The Partido Riojano called on 10 September 2026 for an independent audit of the production costs of concerts during the festival week San Mateo in Logroño The group leader Rubén Antoñanzas criticised “missing technical details in the plans and contracts” in an audio statement and before the press, as well as what he saw as striking price differences between individual programme items. As an example, he cited a difference of €84,000 between two items which, he said, stemmed from inadequately documented production costs. He also objected to the repeated use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication (negotiated procedure without prior publication), which made it harder to trace how prices were set.
Logroño’s city government rejected the allegations. Spokesperson Celia Sanz said on 2 September and again on 10 September that the calculations comprised artists’ fees and technical production costs; taken as a whole, they presented a coherent picture in line with market rates. The city administration cited the booking of the group Maldita Nerea: the total amount was €78,408, of which €32,000 was the stated fee, plus VAT; the remainder covered technical services, transport, and set-up and dismantling. Sanz stressed that the price-setting reflected the market and that the contracts followed the required procedures.
Antoñanzas is calling for an external financial audit to compare actual production costs with the items invoiced and assess the procurement instruments used. His objections focus in particular on what he sees as unclear service specifications and package prices that are difficult to verify.
The background is a supplementary budget approved in June 2026, amounting to just under €140,000, which €88,000 is specifically earmarked for events and concerts as part of San Mateo. The opposition sees this as an additional reason to scrutinise the handling of the contracts, while the city says flexibility is needed for cultural events organised at short notice.
What is established is that the Partido Riojano called for a financial audit on 10 September; the city responded by pointing to the overall cost structure and examples such as Maldita Nerea. It has not yet been established that the disputed differences resulted in unlawful additional spending. Possible consequences of the dispute include tighter procurement controls, an external audit and, where appropriate, the publication of detailed service specifications. Whether this happens depends on the balance of power in the city council and the formal terms of reference for any audit.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).