Ibiza & Mallorca Attempt To Curb Excessive Drinking With New Alcohol Law

Ibiza and Mallorca—two lush Spanish islands known as party and vacation hotspots—have imposed a strict alcohol law that has banned happy hour, two-for-one drinks, and open bars.

This latest attempt to curb alcohol abuse on the Balearic islands also includes a "six-drink rule" at bars, restaurants, and all-inclusive resorts, with a three-drink limit per person during lunch and dinner. In addition, retailers that sell alcohol must be closed from 9:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. daily.

Bar crawls, and party boats were previously outlawed date and remain so. The new rules also include a ban on "balconing," or jumping in-between balconies or from a balcony into a pool.

Fines for tourists caught breaking the rules range from €1000 to €6000, while businesses can be fined €60,001 to €600,000 and shuttered for up to three years.

The new drinking law applies to the popular resort areas of San Antoni de Portmany, Magaluf, El Arenal, and Playa de Palma. It also impacts all-inclusive resorts across both islands.

The law was approved in early 2020 and went into effect in 2021 but has been making the news rounds recently as British tourists travel to the islands and come into contact with the new rules. The current law states the new rules will be in place until 2025. Its approval coincides with the Balearic Islands adding Ibiza to their joint campaign with the British embassy to, as DJ Mag stated, "promote the islands as a safe destination, free of uncivil behavior."

In 2009, the Catalan parliament banned happy hour and other drink discounts like two-for-one in Barcelona. (Catalunya is the autonomous region home to Barcelona, Ibiza, Mallorca, and other scenic locales in Northeast Spain.) Widely perceived as an attempt to limit the recklessness of drunken British stag parties, the government said it was about public health, not targeting vacationing Brits.