Residents of many Spanish towns celebrate summer with traditional water festivals, but this year some municipalities paused or canceled these events due to an intense drought. The drought has pushed local leaders to rethink how to mark summer and avoid wasting a precious resource as reservoirs run low across the country.
With a persistent water crisis and the risk of desertification, the WWF Spain water program notes that only a portion of reservoir capacity is available for non essential uses to conserve water. Local officials and water advocates point to the need for careful planning and reduced consumption as the situation narrows the options for festive water displays.
Ecologistas en Acción, a prominent environmental NGO, also voiced concern about water waste and criticized celebrations that imply water resources can be consumed without consequence. The message emphasizes responsible water use and the broader ecological impact of large water events.
Rethink or cancel
In response to the low river flows and limited water availability, some communities have opted to cancel or significantly modify their scheduled festivities. For example, a town in León decided to forgo its August celebrations to protect the Meruelo River and to implement water saving measures that extend beyond a single event.
In Málaga’s Axarquía region, where La Viñuela reservoir sits at a fraction of capacity, planned activities on August 6 and 7 shifted away from traditional water battles to alternatives that minimize water use while still offering community experiences.
Meanwhile, in Vilagarcía de Arousa, drought conditions have led the municipality to adapt its festival format for August 16 by replacing hoses with bucket-based activities, focusing on more responsible consumption while preserving the core festive spirit.
Other towns like Torremanzanas near Alicante have not discarded the water festival tradition entirely but are evaluating measures to curb consumption and promote conservation during the event.
— La Banyà Festival in Alicante remains a notable example of how regional celebrations adapt to water scarcity while attempting to maintain cultural identity.
Conversely, Madrid continues with its water themed festivities including Fiestas del Agua in mid-June and Vallecas’s nearly forty year old Sea Battle, which proceeded despite the resource challenges.
Similarly, Granada hosted its famous water race on June 23. The event drew a larger crowd than in previous years, a result of the easing pandemic restrictions. However, the large amount of water used is later directed into irrigation canals for later use in the city’s outskirts.
Keeping the spirit: respect and awareness
To honor summer traditions without overstraining water supplies, WWF Spain suggests switching Water Festivals to celebrations that preserve the festive mood while reducing water use. The aim is to keep the sense of community alive without depleting scarce resources.
Ecologistas en Acción adds that such holidays can serve as opportunities to educate residents about responsible consumption of an increasingly scarce resource.
The WWF spokesperson notes that the drought results from both reduced rainfall and the impact of prior policy choices that did not prevent future restrictions on water use.
Santiago Martín Barajas, who leads the water program for Ecologistas en Acción, points to excessive water use for agricultural needs and argues that celebrations should not demand large volumes of water. He emphasizes that modest consumption during festivals aligns with long term water security.
Both NGOs concur that the strategy cannot rely on overexploiting resources and call for greater attention to how water is distributed and used to avoid repeating current shortages.
Environment department contact address: [email protected]