A FESTIVAL inspired by Mediterranean influences will be taking place in Loulé and promises to be one of the city’s showcase attractions this summer. Promoted by Loulé Câmara, the ‘MED Festival’ will run from June 28 to July 3.
The festival area will contain three stages – Palco da Cerca (main stage), Palco do Castelo (secondary stage) and Palco dos Amuados. There will also be four restaurants and bars, a disco area, an arts fair, street theatre, musical and dance spectaculars, exhibitions, workshops and conferences.
On June 29 in Palco do Castelo, Las Guitarras Locas will be the first act to open at the MED Festival. This will be followed by one of the most anticipated concerts of the event, when Brazilian musician Tom Zé takes to the stage. June 30 sees a performance from Faro’s Original Electro Groove, which brings together a fusion of various musical elements such as reggae, jazz, hip-hop and trance.
On July 1, Nanook takes to the Palco do Castelo, a group combining various styles such as the blues, funk and folk music. The band Terrakota, a group with roots in Africa, the Caribbean and India, will occupy the main stage. Later, on the Palco do Castelo, there will be a performance from Al-Mouraria, a group of six musicians performing Fado. The evening ends with a performance from Spanish artist, Macaco, in the Palco da Cerca.
Saturday, July 2 will see performances by Italian group Spaccanapoli, a traditional group using a variety of instruments. This will be followed by a performance from singer Eduardo Ramos, who has performed at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon and for Moroccan, Algerian and Egyptian ambassadors.
The festival’s penultimate night closes with a performance by the Gaiteiros de Lisboa, a group formed in 1991 and composed of Carlos Guerreiro, José Manuel David, José Salgueiro, Paulo Marinho, Pedro Casaes and Rui Vaz. On the final day of the festival, July 3, on the stage of Palco da Cerca, there will be a performance from the Algarve group Tehilah, whose musical style combines Brazilian influences and jazz, among others.
Tickets for the MED Festival are available at the Loulé Cine-Theatre and FNAC in Albufeira. They can also be purchased at the festival itself. Ticket prices: June 28 – entrance free; June 29 – 10 euros; June 30 and July 1, 2 and 3 – five euros.
Ticket for the whole festival – 20 euros. Times of concerts were unavailable at the time of going to press. For further details, telephone Loulé Câmara on 289 400 811. Also check our What’s On guide for updated programme.
