Brits heading to Valencia for a stag do or hen weekend could soon face fines of up to £2,500 under tough new proposed laws aimed at cracking down on anti-social tourism. City chiefs in Valencia are drafting strict new rules designed to stop large groups of revellers taking over its streets, and it is set to become the first municipality in Spain to target stag and hen parties with a specific set of regulations.
What the proposed rules would ban
Anyone planning to hit the city as Team Bride or a “lads on tour” crew may need to rethink the fancy dress kit. The proposals would ban people from walking through public streets or spaces carrying inflatable sex dolls, penis props or wandering around in underwear. Those are classed as minor offences, with fines of up to €750, around £625.
The city council also wants to clamp down on groups using public spaces for what it calls unauthorised private events, including stag and hen parties, birthdays and anniversaries, if they cause a nuisance or disrupt local residents. Those would be treated as serious offences, punishable by fines from €750 to €1,500, up to about £1,250, the Sun reported.
Time restrictions and street drinking
There is also a time window when the restrictions would apply: between 10pm and 8am from Sunday to Friday, and until 9.30am on Saturdays and holiday eves. Street drinking, known as botellón, is also in the firing line. Under the proposals, drinking alcohol in public could reportedly bring a fine of up to €1,500, which would double to €3,000 if someone is caught near protected historic buildings.
The biggest penalties, classed as very serious offences, range from €1,500 to €3,000, around £2,500. These would be reserved for people who actively resist or obstruct police inspections, or for behaviour deemed highly disrespectful or mocking towards vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly or disabled people. The punishment could be treated even more harshly if groups film the mockery and post it to social media.
Why Valencia is cracking down
Valencia’s crackdown comes after the city has seen a surge in pre-wedding package tourism in recent years, with growing complaints from residents and business owners about noise, crowds and explicit props disrupting day-to-day life, particularly in the historic centre. Other Spanish hotspots such as Málaga and Platja d’Aro have previously tightened “coexistence” rules to curb public nudity and sex toys, but Valencia’s upcoming legislation goes further by explicitly naming stag and hen parties as a target, in a bid to stop boozy celebrations spilling out onto public pavements.
