Marbella City Council has approved a sponsorship of €181,500 for the OMA Sound festival, which takes place at the Finca de La Caridad in San Pedro Alcántara. This amount doubles the fee of €70,968 that it charges the organising company for the use of the municipal space.
The OMA Sound festival, formerly known as Oasisss Marbella Fest, kicks off this summer in San Pedro Alcántara amid a financial controversy. Marbella City Council has approved a sponsorship of €181,500 for the event, a figure that far exceeds the fee charged to the organisers for using the Finca de La Caridad.
The company Cimumar 2023 S.L., the festival promoter, pays the Council a total of €70,968.52 for occupying the municipal venue for nearly five months. The sponsorship, however, amounts to more than double that figure, leaving a net balance in favour of the company of around €110,000.
Two authorisations and a reduced fee
The use of the Finca de La Caridad has been processed through two authorisations. The first, for 22 days between May 7 and May 28, for the Reve Festival by French DJ Hugel, with a fee of only €675.9 (30 euros per day).
The second covers from June 1 to September 30, a full four months, for €70,292.62. During this period, the main concerts of OMA Sound will take place in August: Bella Festival, Techno Flamenco, Black Coffee, Modo Perreo Fest, Jardín de las Delicias, Aquellos años locos, Raule and DJ Snake.
Thus, the daily cost for the company is about €585, well below the market price for a venue of this nature. For the residents of San Pedro, this means that the public space is rented at a nearly symbolic price while the City Council invests public money in promoting the event.
Sponsorship that turns the fee into profit
The sponsorship approved by the City Council aims to promote and consolidate Marbella as a tourist destination by associating the image of the Marca Marbella logo with advertising materials for the event. In practice, the organising company not only does not pay for the use of the venue, but also gains a direct benefit of over €110,000.
This practice is not new in Marbella. Other musical events in the municipality have followed the same model: a fee is charged that is then offset by an advertising contract, so that the use of public space is free for promoters. The difference this year is that the mass concert by Manuel Carrasco, which caused traffic chaos and access issues in 2023, has been eliminated.
City Council officials defend that the sponsorship is a tool for tourist promotion that attracts visitors and generates economic activity. However, for the average citizen, the question is obvious: why pay to use a public space when the City Council gives back more than double?
A summer of music with a bittersweet taste
OMA Sound kicks off in May with the Reve Festival and runs until September. The August concerts are the main attraction, featuring artists like Black Coffee, Raule, and DJ Snake. The programming includes genres for all tastes: techno, flamenco, perreo, and 80s music.
For residents of San Pedro Alcántara, the festival represents a cultural and economic boost, but also a headache with noise and traffic. Last year, the concert by Manuel Carrasco caused monumental traffic jams and complaints from locals. This year, with no major concert, it is expected that mobility issues will be less severe.
The estate, located in a residential area, will once again host thousands of attendees during the summer. The City Council recommends checking schedules and alternative access routes to avoid inconveniences. The music will play, but the debate over the real cost to municipal coffers will remain open.
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