Do the court festivals kill the traditional ones?

PalmaThe cancellation of Canamunt and Canavall by Orgull Llonguet, that bar Flexas is not organizing its traditional festival this year, and the controversy between the City Council and Ben Amics over the LGTBI Pride festival seem to mark a specific pattern. The involved collectives denounce a lack of support and generalized interest from the City Council. Is it just a coincidence or is the municipal programming displacing the associative fabric that for decades has given life to Palma's popular festivals?

After Cort publicly defended that it had offered all facilities for Orgull Llonguet to organize a new edition of Canamunt and Canavall, the entity maintains that the decision to suspend the festival this year responds to a much deeper problem than a simple logistical issue. In an interview with ARA Balears, active member of Orgull Llonguet Mateu Fiol assures that the decision is "made and consensual" and insists that the pause will serve to rethink who they are and what they want to contribute to society.

As he explains, more and more people are participating in the festivals without knowing the project behind them. "Canamunt survives thanks to the bars, the t-shirts, and the contribution of the groups," he recalls. For this reason, he regrets that a significant part of the public experiences the festival solely as a space for consumption. "We do not want to create consumerist festivals," he emphasizes.

Fiol links this situation to the changes Palma has undergone in recent years. The rising cost of housing, he says, has driven out many residents, including members of the collective itself. "Many people from Palma no longer live in Palma and this makes it difficult for them to enjoy and get involved in the festivities," he explains. He also criticizes how the city's economic and commercial model transforms its identity: "The businesses that are opening are more like the luxury of other cities than a city with its own personality."

"If the City Council wants, we'll show them the bill"

One of the main points of disagreement with Cort is municipal support. After the City Council assured that it makes services such as police, firefighters, cleaning, and electricity available to entities, Fiol clarifies. "The councilor —Lourdes Roca— says that the City Council provides electricity, but we can show you the electricity bill and the report from the installation engineer, which we pay for," he assures. He recalls that Orgull Llonguet does not obtain economic benefits from the festival and that, if the balance ends up being negative, it is the association that assumes the losses. "We don't want to earn money; we want a more vibrant city," he comments.

It also criticizes the lack of coordination. Fiol speaks of La Patrona, the festival promoted by the City Council the previous night in Canamunt and Canavall. As he explains, the next day there are still trucks, waste, and infrastructure that hinder the organization of the popular festival. "The city is still occupied by the remains of the previous festival and we cannot even take advantage of some resources, such as chemical toilets. It seems like logistical counterprogramming," he states. Furthermore, he regrets that the City Council is later credited with the cleaning effort when, according to him, a large part of the problems precisely stem from the activity organized by Cort the previous night.

The festival of La Patrona has been actively criticized by various entities and neighborhood associations, because it does not arise "from the street, but from the Council's marketing department". As they denounce, the festival claims to be "of the patron saint", but, in reality, "it has as little to do with the patron saint as a pa amb oli served in a gastrobar with olive oil foam and black olive powder". The organizing company, Mallorca Live Fest, received 332,750 public euros and the City Council obtained no return whatsoever.

"If no one applies for a call, perhaps we should ask ourselves why"

Fiol also responds to the City Council's criticism regarding Orgull Llonguet's failure to appear at the municipal call to organize the festival. "If they issue a call and no one shows up, they should also be interested in knowing what's happening and not say they found out through the press," he points out. In this regard, the entity calls for more fluid dialogue with the Consistory and laments that essential matters are resolved only fifteen days before the celebration. "The details of a festival of this magnitude cannot be finalized at the last minute. There is a lack of political interest," he maintains.

The case of Orgull Llonguet is very similar to that reported by both bar Flexas and Ben Amics. After 2025 was declared a festival of municipal interest, the organizers of the traditional Flexas festival announced the cancellation after weeks of conversations with the Palma City Council to try to find a way to ensure its continuity. Cort offered a contribution of 45,000 euros, but Flexas considers that the continuity of the festival at the Parc de la Mar required greater involvement from public administrations to guarantee "sustainable and safe conditions" for both the organization and the attending public.

The controversy with Ben Amics ended with a parallel street party organized by Cort, the relocation of many activities to other municipalities in Mallorca, and a complaint filed with the Consistory for alleged irregular awarding of the Pride festival.

The demon groups have also criticized the City Council's limitations. This year, the number of annual correfocs in the neighborhoods of Ciutat has been limited to 11. The measure represents a radical change compared to the previous situation, where there was no limit and activities were managed according to demand and the organizational capacity of the neighborhoods and groups. The groups' response was one of indignation and bewilderment.

Mateu Fiol, from Orgull Llonguet, sees a pattern that, he assures, is repeated in various areas. "There is a cultural disinterest in the local people. Palma aspired to be European Capital of Culture 2031, but for whom is this culture being made?", he asks. The answer, according to him, is clear: "The cultural offer is focused on tourists, not on the people who live here."