The residents' association of Getafe Norte warns that Shakira's 12 concerts at Iberdrola Music will block access to the neighbourhood and calls for guarantees on mobility and emergency response.
The 12 concerts by Shakira at the Iberdrola Music venue, starting this Friday and running until 11 October, will once again strain mobility in northern Getafe. The residents' association estimates that each day will host nearly 60,000 attendees, according to infobae.com, and warns that the traffic plan designed by the Madrid City Council will leave the neighbourhood with blocked access.
The president of the Getafe Norte Residents' Association, Jesús García, explained that the municipal plan includes the complete closure of several access points from the roundabout located under the M-45, which connects Villaverde Alto and Getafe. Among the affected branches are the one leading from Getafe to the M-45 East and the one linking the M-45 East with the Real de Pinto Avenue. The Madrid City Council has warned that these temporary closures may extend to other roads depending on attendance.
We are going to be blocked and held hostage in our neighbourhood
García argues that the plan uses Getafe roads to channel entry to a venue that is in Madrid. "They, without having jurisdiction in this locality, are already saying to use our municipality to enter the event," he reproached. The community leader recalls that in previous events at the same venue, some residents took more than an hour and a half to get home.
The association also warns that the closures would hinder emergency response in the neighbourhood. "In the event of an emergency within the Getafe Norte neighbourhood, we are blocked due to the closure of M-45 access," García lamented.
In public transport, residents point out that bus line 448 will change its route and avoid the northern area of Getafe, which will affect residents in that area. They also criticise that transport reinforcements are mainly aimed at facilitating the exit of attendees from the venue.
The group highlights acoustic problems in nearby neighbourhoods. They claim that during prior rehearsals they have already experienced vibrations and rumblings, and they call for corrective measures and controls to ensure compliance with permitted noise levels.
If these large-scale events continue, the association demands permanent improvements in infrastructure and access both in Getafe and in Colonia Marconi, in Villaverde, another affected area. They consider the actions taken so far, linked only to concert days, to be insufficient and call for more lighting and security measures.
On the legal front, García has indicated that they are considering approaching the Prosecutor's Office to propose actions against the landowner and the Madrid City Council. "The promoter is responsible, but if you know they are violating regulations and continuously do so in the same space, it means the space is not suitable. And the one who grants or denies the license for an unsuitable space is the Madrid City Council," he argued. They have also requested the Getafe City Council to take legal action.
The residents emphasise that their protest is not against music, but against the location of the venue and the organisation of large events without what they consider sufficient corrective measures. The first concert of Shakira's residency at Iberdrola Music is scheduled for this Friday.
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