Music, art, cinema, poetry, literature and gastronomy are all part of Festival MED
Organisers have unveiled the full programme of Loulé’s iconic Festival MED, which is returning for its 20th edition between June 27 and 30.
This year’s festival will feature an expanded cultural programme which was officially presented to the public at the town’s historic Café Calcinha on Saturday, June 8.
Live music will be one of the highlights of the event once again, with artists, bands and musicians travelling from all over the world to perform at MED.
There will be three stages set up at Café Calcinha, the municipal market and inside the Matriz church, with live performances taking place in each location at the same time.
In total, the festival is promising a staggering 90 hours of live music, divided amongst 54 concerts performed by 358 musicians from 30 countries on 12 stages. There will also be around 100 craftspeople showcasing their work, two art exhibitions, and 12 street artists groups.
Cinema will be another focal point of the event. Curated by Rui Tendina, Cinema MED will merge film and music at Casa da Empreita. The programme begins on June 27 at 7.15pm with Rita Braga’s “cine-performance” called ‘Bandas Sonoras’ on June 27, followed by the screening of documentary ‘Cara de Espelho’ and a DJ set by Sónia Balacó. The following evening will begin with the screening of film-album “As Berlengas” by Benjamin and the award-winning short “Seres Vivos” by Margarida Fonseca. Last but not least, a musical reinterpretation of Gonçalo Almeida’s films by Ernesto Rodrigues and Gonçalo Almeida will bring the cinema-related events to a close on June 29.
Poetry and literature will be celebrated as well, with João Pedro Caliço (AKA ‘Tápê’) curating the daily ‘Poesias do Mundo’ (Poetry of the World) sessions at 8.30pm, also at Casa da Empreita. Centred on the theme of “Liberty”, the sessions will celebrate the festival’s 20th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution. Meanwhile, the MED Conference, hosted at Casa do Meio Dia, will feature Moroccan author Mahi Binebine discussing his book “O Sono da Escrava” on June 28, followed by a panel on “translating words into civic action”.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the festival’s milestone of 20 editions, designers from the Loulé Design Lab were challenged to create street furniture and decorations using recycled materials.
Gastronomy is another key part of MED, with showcooking events and special menus inspired by the Mediterranean Diet being served at restaurants during the festival.
This year’s edition also stands out for being the first to feature a guest country. Morocco was chosen to showcase “its culture and traditions, be it through music, handicraft, gastronomy, literature and other cultural means”.
Another novelty is that Loulé Council has partnered with RTP to make MED the third national festival after Primavera Sound and NOS Alive to have several concerts streamed live via the RTP Palco digital platform, meaning several performances can be enjoyed live from any corner of the world.
Tickets are available until June 24 for pre-sale, with daily passes costing €10, festival passes costing €30, and family day tickets selling for €35. But as usual, the festival will have an ‘Open Day’ on June 30, granting everyone free access to the event.
