The Portalblau Festival Training Course reaches its 4th edition, consolidating itself as a unique opportunity for young people aged 16 to 20 interested in cultural management and event production. With all previous editions completed, this programme offers practical tools to understand how the organisation of a festival works. Participants will receive direct training from professionals in the sector, exploring areas such as technical production, communication, artistic programming, venue design and audience management. Through case studies, they will discover how the management of an event can contribute to the development of the territory and generate new job opportunities.

Registration open until 30 May: Free at [email protected] Limited places.

The Portalblau Stage Competition reaches its 3rd edition, consolidating itself as a platform to give visibility to young musical talents from all over Catalonia.

The artists selected by the jury will perform live at the Plaça Víctor Català, in a concert open to the public. The competition offers the finalists the opportunity to showcase their talent in a professional environment, with the best technical conditions. The winner will receive a cash prize and will perform at the Portalblau Festival. Since its creation, the competition has promoted bands and soloists such as Alícia Rey, Grabu, Masuno, Bivac, Santa Mandra and Emé, contributing to their musical careers.

Send submissions to: [email protected]

This activity is part of the VALUES AND COMMITMENT programme.

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Inaugural lecture. Democracy faces growing tensions: populism, citizen disaffection, loss of rights and technological impact on public debate. In a constantly changing world, democratic values are put to the test as never before. To address these challenges, the Portalblau Festival inaugurates the Mirades Blaves series with a conversation between Carles Duarte and Josep Ramoneda, two leading figures in thought and culture. The speakers will explore the challenges of democratic institutions and the essential role of culture in the construction of critical thinking. How can we strengthen democracy in times of crisis? What future horizons await us?

Free admission. Registration required: [email protected]

Traditional songs have travelled through time thanks to oral transmission, but what do they really tell us? La Filadora, a collective formed by Alba Tomàs (accordion and vocals), Roser Serrano (violin, tenora and vocals) and Sònia Arias (gralla, guitar and vocals), presents ‘Primfila i se'n va’, a proposal that invites us to reinterpret Catalan popular music from a gender perspective. In a format that combines concert and narration, the trio revisits the legacy of the roots music, exploring its symbolic and historical load. Why do many songs featuring women speak of submission and tragic destinies? How can we re-signify them today? With a careful and immersive staging, La Filadora invites the audience to listen, question and rethink traditional music from a contemporary perspective.

The Amazigh artist IKRAM, born in Spain and living in Barcelona, presents Mar, Sangre, Arena, her first EP, in a live performance that fuses electronic music, North African rhythms and contemporary influences. Her proposal moves between roots and modernity, exploring bicultural identity, belonging and memory. IKRAM's voice creates an intense and captivating soundscape that connects emotion and migration, in dialogue with Tomàs Fosch's electric piano. An immersive concert that transcends borders and is strongly experienced in an emblematic setting such as Camp de les Aromes, a natural space full of beauty and symbolism.

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Mar Pujol presents her first album, Cançons de Rebost. An intimate live performance that captures her artistic essence with intensity and delicacy. Accompanied by Bruna González on cello, she creates a sonorous dialogue full of nuances. The album transforms the everyday into the extraordinary, as if each song were a jar full of memories and emotions. With a warm and close sonority, she transports the audience to a deep sensory universe. His songs intertwine past and present in harmonies full of warmth. A concert that invites you to enjoy the simplicity and depth of the singer-songwriter's song.

With ‘Jarana’, choreographer and dancer Laia Santanach presents a vibrant piece that explores the permanence and evolution of traditional collective celebrations. The proposal reinterprets popular festivities through contemporary dance, combining movement, rhythm and interaction with the audience to generate a space of encounter and participation. ‘Jarana’ closes a trilogy in which Santanach investigates the role of dance in the construction of collective identities and the need to belong. In this show, the fiesta becomes a choreographic language, mixing tradition and innovation to reflect on how we celebrate, dance and relate to each other through the body and music. An immersive show full of energy in a space open to the sea.

The media construct our reality, but what role do women play in it? How can the media narrative be transformed to make it more plural and equitable? In this conversation of the Mirades Blaves series, journalists Laura Fa and Lorena Vázquez analyze how the media can become agents of change in the fight for gender equality. What kind of news treatment do women receive? How do biases condition the public narrative? What tools can transform the media discourse? An essential debate to rethink communication and explore strategies to build fairer and more inclusive narratives.

