Carlos Baute will be topping the bill this year at the city of Ibiza’s Festes de la Terra celebrating its patron saints Santa María and Sant Ciriac. The Venezuelan singer will be giving a free concert, open to the public and will be singing all the favourites from his repertoire, as part of his “De amor y dolor Tour”, which will take place on 5 August in the Reina Sofía park, once again the main venue for the festival programme. This year will be the first plastic-free Festes de la Terra, and the City Council will be distributing cardboard cups and plates which can be composted, along with water bottles made from the same materials. In addition, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Ibiza being named a World Heritage site, there will be a photographic exhibition displaying the island’s main attractions and features as recognised by UNESCO.
With a festival programme that includes sporting events and music, the action begins on 2 August at 9.30 pm with an inaugural concert of the Cor Ciutat d’Eivissa choir and the group Canallas del Guateke who will be the opening act on the Reina Sofía park stage. On 4 August the 1st Women’s Equality Tournament will take place at 6pm in the five a side football pitch at Ses Figueretes. Specially for the occasion, and to ensure equality in every aspect of the festive period, Ibiza City Council will be installing an information desk as part of its campaign to create awareness in this regard “No means no, for a non-violent city” where leaflets will be available with information about this programme organised by the Govern Balear. Later there will be a carnival parade and a craft event in Vara de Rey which will also feature a ball pagès (traditional dance).
On 5th August, Santa María’s day, a ceremony will be held to award the City’s Gold Medal, which this year goes to the historian, architect and former mayor of Ibiza, Joan Prats Bonet, and to the current owners of the Verdera bookshop, both celebrated custodians of island history.
Starting at 8 pm on 7 August there will be a nit de l´Associació Vuit d’Agost – an evening of events in the Reina Sofía park- with traditional games, reading of a manifesto followed by a concert with Ressonadors at 10 pm. The next day, 8 August, is Ibiza’s big day, beginning with a concert by the City of Ibiza municipal band in the Plaza de la Catedral square. At 11 am the traditional mass will begin, followed by a procession and a formal institutional event organised by the Consell d’Eivissa in homage to Guillem de Montgrí, which includes a speech by the institute’s president, Vicent Marí, and a performance by traditional dance groups. That same day the popular berenada picnic will be held in es Puig des Molins. The events will culminate in a huge firework castle display over the cathedral in Dalt Vila, one of the most spectacular images of the festival week.
However, the celebrations do not end there, because on 10 August, the Madrid rapper Rayden will be giving a free concert to promote his new album “Sinónimo”, also to be held in the Reina Sofía park. Finally, to close this year’s calendar of events, the Ses Figueretes neighbourhood will also be holding its fiestas in which the chief attraction will be the firework display on the newly refurbished sea promenade, providing the perfect send off to a magnificent August fortnight.