Wherever you are, playing your music out loud on a portable speaker in public can be a bit controversial. Sure, if you’re doing it yourself, it’s great. But if anyone else is doing it? More often than not, it’s pretty irritating.
The beach is one place you’re bound to find people playing DJ with no care for the music tastes of those around them – and one country known for its picturesque beaches has officially had enough.
That’s right: Portugal’s National Maritime Authority (AMN) has announced plans to slap beachgoers with a massive €36,000 (£31,000, $39,000) penalty for playing music too loudly on beaches. According to the Evening Standard, individual fines for playing loud music will start from €200 (£172, $218), before potentially rising to €4,000 (£3,440, $4,360) for further violations. The maximum fine that can be given out to a group is €36,000.
The exact volume that warrants such a fine isn’t particularly clear. The AMN has simply announced that ‘portable speakers are prohibited on beaches at volumes which can bother other sunbathers’, and that noise complaints can be reported by both tourists and locals.
Portugal isn’t the only place in Europe fighting back against the noise caused by visitors and tourists. The Croatian city of Dubrovnik recently banned wheelie suitcases, in an attempt to reduce the amount of noise they make as they’re dragged through the city’s medieval streets.
So, if you’re planning on blasting out the tunes on a beach in Portugal this summer, it might be best to bring some headphones!
Did you see that Italy will fine you €500 for stepping on this ‘pink’ beach?
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