The organisation of the Feels Like Festival Eclipse at s’Arenal beach in Sant Antoni is facing renewed scrutiny after it emerged that the Coastal Authority (Demarcación de Costas) had conditioned its authorisation on the event maintaining free public access to the beach.

The festival took place on August 12, 2026, coinciding with the total solar eclipse visible from Ibiza. However, tickets for the event were reportedly sold for €45, raising questions during a Sant Antoni municipal plenary session about whether the conditions attached to the coastal authorisation were followed.

Costas Required Free Access

According to PSOE councillor Xavier Rey, the Coastal Authority's authorisation expressly required free and unrestricted access to the public domain, including the area where the event was taking place.

Rey said this condition was not respected because attendees were stopped at an entrance and charged for admission to the festival.

The event, promoted as Feels Like Festival Eclipse, had advertised tickets starting at €45.

Sant Antoni Town Hall Responds

Mayor Marcos Serra said the town hall was already aware of the favourable Costas report but argued that responsibility for complying with its conditions rested with the event organisers.

Serra said the organisers were responsible for holding the relevant Costas authorisation and for complying with the requirement not to charge admission.

He described the matter as an issue between the organisers and the Coastal Authority and said he hoped the conditions had been respected.

Questions Over the Authorisation Process

The issue was also raised in relation to the wider administrative process behind the event.

According to Rey, the municipal file was subject to several changes, and the festival was authorised by municipal decree for a capacity of 5,000 people just one hour before it began.

The authorisation reportedly included a technical report making the event conditional on obtaining the necessary Costas approval.

Rey also said the Coastal Authority had initially refused permission on August 7, citing the organisers' intention to restrict access to public space. On the day of the eclipse, the company reportedly submitted a declaration stating that it would guarantee free public access.

The PSOE councillor has called for the circumstances surrounding the event to be examined and for responsibility to be established if the conditions of the authorisation were not followed.

A Major Eclipse Event in Sant Antoni

The festival was held on s’Arenal beach during the August 12 total solar eclipse, one of the most anticipated astronomical events to be visible from Ibiza in generations.

The event combined music and entertainment with the opportunity to watch the eclipse from the beach, attracting significant interest during one of the island's busiest periods.

The latest controversy is not about the eclipse itself, but about how access to a public beach was managed during a privately organised event.

What Happens Next?

The central question now is whether the organisers complied with the conditions imposed by Costas.

The mayor has indicated that the responsibility for maintaining the agreed conditions lay with the organisers, while the opposition argues that the municipality should also answer questions about how the event was authorised and monitored.

At this stage, the allegations raised during the plenary session do not by themselves establish that a legal violation occurred. Any potential consequences would depend on the findings of the relevant authorities.

The case highlights the balance Ibiza faces between hosting major events that attract visitors and ensuring that public coastal areas remain accessible under the conditions established by law.

Source: Noudiari