Doctor Music Festival Forced To Move Site Over ‘Theoretical Flood Risks’

– Doctor Music Festival
The 2019 reincarnation edition will now go down at the Circuit de Barcelona racetrack in Montmeló, July 12-14

Doctor Music Festival, which last took place 19 years ago, was set to celebrate a triumphant return to its original site in the Spanish Pyrenees mountains – until Agència Catalana de l’Aigua (ACA), the country’s water agency, convinced authorities that the valley may be flooded during the event, which is scheduled for July 12-14.

“In our opinion, there has been a very over-exaggerated and destructive interpretation of the regulations surroundings theoretical flood risks in the valley, which has never before flooded in summer (at least as far as current data shows),” a statement from Doctor Music reads.

“The stringency levels which have been applied in this case far surpass the norm and we have therefore been forced to abandon the originally planned location in order to ensure that all artistic commitments made are complied with, and make sure that the festival goes ahead as per originally designed for this new edition,” the statement continues.

Doctor Music – The original site of Doctor Music Festival
Valley d’Aneu in the Spanish Pyrenees

Doctor Music has found a new location: the Circuit de Barcelona racetrack in Montmeló, about 20 miles outside of Barcelona.

Local media reports by TV3 and La Vanguardia had first reported that the reincarnation edition of Doctor Music Festival was threatened due to scrutiny by the ACA.

The location change forced Doctor Music to cancel the festival’s July 12 date, meaning that the Parquet Courts and Smashing Pumpkins performances slated for that day had to be moved to Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Smashing Pumpkins are now billed as one of the headliners on that day besides The Strokes.

Doctor Music confirmed that all acts with the exception fo Chris Robinson Brotherhood were still on board and added that several new acts have yet to be announced.

The team around CEO Neo Sala is confident that Montmeló will serve as a worthy site replacement, describing it as “an internationally renowned location boasting excellent facilities and spanning over more than 600,000 square meters!

“Thanks to the privileged location of Montmeló, at just 32 kilometres from Barcelona, with multiple access routes by car, as well as its own train station, this venue offers a multitude of amenities for festivalgoers which would be difficult to find at any other large music festival of this scale.”