A private gala at the foot of the Giralda with public money exalts the Sevillians

The Virgen de los Reyes square, at the foot of the Giralda in Seville, was filled this Thursday with tables and chairs arranged for the celebration of a gala dinner. The reason?: The 20th anniversary of the Escaparate Awards, organized by the magazine of the same name, in collaboration with the Seville City Council. In previous editions, the same event had already closed other spaces in the city, such as the Cristina Gardens, the Paseo del Marqués de Contadero by the river, the San Francisco square of the City Hall, or the Patio de Banderas, located at the entrance of the Alcázar. And before, in 2019, the event organized by the publication obtained approval to be held at the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville: then, room II, where works by El Greco and Flemish and Renaissance artists, such as the Calvary Triptych, are exhibited, was filled with furniture for the event.

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In this edition, the controversy has escalated, fueled by social networks, where numerous profiles have criticized the discretionary use of emblematic places in the city, with the impact this has on their conservation. Civil society platforms, but also political organizations, have expressed this discontent. The Association for the Defense of Historical-Artistic Heritage of Andalusia (Adepa) has regretted that “it is not the right place.” “Turning the Virgen de los Reyes square into a dining room has no basis. There are so many places in Seville to do it, without this having to mean the appropriation of public space,” says its president, Joaquín Egea.

Adelante Andalucía has submitted a document to the regional Parliament to learn about the public spending of the Junta “on the big party” organized for the awards ceremony, according to its leader and parliamentary spokesperson, José Ignacio García, on X. In addition to the public money invested by the regional administration, the Andalusian coalition requests information about the advertising contracts it has with the company that publishes the magazine and the Government of Juan Manuel Moreno’s assessment of the use of protected public spaces for private events.

The municipal ordinance on the occupation of public spaces in the declared Historic Ensemble expressly prohibits the occupation of the Virgen de los Reyes and Triunfo squares for the development of events and activities. However, in its article 3, it excludes certain activities from regulation, including advertising or filming, traditional festivals, electoral events, and “activities that, due to their characteristics (short duration, lack of facilities, or requiring facilities of little importance) or for any other concurrent circumstance, allow a reasonable expectation of not producing a significant impact on the space where they take place or its surroundings.” The permit approved by the City Council would fit into this last category, which in a response sent to EL PAÍS defends that “the occupation of the Virgen de los Reyes square has been authorized according to the requirements established by the ordinance for such occupation. Everything has been done legally, with the corresponding technical and legal reports, exactly as has been done in previous years in other locations.” In that same square, during the last Andalusian elections, Vox held its campaign closing. However, the Seville City Council has not wanted to comment on the economic or in-kind contribution of public money for the event.

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The promoter of the awards and director of the magazine, Mario Niebla, has also defended the legality of the event. According to what he explained to EL PAÍS, “what I do with Escaparate has been done all my life worldwide,” he says, citing major events such as the MET gala in New York or the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Rome. “What happens is that in Seville, with clear political intent, there is a minority—because it is a minority—that tries to distort or undermine a practice that has been done worldwide all along: using public spaces for unique events. In my case, I have been using public spaces for 20 years to organize the awards with mayors of all political colors,” he concludes.

Regarding the City Council’s participation as “co-organizer,” the publication’s head clarifies that “on the occasion of the 20th anniversary, the City Council wanted to take the initiative to be the promoter of the awards. I don’t know if they intend to continue or if it is only in this case, as a form of recognition.” And he specifies that “that does not mean that they financed it; it has been financed with private companies,” in addition to the contribution of the Junta de Andalucía and the Seville City Council. Niebla estimates the total cost of the event at 150,000 euros, of which “there is a minimal amount contributed by the City Council and the Junta de Andalucía has sponsored it, as it has done in recent years.” A contribution from each administration that he places at “less than 15,000 euros.”

Among the 400 attendees at the gala held this Thursday, which also featured a stage for the awards presentation and musical performances, were the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno; and the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz. On previous occasions, attendees have included designer Christian Louboutin; the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso; and the Duchess of Alba.

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