Cruïlla comedy festival in Catalan sees light of day

Cruïlla Comèdia, a Catalan-language comedy festival, will take place for the first time from November 2 to November 5 in the Barcelona neighborhood of Poblenou. 

Screenwriter Oriol de Balanzó will direct the festival while actress/comedian Irene Minovas and screenwriter Manel Vidal will share the roles of artistic directors. 

The festival puts local talent and the Catalan language at its heart, and will offer one-hour specials and comedy rounds where various comedians share the stage. It will also hold nine open mics for upcoming or established comedians. 

Oscar Andreu and Oye Sherman will headline with their new shows, while Marc Sarrats will end his tour, called “Alta Flipamenta,” at the festival, with his show being recorded for a television special. 

For the first time, the comedy part will break away from the main Cruïlla festival, which has taken place every summer since 2005.

Instead, Cruïlla Comèdia will take place in venues in Poblenou, with the Casino l’Aliança and the Centre Moral i Cultural hosting a majority of the shows.