The 2021 BC Best concert at Altice Arena on the 29 of August seemed like a throwback to pre-Coronavirus days, not because of the soundtrack, which was a modern eclectic mix of various beats, but because there were no masks nor social distancing of any kind in sight, according to Observador. Likewise, the after-party at Venda do Pinheiro that was also organized by Bad Company, allegedly followed suit with a disregard for rules set to combat the spread of Coronavirus.
According to the poster set to promote the event, from 19h30 on Sunday evening until 2h on Monday, the “best DJs in recent years” were set to spin at the Altice Arena, in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações. According to the event’s website, “all the security measures required by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS)” were meant to be followed, including the mandatory presentation of the digital certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative test before entering the concert hall.
The separate after-party at the Quinta Fonte do Paraíso, Venda do Pinheiro in Mafra, was scheduled to begin at 3h and go on until noon on Monday. The South African DJ Shimza, Carlos Manaça, and l’Raphael were invited to play their second sets there, straight from their performances at the Arena. As was protocol for the earlier event, in order to enter you had to show a digital certificate or take a test at the door. Observador reports that one of these tests came up positive, though it is unclear if the party-goer had attended the Altice Arena event.
Images from the more than twelve hours of partying show a clear contrast between the regulation 028/2020 of the DGS and what actually went down. Paragraphs 19 and 39 of the DGS regulations, which call for the “appropriate and permanent use of masks by all users and collaborators, except for members of the artistic bodies during their performance on stage” and that “in the concert halls, only gallery seats can be used observing the rules of physical distance” were specifically ignored as seen in various social media posts made by attendees of the event.
Observador’s source at Altice Arena denies any wrongdoing and says, “it is up to the event organizer to ensure ‘compliance with all regulations and by the public in any space in which it is located’” as well as the fault of the guests for not wearing their masks appropriately if at all.
Meanwhile, the farm’s manager, Gabriel Custódio told Observador that “all security measures were complied with” at the event and “everyone present had a negative test or had a digital certificate.” He also said that the capacity of the space allowed 350 people to gather there, but the GNR was only informed of 100 people attending the event. In the end, between 700 and 800 people allegedly showed up, forcing them to close the gate so that no more could enter.
At around 3h, the time the event was announced on social networks, the National Republican Guard (GNR) was called to Quinta da Fonte do Paraíso because of noise complaints. They told Observador that as there was no resistance from those at the entrance, the patrol left the area after asking them to keep it down.
