Barcelona, January 30 – The upcoming spring will usher in a new era for Barcelona’s beach bar concessions, with some offers for the 2026 season surpassing one million euros annually for the first time in history. This comes despite the Barcelona City Council’s efforts to shift the concession model away from a pure auction, aiming to prioritize service quality, sustainability, and social responsibility.
New Concession Model and Record Bids
The City Council introduced adjustments to the bidding conditions last autumn, extending the authorization period from two to four years, adjusting maximum prices, and allowing for “fast food bar” offerings to improve gastronomic quality. The economic criterion in the evaluation process was reduced from 35% to 15% of the total score, with greater emphasis placed on aspects such as gastronomic proposals, environmental certifications, energy efficiency, and accessible facilities.
However, the new model has not prevented some operators from significantly increasing their financial offers. Notably, one beach bar in Sant Sebastià will pay 550,027 euros per season, more than double the previous concession, representing a 754% increase over the minimum starting canon. Another beach bar in Sant Miquel saw two candidates offer over one million euros, with the selected operator (Mia Mamma del Poblenou SL) bidding 1,018,345 euros, a 211% increase over the minimum.
Controversy and Exclusions
The provisional selection of adjudicating companies has been met with significant controversy. Four companies have been asked to justify what are considered “reckless bids” due to their exceptionally high economic offers. Furthermore, several operators were initially excluded from the process due to a technical error concerning the submission of plans for disabled access toilets. The specialized company providing this furniture reportedly supplied an incorrect plan to multiple clients, leading to the exclusion of experienced operators, including El Chiringuito Group, which has been present in Barcelona for 25 years.
These excluded operators have filed appeals, arguing that those who submitted no documentation for sanitary facilities received zero points but remained in the competition, while those who submitted incorrect but existent plans were disqualified without the opportunity to rectify the error. This situation has raised concerns about the potential loss of up to 40 permanent-seasonal jobs.
Prioritizing Quality and Social Responsibility
Sources from Parks and Gardens emphasize that the tender for seasonal services on the beaches for 2026-2029 aimed to prioritize service quality, sustainability, and social responsibility. The scoring system rewarded proposals that included training in gender and non-discrimination, subcontracting social economy companies, and hiring unemployed or socially excluded individuals. Experience and language skills, including Catalan, were also valued.
Despite these intentions, the process has highlighted the ongoing tension between economic viability and the City Council’s desire for a more qualitative and sustainable beach bar model. The final verdict for the concessions is still pending, with some companies needing to accredit their arguments, such as environmental and tourist certifications, and others to justify their high financial offers.
The City Council is analyzing 67 offers from 21 bidders. While some companies have secured positions for less money than in 2022, the general trend shows higher offers compared to four years ago. The provisional adjudications indicate that many existing operators will retain their positions, though sometimes in different locations.
The controversy surrounding the concessions underscores the challenges of balancing economic interests with social and environmental objectives in urban development projects.
Source: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/barcelona/20260130/concesiones-chiringuitos-playa-barcelona-2026-rebasan-millon-euros-polemica-126157879
