Could Arrecife’s Noise Rules Change for Small Bars and Restaurants?
A new proposal from an Arrecife gastrobar owner has opened a wider debate about live music, noise regulations and whether small-scale cultural performances should be treated differently from major events.
A new debate is emerging in Arrecife, Lanzarote, over how the city regulates live music in bars and restaurants.
Alejandro Betancort Hernández, owner of El Baifo Gastrobar in Arrecife, has written to the city’s mayor, Yonathan de León, calling for a more proportionate approach to noise regulations for small hospitality businesses.
His argument is that a quiet acoustic performance during lunch, a saxophonist playing during a meal or a small musical act should not necessarily face the same administrative requirements as a large concert or nightclub event.
What is being proposed?
Betancort is calling for the Arrecife noise regulations to recognise the difference between large-scale entertainment and small, low-impact musical performances.
One of his main suggestions is the creation of a category similar to an “Espacio Cultural de Pequeño Formato/acústico”, which would allow suitable bars and restaurants to host limited live performances under a simplified administrative procedure.
The proposal would still involve conditions designed to protect residents, including defined noise levels and restrictions on the hours when performances could take place.
One suggested approach would be to allow smaller performances during normal commercial hours, potentially up to 10pm, with clear decibel limits.
Another idea is a municipal register or catalogue of small cultural venues in Arrecife, allowing participating restaurants and bars to demonstrate that they meet agreed requirements for noise and neighbourhood coexistence.
Importantly, these are proposals at this stage. They do not represent a change to Arrecife’s current regulations.
Why is this an issue for small businesses?
For a small restaurant or gastrobar, arranging live music can involve considerably more than simply booking a musician.
Betancort argues that requirements associated with public entertainment can potentially involve acoustic studies, approved sound limiters, insurance and other administrative procedures. He believes that applying requirements designed for much larger entertainment venues can make occasional, low-volume performances financially impractical for smaller businesses.
His argument is essentially about proportionality.
A large outdoor concert with powerful speakers and hundreds or thousands of people can have a very different acoustic and neighbourhood impact from a solo musician, acoustic duo or saxophonist performing inside a restaurant at lunchtime.
The proposal therefore asks whether Arrecife’s noise regulations should distinguish between different levels and types of activity, rather than treating every form of live music in the same way.
What does the current law say?
There is already a substantial legal framework covering noise pollution, businesses and public entertainment in Arrecife.
Arrecife has its own Ordenanza de protección al medio ambiente contra la emisión de ruidos y vibraciones, with a modification published in June 2017.
At national level, Spain’s Noise Law (Ley 37/2003) establishes a framework for preventing, monitoring and reducing acoustic pollution and sets out concepts including acoustic quality, noise pollution and acoustic assessment.
The Canary Islands also has legislation governing classified activities and public entertainment. Law 7/2011 gives municipalities powers relating to regulations and public entertainment, while also providing a framework for administrative intervention and technical requirements.
The legislation specifically recognises the need to balance entertainment and commercial activity with the tranquillity and rest of neighbouring residents, including in tourist areas.
That balance is at the heart of the current discussion.
Residents’ concerns about noise remain important
The debate isn’t simply about businesses wanting fewer rules.
Arrecife has experienced wider concerns over noise from concerts and other large events. A Platform Against Noise in Arrecife was formed following complaints from residents about noise associated with events in parts of the capital, including areas around El Reducto, Parque Islas Canarias, the Charco de San Ginés and other neighbourhoods.
More recently, the Cabildo de Lanzarote has also indicated that future funding requirements for events and fiestas will include compliance with acoustic pollution regulations and appropriate safety measures.
So any changes to the rules for smaller businesses would have to take into account both sides of the argument: supporting Arrecife’s hospitality and cultural scene while protecting residents from excessive noise.
Could this be good for Arrecife?
There is an obvious potential benefit for the city’s restaurant and hospitality sector.
Small-scale live music can give visitors another reason to spend time in Arrecife’s restaurants, bars and gastrobars, while also providing opportunities for local musicians.
The city’s own tourism information highlights the role of restaurants, cafés, terraces and live entertainment in Arrecife’s evening economy, while the municipality continues to organise and support music and cultural events throughout the city.
A more clearly defined system for small acoustic performances could potentially make it easier for businesses to offer live music in Arrecife without turning residential areas into large-scale nightlife zones.
For tourists, that could mean more opportunities to experience local music and enjoy an evening meal with entertainment.
For residents, the key would be making sure that any new system has clear noise limits, appropriate hours and effective enforcement.
What happens next?
At present, there is no change to Arrecife’s noise regulations as a result of this proposal.
The request from Betancort is effectively an invitation for the Ayuntamiento de Arrecife to consider whether the existing framework could be adapted to better accommodate small-scale cultural activity.
The question now is whether the council will enter into discussions with local hospitality businesses and musicians and explore a separate framework for low-impact live music in Arrecife.
If such a system were introduced, it could offer a middle ground between completely unrestricted entertainment and regulations designed primarily around much larger events.
For a city increasingly promoting itself as a destination for gastronomy, culture, tourism and live entertainment, finding that balance could become an important part of Arrecife’s future.
The debate has only just begun, but the issue highlights a wider challenge facing Arrecife: how to keep the capital lively, cultural and attractive to visitors while ensuring that it remains a comfortable place to live.
