pope leo xiv concert santa cruz tenerife safety

Papal mass and urban music concert to go ahead side by side in Tenerife

Reports confirm safety for dual events in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Three official reports have put in black and white the “compatibility in terms of safety and accessibility” for holding Pope Leo XIV’s large open-air mass in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife alongside preparations for the first day of concerts at the Tenerife Music Festival on 12 June. The Government Sub-delegation and the Port Authority have sent the city council the technical documents it had previously requested, which “guarantee the safety and accessibility of both events” that will take place just 150 metres apart on the same day.

Sources at the city council confirmed this Saturday that “there are no grounds to cancel the urban music concert, whose first day will take place that same Friday, with public admission from 5pm, from which time the licence has been granted” by the council. They added that this decision is backed by the reports sent by the authorities responsible for safety and the space where both events will be held, and that these “guarantee their compatibility.”

Sound checks and logistical concerns dismissed

The sources also indicated that the preparatory work – including technical sound, acoustic and lighting tests – which the music event organisers plan to carry out during the timeslot overlapping with the mass at the Dársena de Los Llanos, “would also not receive an unfavourable assessment.” If the compatibility of both events is guaranteed, “there would not be sufficient grounds to cancel them either,” despite controversy over whether the sound checks could interfere with or disturb those attending the mass with the Holy Father.

The city council noted that “the concern which has arisen over whether the rehearsals can be heard at the location of the mass ‘is not enough to revoke a licence that has already been granted’.”

Police and Civil Guard give green light

The report prepared by the National Police Station states that “the consecutive holding of both events is considered compatible from a security standpoint, and the necessary personnel will be provided.” The Civil Guard document, for its part, highlights that as “the body responsible for Public Safety within the port area where both events will take place, no threat is known to exist that would risk the holding of either event, and safety can be guaranteed for both. Sufficient forces are available to provide service in the public security operation and to attend to any requirements.”

The Civil Guard adds in its report that “there is no exact overlap in timings between the two events, as the first event (the mass) is scheduled to finish at 2pm. Furthermore, the physical space is not the same; there is proximity but they are perfectly separated and delineated.”

Port Authority sees no incompatibility

The Port Authority, in its report sent to the council, states that “there are no manifest incompatibilities for holding both events from the port’s point of view,” although it adds that “the council will take the appropriate measures by virtue of its powers when granting the licences and permits for which it is responsible and to which our authorisation is subject.”

Canary Islands government raises alert level for papal visit

The Government of the Canary Islands, which declared a pre-alert under the Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection (Plateca) for mass events as of 27 April, will move to an alert situation during the Pope’s visit on 11 and 12 June. This activation is justified by the high concentration of people, possible effects on mobility and essential services, and the need to coordinate security, emergency services, civil protection, local plans and self-protection plans.

The government spokesperson, Alfonso Cabello, stated that the declaration of this alert does not influence or conflict with decisions that may be taken by the affected councils: “they are sovereign.” In relation to the coincidence of both events in the Tenerife capital, Cabello considered that “it is difficult to coordinate sound checks and other technical work, but the Government of the Canary Islands, having issued the Plateca, has no decision-making role regarding the compatibility of both events.”

Cabello said that from 11 June in Gran Canaria and 12 June in Tenerife, when the status moves from pre-alert to alert, “each entity must adopt the decisions it considers appropriate with regard to the activities taking place in its area.” In this regard, the Government of the Canary Islands cannot take any decision except on matters for which it has powers, as was the case with the suspension of classes for those two days on both capital islands, he concluded.

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