The GEN-GOB denounces overcrowding and safety risks at the UNVRS nightclub in Ibiza

PalmaThe GEN-GOB Eivissa has filed a complaint with the competent authorities for possible capacity excesses and security problems at the UNVRS nightclub, located in Sant Antoni de Portmany, and has requested an urgent investigation into the operating conditions of the establishment following accumulated complaints during the 2025 season.

The environmental organization maintains that the premises occupy the land where Privilege, one of the island's most emblematic nightclubs, previously operated, which had a maximum authorized capacity of 4,000 people. According to GEN-GOB, after years without activity, the property was able to push forward with the renovation of the premises by taking advantage of the fact that the Sant Antoni City Council had not declared the existing license null and void.

The organization points out that the project was covered by the final provision of Law 3/2022 on urgent measures for the sustainability and circularity of tourism in the Balearic Islands. According to the collective's interpretation, this regulation obliged a reduction in the authorized capacity of renovated establishments and, in no case, allowed its increase.

For this reason, GEN-GOB considers that the legal capacity of the new establishment could not exceed 4,000 people and that, even so, it should have been reduced compared to the original license.

Furthermore, the entity questions the nature of the executed works. According to the complaint, there are indications that the intervention did not consist of a simple renovation, but rather the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new one, a circumstance that could affect the legal coverage under which the project was processed.

The complaint comes after several months of controversy surrounding the actual capacity of the venue. GEN-GOB assures that numerous reports published in the media during the 2025 season have placed simultaneous attendance at the venue between 10,000 and 15,000 people, figures that, according to the entity, would far exceed any legally authorized capacity.

According to the environmental organization, this situation not only raises doubts about compliance with regulations but has also caused mobility problems in the vicinity of the venue. The entity reports recurring traffic jams on the Eivissa-Sant Antoni highway during peak attendance nights and warns of the presence of large groups of pedestrians walking along the access roads without adequate safety measures.

However, it is inside the venue where GEN-GOB believes the most worrying situations could be occurring. The organization states that it has collected numerous testimonies from users describing episodes of extreme saturation, movement difficulties, and problems accessing exits.

Testimonies

Among the reviews provided in the complaint, there is one from a client who assures that the venue was "so full that it was impossible to move" and that many people experienced situations of anguish. The same user states that the density of the crowd was comparable to that of "a can of sardines" and warns that the situation "was approaching a human avalanche".

The witness explains that he and his group paid nearly 100 pounds to access the venue during a performance by DJ David Guetta and that, after only an hour inside, they decided to leave the premises. According to his account, not even leaving was easy. "We would have left earlier if we could have, but due to the overcrowding we couldn't make our way to the exit," he states.

Other complaints collected by the entity refer to crowds at emergency exits, strong public pressure in the dance areas and at the bars, circulation difficulties caused by the passage of VIP clients escorted by security personnel, and a generalized feeling of lack of control over people flows.

For GEN-GOB, the coincidence of numerous testimonies pointing in the same direction forces administrations to act. The entity recalls that tragedies in leisure venues linked to non-compliance with capacity limits and basic safety measures have been recorded worldwide and considers that the complaints cannot be ignored.

Given this situation, the organization has requested specific inspections of the venue, the opening of a sanctioning file in case of irregularities, and the adoption of measures to guarantee the safety of users both inside and outside the premises. It also requests that the authorized capacity of the establishment be officially certified and whether the capacity reduction provided for by regional legislation has been applied.

The entity also requests that, if the inspections confirm the existence of an imminent risk to people, the precautionary measures provided for in Law 7/2013 be applied, including the possible temporary suspension of the activity.