Free activity. Registration required: [email protected]

An open space. A support. A shelter. In “5:55”, two bodies support, carry and transform each other through a shared element: a branch. This performance of contemporary dance and live music explores the accompaniment as a symbol of a fragile and powerful relationship at the same time. How is a body supported? How is the weight shared? Through movement, sound and space, Nora Baylach creates a piece of great emotional intensity, where fragility becomes a shared strength. The setting of the Greek Wall of Empúries, loaded with memory and history, amplifies the dialogue between body, space and time in a unique immersive experience.

Thirty musicians from around the world unite traditions and rhythms in a vibrant concert full of emotion. The Ethno Orchestra, the result of an international artistic residency, transforms roots music from different cultures into a unique experience based on collaboration and mutual learning. Each melody is a bridge between cultures, combining traditional sounds with contemporary influences. As part of the Portalblau Festival, this concert highlights the musical richness of the Mediterranean, but also embraces global influences, demonstrating the power of music to connect people. A unique and unrepeatable show that fuses past and present, offering a sound experience that breaks boundaries.

This activity is part of the VALUES AND COMMITMENT program - Xarxa Blava - Ethno Catalonia.

The duo Alosa, formed by Giulietta Vidal (vocals and percussion) and Irene Romo (vocals, cello and percussion), has captivated thousands of listeners with their sincere and authentic music. With a style that fuses roots music, contemporary folk and jazz, their work stands out for its ability to move and connect with the audience. The concert “Oh Lai L'Om” is a sonorous journey that combines her own compositions with personal reinterpretations of traditional Catalan music, jazz standards and boleros, always with delicacy and expressiveness....

Anna Colom, one of the most personal voices of today's flamenco, presents “Cayana”, a sonic journey that connects flamenco with traditional music from around the world. Through live music and musical research, she explores the influences of rhythms such as Brazilian samba, Uruguayan candombe, Veracruz fandango and Argentine zamba. With a powerful voice full of emotion, Colom vindicates the Afro-Latin American influence on flamenco and pays tribute to the work songs and music of oral transmission. The performance will take place at the Jardí Clos del Pastor, a heritage space linked to Caterina Albert (Víctor Català), where music and environment will merge in a unique and unforgettable experience.

An immersive concert where Blaumut's characteristic fusion of pop, classical music and electronic textures will meet the immensity of the sea as a backdrop. With a consolidated career and an unmistakable style, the band will present their new album, Abisme, a work that delves into introspection and human emotions. The concert will combine new compositions with the greatest hits that have marked their career, such as Pa amb oli i sal, Bicicletes or Vint-i-un botons. The performance will take place in Mar d'en Manassa, an emblematic setting where the blue horizon will merge with Blaumut's poetic melodies, creating a unique and unforgettable experience.

Catalan artist Ramon Mirabet returns to the stage with “V”, his fifth album, a work that vindicates his most authentic essence and the free spirit that characterizes him. With a powerful voice and a great ability to connect with the audience, Mirabet offers a vibrant live performance full of emotional nuances, combining introspective ballads, energetic pop, funk and Mediterranean rhythms. Through various languages and personal audio fragments, “V” becomes a sonic journey to its origins. The concert will take place in Mar d'en Manassa, a magical setting where her music will blend with the surroundings, creating a unique and memorable experience.

From Espolla (Alt Empordà), La Ludwig Band has established itself as one of the freshest and most stimulating proposals of the Catalan music scene. With a style that oscillates between classic pop-rock and local folk, the band stands out for its intelligent lyrics, warm melodies and a balance between sensitivity and irony. With their live show “Gràcies per Venir”, they present a concert that combines songs from their latest album with the most emblematic songs from their repertoire. Their staging incorporates theatrical elements and a humorous tone, turning each performance into a unique and unexpected experience.

