The Cala Mijas festival has been a real boost for the image and economy of the town, according to the Mayor of Mijas, Josele González (PSOE), and the Councillor for Fiestas, Tamara Vera (PSOE). They took stock of this macro-event last 5th September that for the first time, took place in the town.

The first edition of the festival ended last Saturday with the success of the public and critics after three days of good music in which the Sonora Mijas venue received artists of the highest level of the international music scene. "We are delighted with the development, economic, and media impact of this festival that we promoted for the first time from the Mijas Town Hall. Our town is a young and multicultural city that has long demanded this type of event with great international repercussion and top-level artists", said the Councillor, who added that it is "a project that was born to position our town, and continue to make it grow as a reference point for an excellent and varied cultural and leisure offer, as a tool to boost the local economy and support our family businesses, and the self-employed".

Great economic impact
According to initial estimates, and based on the repercussions of this festival already consolidated and held in other provinces, the Town Hall estimates an economic impact of more than 20 million euros in the town and throughout the Costa del Sol, both for its direct economic impact and the media coverage of an event of such magnitude. "We have exceeded the initial forecasts, reaching 107,000 attendees, a great figure for an event of this magnitude. A great figure for the first of many editions to come. It has attracted visitors from more than 50 countries to our town with 27% of the visitors coming from abroad, mainly from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy", explains the Councillor. Adding this large number of visitors "has filled La Cala de Mijas, its businesses, bars and restaurants with life and colour. It has been an edition that has perfectly combined music, sun, and beach in a unique setting in the province. An economic impact that has had a special effect on some of the sectors most affected by the pandemic, such as the hotel and catering trade, commerce, and accommodation in the town".  

In this sense, the national public has also been very diverse, with the provinces of Madrid, Valencia, Catalonia and Murcia being the most numerous, along with the local and Andalusian public.

"We have had a great atmosphere with people from all corners and ages. The great vibe has been enjoyed from full families who have enjoyed a varied musical programme to regular festival goers and experts in the field who have confirmed that Cala Mijas is already among the greats of the international scene," says Vera. "And they did so in a brand new venue that lent itself to the enjoyment of all attendees whose excited faces could be seen when they entered the venue for the first time," adds the Councillor.

The variety and quality of the festival music programme have been one of its greatest assets since it was announced at the end of 2021. "Up to 90 artists have passed through La Cala over these three days to bring the best rock, pop, electronic, and urban music to the audience. From the very first minute, we have been committed to a solid festival that looks to the future and that we want to grow year after year. An open festival thanks to its stage in El Torreón overlooking the sea, brought the music closer to the more than 2,500 people who came to this point," said the Councillor for Festivities.  

Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Liam Gallagher, The Chemical Brothers, Kraftwerk, Nathy Peluso, and Bomba Estéreo are just a sample of the line-up presented for this first edition of Cala Mijas. It concluded last Saturday after an iconic programme with artists such as Nathy Peluso, Love of Lesbian or James Blake, among others.

Extensive mobility, security, and cleaning arrangements

The festival was, according to the Town Hall, " reinforced" with a coordinated device between Guardia Civil, Mijas Local Police, Civil Protection, and the festival's security staff. It guaranteed the well-being of the people attending inside the festival site and in the surrounding area. The government team stresses that this foresight "has borne fruit, with no incidents detected and a good atmosphere prevailing throughout the three days".

The Town Hall and the organisers also made "a great effort in coordination and mobility, according to the Mayor's Office. There were three car parks for 5,000 vehicles at the Hipódromo, El Lagar, and Las Lagunas. Free shuttle buses transported attendees to the venue, an important reinforcement of the consortium lines that stop at La Cala, and a special access and traffic control system in the area resulted in a smooth and incident-free access".

As far as cleaning is concerned during the three days of the Cala Mijas festival, cleaning and rubbish collection were carried out throughout the site at various times. The municipal cleaning services, Renta Básica, and the company contracted by the organisers took part.

In the camping area, several daily clean-ups have been carried out before and after the concerts, alongside systematic clean-ups at the main entrance and surrounding areas, at the bus stops, in the concert area, and at the points from where buses will be departing.

Besides, more than 300 containers were installed and a "constant cleaning of the area was carried out. It has had a positive effect on the local image for visitors from all over the world", according to the local government.

The Town Council reports there have been many departments and people involved in making Cala Mijas a "complete success. Thanks to them, it has been possible to talk about a festival that has exceeded all expectations and has echoed in the provincial, national and, international media for its good organisation in general, for the quality of its programme, the characteristics of the venue, the ease of mobility, and the effort made in terms of cleaning", they emphasised.

Sustainable festival

Sustainability has also been vital in all the processes as the fitting out of the space with a zero surplus balance to sustainable toilets. The recovery of existing flora and the relocation of different tree varieties affected by the works on the site have also been carried out. The use of concrete and asphalt has been avoided, reducing the carbon footprint of the adaptation process as much as possible.

A commitment to sustainability has also been reflected in the use of natural materials such as wood for the stairs, walkways and other festival elements, besides the use of the 'cashless' system thanks to the technology integrated into the smart bracelets.

This commitment of Cala Mijas has also focused its efforts on hiring 0Km with local workers, an aspect also reflected in the gastronomic and contemplative offer, promoting the use of local products through agreements with local suppliers.

The use of reusable and returnable cups, or sorting of waste in all site areas and at all stages (assembly, celebration, and dismantling), were also combined with the promotion of sustainable mobility through the organisation's bus system, which resulted in 20% of attendees entering the site in this way over the three days.

Furthermore, a donation has been made to the 'Abraza el mar de Mijas' project of the NGO 'Equilibrio Marino', for the recovery of the Calahonda Special Conservation Area (ZEC) in Mijas, and efforts have been made to prevent and raise awareness against sexist aggressions by installing a purple point on the site to provide information and support to those who may need it, thus maintaining "its active commitment in favour of equal relations between people, free of violence", according to the town council.

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