• Català
  • Castellano
  • English
Areas Social action Culture and Historical Heritage Music, sport and culture on display at Formentera's yearly patron saint bash

Music, sport and culture on display at Formentera's yearly patron saint bash

ballada pagesa santjaume redux3The Formentera Council's office of culture and festivities announce the Sant Jaume activities programme. Commemorations for the island's patron saint, or sant, go from July 10-28. Susana Labrador, head of culture, education and patrimony, touted a “dizzying array of music-, culture- and sport-steeped activities” promising “something for everyone”. Labrador called on the whole island to “turn out in force for Formentera's patron saint festivities”.

Cultural activities
All of Sant Francesc is gearing up for a diverse spread of happenings and events. The programme kicks off Tuesday July 10 with the opening of Gilbert Herrayns' exhibition “Entre la terra i el cel” at sa Tanca Vella. (The show remains on view until September 1.) The following Tuesday July 17, in celebration of Melba Levick's fiftieth year on Formentera, crowds at the municipal gallery will watch as the artist shares an anthropological collection of photos entitled “Formentera per sempre”. (The show will be on display at the Sala d'Exposicions in Sant Francesc until August 4.) That same Tuesday, as part of the outdoor film series Cinema a la Fresca at the jardí de ses Eres, film fans can catch for a projection of Truffaut's Nouvelle Vague classic, “Jules et Jim”.

July 24 ceremony
To mark the holiday known alternately as Diada de Formentera (“Formentera Day”), honorary distinctions will be handed out July 24 from 8.30pm in a ceremony at the municipal cinema.  

Kids activities
On Tuesday, July 24, the island welcomes a fun-filled performance of  “Donem-li una volta al món”, by Xiula. With a title that translates roughly as “Let's circle the world”, the production features a blend of music and humour guaranteed to please young and old.

The kids' workshop “Prepara't per la Flower” (“Get ready for the Flower”) at Marià Villangómez library in the afternoon of Thursday July 19 (and again Saturday July 21 at jardí de ses Eres) is just one part of a broad spectrum of youth-friendly programming including creative workshops, fitness programmes and a face-painting session in preparation for the island's “Flower” bash.

Then, on the evening of Sunday the 22nd, the island's younger music-buffs have Festivart to look forward to. Headquartered at Sant Francesc's central plaza, the event will feature the fusion sounds of Vandoleras, the rap-infused street dance of Imma and Juan Vidal, acrobatics by Grup Pachamama and the hip-hop tunes of Indee Styla. Local youngsters took to the island's youth council to petition for Festivart.

Fitness
Sport occupies an important place in the island's patron saint celebrations, too. Take for instance the tennis and padel tournaments on the municipal pitch from July 26 to 29, or a demonstration, by participants in the island's synchronised swim camp, before spectators at the Poliesportiu Antoni Blanc pool on Saturday the 28th.

Live music and concerts (July 21 and 23-25)
As ever, the heart of Sant Jaume celebrations is the music. “Music and live performances are the centrepieces of Sant Jaume programming”, quipped the secretary, saying the evening's “handpicked, world-class acts have something for everyone”.

The much-anticipated Flower Formentera takes over Sant Francesc's plaça de la Constitució as the sun goes down on Saturday July 21. Then on the 23rd, it's a special, Monday-night edition of Jazz a la plaça to welcome saxophonist and Eivissa-native  Pere Navarro's quintet. Navarro is a leading light on the Balearic scene and a frontrunner for success at both the national and international levels.

Get ready for the singer-songwriting magic of Catalan-Irish Nuria Graham, the unmistakeable sound of Catalan indie-folk outfit La Iaia's latest effort “Tornar a ser u”, and, to cap the evening, the immensely dance-able soul- rock- and techno-inflected pop of Maico.

Sant Jaume's true headliners come through the Nit (“evening”) of the holiday. Gossos is a band that, in 2018, boasts 25 years playing live before crowds. The group has succeeded in reinventing themselves and staying in lock-step with the times. And of course, new sounds are nothing new for La Pegatina, who will dish out material from their latest disc, “Ahora o Nunca”, plus entertainment, adrenaline and good music. La Pegatina have already delivered over a thousand concerts in more than 24 countries.

Secretary Labrador thanked Trasmapi for the transport company's support of festivities and local culture. This year, Trasmapi offers discounted passages for all those looking to join in the celebrations on July 24 and 25. Sant Jaume revellers should refer to the code 2018SANTJAUME when purchasing ferry tickets.

Organisation of the Festes de Sant Jaume programme cost €50,000.

Xarxa de Biblioteques

Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics

Enciclopèdia d'Eivissa i Formentera