A quiet 'eve of Sant Joan' night with no significant incidents

This year’s Sant Joan festival was quieter than usual, even compared to the nights of previous weekends in Sitges. The closure of the beaches, the deployment of the police and the gradual normalisation of nightlife venues meant there were not excessive crowds on the Ribera beachfront. Meanwhile, the Carrer Primer de Maig saw a huge concentration of people.

The Sitges local police and Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra had deployed special patrols, also in anticipation of the crowds of young people on the breakwaters and on the Ribera during recent weekends. But the closure of the beaches, which took place from the afternoon, prevented young people from going onto the sand. Some did gather on the Paseo de la Ribera and stayed until late at night, although much fewer people than two weekends ago.

Concentration of young people on La Ribera. — Concentration of young people and on La Ribera. (L’Eco)

The police activity during the festival was limited to one intervention in two fights, which did not require medical attention. In one, however, the agents seized a knife.

Local police also arrested a driver who far exceeded the allowed alcohol limit and booked another for reckless driving. There were also minor fires due to the launching of firecrackers and rockets, which in some cases required the attention of fire-fighters. The police switchboard received several calls from neighbours complaining of noise from music and shouting at private parties. Overall, the local police considered the behaviour during the festival as ‘mostly civic and responsible’, by residents and visitors.