Celebrating the island's commemorative holiday with a programme stretching 11 to 28 July.
The Formentera Office of Culture is pleased to present the activities organised to celebrate the feast day of Sant Jaume ("Saint James"). Formentera will celebrate the island's commemorative holiday, or diada, with a programme running from 11 to 28 July. Featuring prominently on the promotional poster is a traditional sail boat. Susana Labrador, councillor of culture and education, cast it as "a tribute to Formentera traditions and a nod to the designation of 2022 as International Year of Artisanal Fishing".
Labrador stressed that "after two years of Sant Jaume celebrations awash in restrictions, this year we are thrilled to present a programme that puts music and dance back in our patron saint celebrations and we hope that all of Formentera enjoys what is truly an extensive festivities programme, including wide-ranging themed activities for children, youth and adults".
Cultural activities
The programme kicks off Monday 11 July with the 8.00pm opening of an exhibition of paintings by Enric Riera. With Infinitum, the seasoned hometown artist presents twenty pieces, including paintings on canvas, paper and wood and two artist's books made jointly with the art historian and poet Michel Bohbot. The exhibition is at the Sala d'Exposicions "Ajuntament Vell" from 12 to 30 July, 11.00am to 2.00pm and 7.00pm to 9.00pm. The gallery is closed Sundays and Monday mornings.
On Thursday 28 July, MoskitasMuertas and Victoria Kersul will team up to present La Decisió, a tragicomedy about the desire to be a mother. The show starts at 8.00pm in the Sala de Cultura (Cinema).
Municipal event (24 July)
The official Diada de Formentera celebration, including honorary distinctions, takes place 24 July at 8.00pm in Jardí de ses Eres.
Diada de Formentera (25 July)
At 8.00pm on the feast day of Sant Jaume, Diada de Formentera, Saint James' Mass will be held at Sant Francesc church. Then, around 9.00pm, Formentera's traditional dance troupes Es Pastorells and Es Xacoters will descend on Plaça de la Constitució for a popular dance.
Musical performances and concerts (23, 24 and 25 July)
Once again this year, the core days of celebrations will be marked by musical performances in Sant Francesc's Plaça de la Constitució.
On Saturday 23 July at 10.00pm, the long-standing Jazz in the Square wecomes the young Ibizan multi-instrumentalist Andrés Coll as its special guest.
On Sunday 24 July at 10.30pm, Mishima, the Catalan indie pop band, present their latest release L'aigua clara. The group will followed by Pupil·les, one of the most interesting groups of the new Valencian music scene and a feminist touchstone. Axel Pi Sidonie will crown the night with a DJ set where the drummer of Catalan band Sidonie will play dance music from the sixties to present day.
The highlight of the festivities comes at 10.30pm Monday 25 July, Nit de Sant Jaume, with a concert from Mucho, a Spanish indie pop-rock outfit fronted by Martí Perarnau. The task of closing out the night falls to Els Pets. With more than three decades of experience, Els Pets are widely considered one of the greats of Catalan pop music. The group have successfully come out on the other side of successive reinventions, most recently settling into indie "costumbrista" pop masterfully crafted lyrics. They will share with audiences their latest album, 1963.
Programming for children and youth
At 7.30pm Thursday 21 July in Plaça de la Constitució, the little ones can enjoy a concert from The Penguins. The band will play tracks from their latest album, Reggae Per Xics - Quadern de Bitàcola, which they describe as "music to dream, laugh, dance, play, sing, listen, share, imagine, create, be happy and love life for the young and old!".
Also on Friday 22 July, young music lovers can enjoy the Young Night (Nit Jove) in Plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc. The evening is organised by the Formentera Office of Youth Services and will feature performances by Babymilo, Tur, Lu, Flaco Fer and DJ Day. The show starts at 9.30pm.
Sports activities
Sports form an important part of patron saint festivities too. Among featured events are the Sant Jaume-John Tunks Memorial Tennis and Paddle Tennis Tournament, to be held at the municipal courts from 15 to 17 July.
The use of disposable plastic will be reduced during celebrations. Not only will there be reusable glasses at all drinks stands, which this year will have a new design, but the Consell will also set up two purified water fountains so that attendees can have water free of charge and without generating plastic waste. The Consell de Formentera has thanked all the associations for their collaboration in reducing disposable plastics.
This year's celebrations will also include the "No i punt!" ('No means no!') campaign. There will be an information and support point to prevent and take action against sexist violence, as well as a table to encourage people not to drink alcohol or consume other substances.
Finally, Councillor Labrador praised other branches of the Consell de Formentera and participating associations for being involved and making Diada de Formentera celebrations possible. She also applauded Trasmapi, one of the main collaborators of the festivities, for its support.
4 July 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera
This Monday 4 July, Formentera-based artist Natalia Lisinicchia returns to the Centre Antoni Tur "Gabrielet" to show her latest feminist artwork. Suaves is the title of an exhibition with which Lisinicchia conveys "the acceptance of what we are, aligned with the diversity of our forms, desires, identities and sensations". The exhibition opens Monday at 7.00pm and will remain open until 12 July.
This week the Formentera Office of Equality is conducting trainings and work sessions for islanders, Consell de Formentera staff and policy makers. These actions are part of the Sexual, Family and Gender Diversity Plan and the programme for Pride Day.