading Armengol to keep the clubs closed, citing outbreaks in other countries linked to nightlife.
The extended shutdown has placed many of the island’s seasonal businesses at risk, and local business owners protested Armengol’s decision, suggesting that the continued closures would promote unlicensed entertainment and botellones (street parties). Spain, with more than 45 million residents, has the sixth highest coronavirus death toll globally (27,136).
Read Pitchfork’s feature “Sketches From Ibiza Island.”