Picture the scene: you’re sitting overlooking a quaint piazza somewhere in Europe as your weekend away has finally come around. Spritz in hand, and tapas on the way – life is good. Until that awful, slightly intimidating chant of a stag do ruins the ambience, of course.
No-one wants their mini-break to be ruined by the anti-social behaviour typical of stag and hen-dos – and that's not to mention the disruption it causes for locals – but thankfully, destinations are finally starting to do something about it.
Following the lead of various other European cities cracking down on stag weekends, Seville in Spain is proposing some restrictions too.
The city’s recently elected mayor, Jose Luis Sanz, has just announced a new law which aims to curb the bad behaviour of bachelors and bachelorettes who visit. But by no means does it infer that they want these groups to stop visiting altogether – according to the Times, Sanz said ‘Anyone can celebrate their bachelor party in Seville. What we don’t view favourably are groups of people [who often disturb] the many residents of Seville – especially in areas of the historic centre – who also have the right to enjoy their city.’
What the law entails is a specific ban on people committing ‘obscene acts’ which ruin the vibe for everyone else.
People who wear underwear in public, those dressed in outfits branded with sexist messages, or costumes which violate someone else's integrity are all set to be prohibited.
Sanz’s announcement comes after lots of complaints were lodged from residents of the city, which has seen a vast increase in post-pandemic tourism. He says that Seville has ‘no interest whatsoever’ in some of the behaviour which has been displayed by stag and hen dos, even describing it as ‘obscene exhibitionism’ to the Independent.
And can you blame them? Seville is a charmingly jumbled collection of Jewish, Christian and Moorish architecture, famed for being the home of bullfighting, Flamenco dancing, and some really cracking wine. A group of lads wandering the streets in t-shirts emblazoned with crude nicknames is hardly in keeping with the aura of Spanish charm.
Anyone considered to have broken the new rules will be subject to a fine, the amount of which has not yet been decided. However, Malaga introduced similar rules last year, with a fine of £650 ($790, €750) for walking around in your underwear or carrying an inflatable doll.
We’ll have to wait for confirmation on Seville’s fee, but judging by Malaga’s standards, it could soon be pretty pricey to misbehave in this Spanish city.
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