Sevilla locals have defended a group of tourists after they were criticised for ‘behaving like they’re at a chiringuito’ during the city’s Holy Week processions.

Footage shared on X showed around half a dozen holidaymakers on a hotel rooftop enjoying drinks while donning casual attire during near 30C heat – with some of the men topless.

Local newspapers like Diario de Sevilla described the moment as a ‘controversy’.

The person who uploaded the video said: ‘Procession of brotherhoods and in the hotels overlooking the Plaza de San Francisco are tourists shirtless and with beer on the ledge, enjoying it like they were at a chiringuito.’

The clip was taken on Maundy Thursday, one of the holiest days of Semana Santa.

However, instead of a wave of comments supporting the post, the majority on social media defended the holidaymakers.

One fumed: ‘For goodness sake, we are so thin skinned… it’s another thing if they were down on the street shirtless, but they are on a rooftop on their holidays, I am from Sevilla and I see nothing wrong with this, they are not causing any harm or disrespect!’

‘What is the problem?’, another said, ‘They have to wear a suit and tie on their balcony? Get a grip.’

One commented that with the amount they would have paid to reserve a hotel in the centre during Holy Week, ‘they can do whatever they want.’

‘Do you want them on their knees and praying?’ another quipped.

The backlash – or lack of it – reflects a broader tension that surfaces every year during Semana Santa.

While the processions remain deeply religious and culturally significant for locals, they are also a major international draw, bringing in thousands of visitors, filling hotels, bars and terraces across the city.

For many Sevillanos, there is an expectation of respect and decorum, particularly on key days like Maundy Thursday.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.