Early this Thursday morning, the mayor of Ibiza Town, Rafa Triguero, accompanied by the councillors for Culture and Festivities, Carmen Domínguez and Fran Torres respectively, presented the programme for the new edition of Festes de la Terra in the chapterhouse of the old Ibiza Town Hall. The programme features more than 50 activities and aims to 'link the history, roots and living culture of our land with current and participatory proposals', according to Triguero.
During his introduction, the mayor highlighted 'our gastronomy, culture and heritage value', and expressed his excitement at presenting the Gold Medal of the City of Ibiza to the composer Miquel Roig-Francolí on 5 August, in recognition of his contributions to music in Ibiza and his efforts to promote it around the world.
On August 2nd, the opening day, the traditional cart parade will take place, followed by a performance of the ballada by Sa Colla de Vila on the Vara de Rey promenade at 8pm. There will also be an exhibition of handicrafts featuring different local artisans, as Domínguez explained: 'We should start with our own things'. On the same day, there will be a tribute concert to Queen in Reina Sofía Park.
On August 3rd, the Ciutat d'Eivissa Symphonic Band will hold their traditional concert at 10pm, combining pieces by Ibizan and classical composers.
On the 6th, the restored Corsair tribute will be held again to honour the corsairs and all those who work at sea. A mass will be held in Sant Elm, followed by a procession to the monument and, finally, another ballad.
Fran Torres presented the rest of the programme, assuring us that the night of the 4th August will be for the little ones, with the new show by Cachirulo followed by Atlantis, the Lost City, which combines acrobatics, dance and theatre. On August 7th, the activities will also be aimed at children, with a performance by the Barcelona-based children's group Atrapasomnis and a comedy show by José Boto.
On August 5th, the Feast Day of Santa Maria, there will be two concerts by local groups. First Endèmics, followed by Ressonadors, starting at 22:30 in Reina Sofia Park.
Another important day is August 8th, when the popular Berenada will be held, offering free paella to over 800 people and 450 kilos of watermelon. This will be accompanied by musical performances and fanalets workshops.
One of the most eagerly awaited events is the fireworks display. These will take place on August 8th to celebrate Sant Ciriac and on 15 August on Ses Sigueretes beach to bring the Festes de la Terra celebrations to a close.