The PSOE in Málaga urges the municipal government to protect the traditional character of the Real Cortijo de Torres against the rise of restaurants and nightclubs in the booths.
The socialist spokesperson in the Málaga City Council, Mariano Ruiz Araujo, has called on the government team to listen to the alarm bells from those who have been organising the Feria for decades and to take measures to protect the traditional, family-oriented, and popular character of the Real Cortijo de Torres.
Ruiz Araujo has expressed his concern over an evolution of the model that, in his view, is gradually displacing the traditional booths to make way for establishments that operate practically as restaurants or nightclubs.
This concern, he emphasised, is shared by the Malagueña Federation of Peñas, which has publicly rejected the commercialisation of the booths and warned of the need to preserve the traditional model.
“We cannot allow the Feria de Málaga to end up as a theme park of restaurants and nightclubs. The Feria must evolve and adapt to the times, but without losing what makes it unique: our traditions, our peñas, family booths, and a space where everyone from the youngest to our elders can enjoy,” Ruiz Araujo defended.
The socialist has considered the warning from the president of the Malagueña Federation of Peñas, Manolo Curtido, particularly significant, as he has alerted to the advance of commercialism and the risk of the venue becoming a theme park of restaurants and nightclubs.
Ruiz Araujo has insisted that defending the family model does not mean being against leisure or the existence of spaces for young people, but rather ensuring a balance and preventing business interests from overshadowing the essence of the Feria. Therefore, he has called on the mayor not to wait until this model disappears to react and to reinforce inspections and compliance with regulations during this edition, especially in the booths integrated into the so-called family area.
“If those representing the peña movement are publicly stating that there are violations and asking the City Council for greater firmness, the government team has an obligation to listen and act,” he pointed out.
For his part, socialist councillor Pablo Orellana has called for a serious and shared reflection to take place after the 2026 Feria, regarding the future direction of the Feria in the coming years. In his view, it cannot be allowed that the entities and associations that have historically enlivened the Real lose ground to an exclusively commercial model.
“The Feria does not belong to the businesses that set up their activities there for a week; it belongs to Málaga and its people. We must preserve a Feria where a family can enter a booth, encounter our traditions, and enjoy a genuinely Malagueño atmosphere. Modernising the Feria, yes; turning it into a succession of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, no,” Orellana concluded.
The PSOE has requested that traditional peñas and groups play a leading role in any future review of the model, and has reminded that the Federation of Peñas itself maintains that the Feria should continue to be a space for coexistence, culture, and gathering based on traditional and family booths.
The controversy comes less than a year before the next edition of the Feria de Málaga, which will be held in the Real Cortijo de Torres. The City Council has not yet responded to the socialists' requests.
You may also like
