The issue related to the fact that they were filmed dancing inside the fountain in Plaza de la Alianza, in the Santa Cruz neighbourhood of Seville.
The video was recorded and posted on the social network X (formerly Twitter) on June 22 by a user from Seville who was outraged by the tourists’ behaviour. “And they will continue trying to sell us the idea that Seville has quality tourism. They are not tourists, they are barbarians who do not respect our city,” he wrote in the post.
Y nos seguirán vendiendo la moto de que en Sevilla tenemos un turismo de calidad. No son turistas, son bárbaros que no tienen ningún respeto por nuestra ciudad. pic.twitter.com/pEvuHP1Ye9
— jesús 🪭 (@jesusvermu) June 22, 2025
In the images, the group can be seen inside the fountain, dancing and singing the song ‘Apita o Trem’.
The user also explained that the tourists were customers of an establishment in the square, which “not only violates the rules for outdoor seating, but also violates historical heritage by placing tables less than two metres” from a cultural landmark. According to him, this type of behaviour by customers of the space, which “has shows all day long”, is common and the situation is “ongoing”, and there are also images of a tourist urinating on a wall of the Real Alcázar of Seville.
Throughout the post and in conversation with other users, he explained that the tourists dancing in the fountain are “Portuguese” and admitted that he has called the police several times, although the authorities have done “nothing” to “remedy” the situation.
While there were those who didn’t like seeing the images and agreed with the author of the video in his criticism, there were also those who argued that, “like everywhere, there’s something for everyone” and that Seville has “good tourism compared to many places”.
“Barbarians are a tiny minority. You can’t generalise”, said one comment. “All of us, when we’re tourists around the world, have dipped our feet in a fountain because of the heat”, wrote another person. The user justified that anyone “can cool off without compromising a 17th century fountain” and also stressed that it’s not a question of “nationality” but of “civic spirit”.
According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, paragraph 1 of article 24 of the Municipal Ordinance on Measures for the Promotion and Guarantee of Citizen Coexistence in Public Spaces in Seville establishes that “it is forbidden to carry out any manipulation, alteration or modification of the installations or elements of the fountains that impede their normal functioning, as well as to throw soap or detergents, objects or rubbish into them or their improper use, to block their pipes, to break the lighting, to bathe, to throw or to enter them, without the appropriate municipal authorisation”.
Furthermore, article 27 of the same regulation establishes that these infractions are considered “minor and will be punished with fines of up to 120 euros”. However, in some cases, where total destruction occurs, the fine may be increased “up to 750 euros, depending on the circumstances”.
