8,000 people attend six-day illegal rave in Spanish race circuit

Over 8,000 people attended a week-long illegal rave in a rural area of Spain's Murcia region, which came to an end after attendees reportedly “ran out of steam” (via Olive Press).

Named ‘Big Fucking Party’, the unlicensed event commenced on 30th December, and was expected to run for a full week before being disbanded by local police on Thursday (4th January). The rave took place in a remote desert area on a disused race circuit close to the town of Fuente Álamo, which was reportedly broken into by the organisers.

Over the following six days the free party attracted more than 8,000 revellers, many of whom were said to be expats from France, Germany, Italy, and further afield, Olive Press reports. The festival’s setup consisted of five sound systems, alongside makeshift stages, tents, merch stands, food stalls selling local produce, bars, and more.

Despite concerns, the atmosphere reportedly remained light, with locals venturing from nearby Fuente Álamo to witness the unusual festivities on the outskirts of their town. Local politician Victor Egio, a spokesman for Spanish political party, Podemos, was also in attendance, allegedly telling rave organisers to return again next year for another New Year’s celebration.

As Mixmag reports, the party went undetected until midday on New Year’s Eve, when local Spanish authorities ruled it “impossible” to move the large number of revellers off the site. Guardia Civil put in an eviction notice on 4th January, just a day before the event was scheduled to end, and deployed troops in order to ensure the safety of attendees and facilitate a proper exit.

The event follows last year’s rave of the same name, which took place in the small village of La Peza in Granada and attracted over 5,000 attendees. Fernando Álvarez, the mayor of the village was in attendance and told The Guardian that the event was “magnificently organised.”

Watch El Español's video report on the rave below.