Opposition says Gloria Estefan concert should be free for residents

PALMA
A political storm broke out yesterday over the Gloria Estefan concert in Santa Ponsa next Monday.
The venue for the concert is the new fair and convention centre which was opened by Mayor Carlos Delgado and officials from the Balearic government on Monday.

But yesterday the opposition socialist party (PSOE) slammed the council for allowing residents to be charged 35 euros to see the concert. “Usually, all concerts which the council are involved in are free of charge for residents who live in the municipality. The fact that the people of Calvia are having to pay to see a concert in a council-owned building which has just been opened is not fair,” said socialist leader Carlos Manchado yesterday. Manchado said that residents in the Santa Ponsa area were furious because they were being charged to see a concert at a venue which had been built with rate payer´s money. “When we were in power in Calvia we used to support cultural events, now the present government has turned it into a business,” the socialist leader alleged.

However, Gloria Estefan´s concert is probably one of the biggest Calvia has ever seen and it is more than likely that the council would not be able to offer the concert for free for residents because of its sheer costs. Tickets for the event are priced at 44 and 35 euros. The new fairground and convention area can accommodate up to 12'000 people and has cost around 560'000 euros; 50 percent of the money has come from European Union funds, 25 percent from the Balearic government and 25 percent from the council. The Gloria Estefan concert will be the first event to take place at the new centre and organisers say that thousands of tickets have already been sold.