With two decades of experience, Las Migas present “Flamencas”, a tribute to the essence and purity of flamenco. After the success of “Rumberas” (2024), nominated for a Latin Grammy, this new work is a return to the origin, where the voice and the guitar become the true protagonists. Winners of the Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album (2022) and with concerts in more than 50 countries, the quartet has transformed the genre with a unique fusion of styles. “Flamencas” traverses the main flamenco palos with respect and authenticity, letting the vocals and strings speak for themselves. Live, this album becomes a pure and vibrant experience, where passion and feeling permeate everything.

The Circus Company “Eia”, winner of the National Culture Award, presents “La Piedra de Madera”, a contemporary circus show where balance, trust and collaboration become stage language. With a poetic and visually striking staging, the work invites the audience to reflect on freedom and responsibility in decision making. On stage, the artists play with weight, movement and shared space, like stones on a cliff, adapting and supporting each other. The Greek Wall of Empúries becomes the perfect setting for this transgenerational experience, where the circus becomes a dialogue of forces and emotions, a metaphor for the balance of life.

Simone Weil (1909-1943) was a philosopher, activist and mystic who lived intensely the great conflicts of the 20th century. With a prodigious intelligence and extreme sensitivity to human suffering, she reflected on poverty, war, justice and spirituality, turning her life into an act of resistance. Actress Míriam Iscla, in an intense and moving performance, gives voice to Weil in a monologue constructed from fragments of her writings. Anna Punsoda's dramaturgical adaptation foregrounds her reflections on power, strength and the human condition, creating a profound and powerful theatrical experience. On the stage of the Greek Wall of Empúries, the piece will dialogue with the history and memory of the place, amplifying the validity of Weil's thought in a space that invites reflection.

El duet empordanès Cala Vento, format per Joan Delgado i Aleix Turon, arriba a Portalblau per celebrar deu anys de trajectòria amb el seu nou projecte, "Brindis". Amb una energia inesgotable i un so inconfusible que fusiona rock alternatiu, indie i emocore, el grup s’ha consolidat com una de les propostes més autèntiques de l’escena alternativa catalana. A "Brindis", Cala Vento revisita grans cançons de Els Pets, Julieta Venegas, Turnstile o El Último de la Fila, reinterpretant-les amb el seu segell característic i demostrant la seva capacitat per reinventar-se. L’escenari del Fòrum Romà d’Empúries, amb el seu entorn històric imponent, afegirà una dimensió única al concert, fusionant pedra i amplificadors, passat i present, en una nit que promet ser una experiència inoblidable.

Pau Vallvé presents “Agorafília”, an album that explores the need to go outside, either from a space, a situation or oneself. With a combination of his most intimate style and explosive and energetic moments, this work represents a new stage in his career. Accompanied by two exceptional musicians, Vallvé displays his talent with guitars, synthesizers, percussion and loops, and, for the first time, we will also see him at the piano, bringing new nuances to his sound universe. The stage of the Roman Forum of Empúries, with its historical character and unique atmosphere, will be the perfect setting for a concert that will oscillate between intensity and emotional fragility, inviting the audience to a deep and sincere musical journey.

From La Palma (Canary Islands), Valeria Castro has captivated audiences with her sweet voice and her ability to convey deep emotions through music. Fusing singer-songwriter songs with influences from Spanish popular music, her sonorous universe is characterized by a delicate lyricism and an exceptional sensitivity. After a tour of 82 concerts in more than 10 countries, Valeria presents “El cuerpo después de todo”, her second full-length album, produced by Carles Campi Campón (winner of eight Latin Grammy Awards and producer of Jorge Drexler, Natalia Lafourcade and Vetusta Morla). With his new international tour through 17 countries, Portalblau will be one of his most special stops, in a setting that fuses history and nature, making the concert a unique and unforgettable experience.

The Mediterranean Photography Competition - MedFOTO reaches its 5th edition, consolidating itself as a reference platform for photographers and sea lovers. This exhibition presents this year's finalist images, offering a visual journey that explores the relationship between the sea and people. The Mediterranean has witnessed histories, cultures and ways of life, but it also faces great environmental challenges. Through these images, the exhibition highlights sustainability, biodiversity and the essential role of the sea in our present and future. Organized by the Alive Foundation and the Club Náutico de L'Escala, the exhibition invites you to discover striking images, reflect on the future of the Mediterranean and enjoy an experience that unites art, environmental awareness and passion for photography.