Residents of Carrer de Tuset, a bustling nightlife artery in Barcelona’s upscale Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, are escalating their long-standing complaints against what they describe as an “unsustainable” and “out of control” situation fueled by excessive noise and nightly overcrowding. Organized under the neighborhood platform Recuperem Tuset i Entorn (Let’s Recover Tuset and Surroundings), locals argue that the chronic problem is directly impacting their physical and mental health.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

The situation, they claim, has worsened over time, exacerbated by the growing trend of vespreig, or early evening socializing, which extends the hours of disruption long before the late-night clubs reach their peak. “I would say it affects our health, directly,” said Cristina Minguell, a resident and platform member, in a statement to betevé. “We are talking about a situation of uncontrolled noise, of overcrowding. We live this every weekend and during the week.”

The complaints are backed by data. According to fellow resident Carlos Rovira, sound meters installed on the street have registered levels exceeding 80 decibels at night. This figure starkly contrasts with the city’s typical daytime limit of 50-55 decibels, highlighting the scale of the acoustic disturbance plaguing an area that is, by day, a mix of offices and residences. Barcelona has been recognized as one of Europe’s loudest cities, and the persistent noise is a significant public health concern, with studies linking it to a range of ailments.

“Apart from the noise issue, which causes harm over time, we are afraid that one day something will happen and the ambulances won’t be able to get through,” Rovira added, voicing concerns that the sheer density of people on the street could obstruct emergency services.

A central point of contention is the city’s refusal to designate Tuset Street as a Special Acoustic Regime Zone (ZARE). Residents say they were promised this classification two years ago, a move that would have halted the issuance of new licenses for bars and clubs and provided stricter noise regulations. However, the Barcelona City Council recently confirmed it would not grant ZARE status, citing a lack of consensus among municipal groups. This decision, residents say, leaves them in a state of “absolute helplessness.”

“They proposed measures, but a year and a half later, nothing has improved. We are the same or worse,” Minguell lamented. The neighborhood platform is now calling for more “drastic measures,” including the possibility of limiting the capacity of people allowed in the public space at any given time.

For its part, the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi District Council asserts it is actively managing the situation. In a meeting with residents last December, officials outlined a series of “surgical” measures intended to mitigate the impact of nightlife. These include continuing the policy of forcing 24-hour convenience stores to close overnight and restricting terrace hours to midnight.

Furthermore, the city has amended its civility ordinance to impose significantly steeper fines for disruptive behavior in acoustically sensitive areas like Tuset. Penalties can now reach up to €3,000 for excessive noise, €1,500 for drinking alcohol in the street, and €750 for public urination. The City Council also stated it is working on new public space management strategies and has deployed a “night mediation service” and a “noise awareness campaign.”

Despite these initiatives, residents remain skeptical, pointing out that the core issue-the high concentration of nightlife establishments, governed by the city’s Plan of Uses (Pla d’usos)-remains unaddressed. Without the ZARE designation or changes to this plan, they fear the cycle of noise, crowds, and civic disruption will continue indefinitely, leaving them to bear the consequences.

Related Reading on Barna.News