Residents of the community of Playa Avellana, in Guanacaste, expressed their opposition to the BPM 2025 Electronic Music Festival, which is set to be held in this area from January 8 to 12. A group of 183 community members signed a document, delivered last August to the local government of the canton of Santa Cruz, voicing their concerns.
Supported by the Integral Development Associations and several tourism organizations, locals highlighted issues such as deafening noise, significant vehicular congestion, increased crime, and the generation of large amounts of garbage.
BPM 2025 still does not have the Surveillance Plan duly approved by the Ministry of Public Security, nor the provisional license for the sale of liquor authorized by the Municipality of Santa Cruz. However, on the morning of December 28, machinery and equipment from the festival organizers arrived at the farm where the event is planned, initiating the assembly of the structure.
Point 3 of the document signed by the 183 residents states that one of the major problems with the 2024 edition of BPM, held at Tamarindo Beach, was the occurrence of fights, street brawls, and even homicides.
“Holding an event of this magnitude in our community will increase the risks of altercations, consumption of illicit substances, and other public order problems that may jeopardize the safety of residents and visitors,” locals mentioned. At the last BPM Festival in January 2024 in Los Jobos, one person died, and several cars were stolen. For this reason, Tamarindo decided not to host the next festival.
“Our community does not have a police station; we are totally exposed to all these dangers without any protection,” they added. According to the organization, Avellanas is known for its flora and fauna, as well as its peaceful and quiet nights. Visitors see Avellanas as a place to rest and enjoy the beach. They also added that the roads are currently saturated, there are no alternate routes, and there is no space for emergency vehicles.
“The organizers are promoting four days of loud electronic music with thousands of drunk people and open drug sales, something that compromises the family atmosphere that characterizes us,” they said. The community also mentioned that this event will put pressure on water availability, which is already insufficient for the residents
