Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Keane and Diana Krall to play in the next Cap Roig Festival on the Costa Brava

Barcelona (ACN).- As each summer, this year’s Festival de Cap Roig combines top international artists with some of the main Spanish and Catalan musicians, and it is one of the main milestones in Catalonia’s cultural landscape during the summertime. Furthermore, the festival not only offers top musicians, but it takes place in a breathtaking location: the Cap Roig gardens, a green promontory just above the Mediterranean sea, located in Calella de Palafrugell, at the centre of the Costa Brava. The Catalan bands Manel, Gossos, Antònia Font and Blaumut will play in a festival that will be kicked off with a concert by Elton John, making the only stop in Spain of his 'Rocket Man - Greatest Hits Live' tour. Other important artists are Katie Melua, Mark Knopfler, Keane, Diana Krall, Fito & Fitipaldis, Vicente Amigo, Melendi, Malú, Rosario and Ainhoa Arteta. The 13^th edition of the festival will run from the 20^th of July until the 16^th of August. This year, the budget has been reduced by 20%, to only €2.2 million. Additionally, the average ticket price will be reduced by 16% due to the economic crisis and help is being offered by the organisation by not charging the VAT increase on the final ticket price of cultural shows. The festival is partially sponsored by La Caixa, which owns Barcelona-based CaixaBank, the main bank in the Spanish market.

Elton John will kick off this year’s festival on the 20^th of July. The festival’s Director, Juli Guiu, confessed that they have been “running after” him for the last two years. The English pop star will give the only concert in Spain of his 'Rocket Man - Greatest Hits Live' tour. Mark Knopfler is another top star who has been invited this year. Knopfler has also agreed to play at least 8 singles by his legendary band Dire Straits, which is something quite absolutely unusual in his latest concerts.

The festival combines top international, Catalan and Spanish artists

The British Keane, Diana Krall and Katie Melua complete the list of international artists. In addition, Fito & Fitipaldis, Pablo Alborán, Melendi, Ainhoa Arteta, Vicente Amigo, Rosario, Pablo López and the Catalan Manel (presenting a new album), Gossos (presenting a new album), Antònia Font and Blaumut will also play at this year’s Cap Roig Festival.

A night for the children

Furthermore, one night of the festival will be devoted to children. On the 28^th of July, the so-called ‘Cap Roig Mini’ will have the show ‘Super3 en concert’ with the band SP3, introducing the universe of the most popular TV programme for children in Catalonia, which has been running on the Catalan Public Television Broadcaster (TV3) for more than 20 years every weekday when children return home after school. The show wants to have continuity in the years to follow.

A charity project

On top of this, the festival has put in place a solidarity project together with the Red Cross to fund a fully equiped ambulance for the Palafrugell municipality – where the festival takes place – to be used all year round. Part of the box office proceeding from the lyrical show by the soprano Ainhoa Arteta and the baritone Juan Jesús Rodríguez will go towards the purchase of the vehicle.

Tickets 16% cheaper and no VAT increase

The Festival de Cap Roig has decided not to charge the VAT increase approved by the Spanish Government, which went up from an 8% tax to the current 21%, on the tickets’ price. In addition, as the Deputy Director General of CaixaBank, Jaume Giró, explained, the festival “has made an effort” to reduce the average ticket price by 16% compared to the previous year. Therefore, the cost of the tickets will range from €18 to €130.

20% lower budget

Both decisions regarding the ticket price have been taken despite the fact that the festival’s budget declined by 20% this year compared to the 2012 figures. The funds from ‘La Caixa’, the event’s main sponsor, is the same as in the previous year. However the festival’s total budget has gone from a €2.9 million budget in 2012 to €2.2 this year.

€20 million for the local economy

The Cap Roig Festival has “an economic impact” on Palafrugell, the Costa Brava and the entire Girona Province of some €20 million, according to calculations from the event’s organisers. This is one of the main reasons why ‘La Caixa’ maintains its funds for the festival despite the current economic context, emphasised Giró.