Nightlife Sector Criticises ‘Ambiguous’ Fire Safety Regulations in Spain

The Spanish nightlife sector has expressed its dismay at the tragic fire in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), where during the New Year’s Eve celebration at a nightclub, at least 40 people, mostly young, died, and another 119 were injured, many of them critically. However, after it was officially confirmed that the main hypothesis about the cause of the incident is the use of flares—linked to champagne bottles—by some attendees, they have criticised the “dispersion and ambiguity” of the current fire prevention regulations in Spain.

In this regard, the president of Spain Nightlife stated on Friday that “each tragedy of this kind should serve to reinforce the sector’s commitment to safety.” In his view, regulated and professional nightlife can and should be a safe space, provided that regulations are strictly followed and prevention is prioritised.

Similarly, the Secretary General of Spain Nightlife and President of the International Nightlife Association, Joaquim Boadas, has pointed out that the international safety and quality labels promoted by this organisation, along with the International Fire Prevention Guide for Public Venues and “all the work we are doing in nightlife congresses, demonstrate that our sector is fully committed to safety.”

The sector recalls the fire that occurred in October 2023 at the Fonda Milagros nightclub in Murcia, which resulted in the death of 13 people. That incident, the association notes, “was a severe blow to the sector and a turning point in the collective reflection on the need to strengthen prevention, inspection, and strict compliance with current regulations in Spain.”

First specific guide for the sector

In any case, regarding fire prevention regulations in Spain, they criticise that “there is a clear dispersion and ambiguity in this regard.” In fact, only in Catalonia is the use of flares in indoor activities implicitly prohibited. “Although it does not literally state that flares are banned, it does prohibit these activities from using ‘sources of ignition or materials generating fire or sparks that pose a risk,'” explains Spain Nightlife.

At the national level, the Regulation of Pyrotechnic Articles and Cartridges (RD 989/2015) regulates the use of pyrotechnics in general, although it does not specifically refer to how to act indoors. Meanwhile, the International Nightlife Association and Spain Nightlife have created “the first Fire Prevention Guide for Public Venues.”

In this context, during the National and International Nightlife Congresses organised by Spain Nightlife and the International Nightlife Association (INA) in 2023 and 2025, “fire safety was identified as one of the main structural challenges of the sector.”

In these forums, specific aspects such as the use of flammable materials, capacity management, accessibility and signage of emergency exits, staff training, and the need to move towards more homogeneous technical and regulatory criteria were addressed.