More than 400 performers to assemble this weekend for magnificent arts festival FiraTàrrega

Tàrrega (ACN).- From the 5^th until the 8^th of September the 33rd annual FiraTàrrega arts festival will take place and will include performances from over 400 artists and musicians. During the weekend there is set to be exactly 300 performances with 126 being free to enter. The festival organisers aim to showcase the best up-and-coming artists as well as more unconventional performances. The shows on offer include theatre, music and dance with other events for children such as puppet acts and circus groups. There are numerous other attractions that visitors can enjoy including the 100 craft stalls and numerous street bars and restaurants set up for the event. There will also be a campsite with space for 8,000 visitors. 

The festival will transform the village of Tàrrega, located in central Catalonia in the region of Lleida, into an economic and cultural hub for its duration and attracted 147,000 visitors in 2012. The organisers have worked with London’s Greenwich+Docklands International Festival in order to promote the growth of street art on an international scale with some groups and artists performing in both events.  

The opening show, which takes place on Thursday evening, is called ‘Transforma-T’ from the company Nats Nus and is directed by Toni Mira. It is a large scale dance show which includes acrobatics and the use of shadows and audiovisuals. The highly visual performance aims to explore the continuing changes and struggles that exist in our society and the need redirect our priorities. Residents and local businesses of the village have prepared for the influx of visitors with all 674 beds in the surrounding area’s hotels and bed and breakfasts set to be occupied and set to boost the local economy.

The festival’s fist edition was in 1981 and was an idea of the town’s mayor, Eugeni Nadal, who wanted to promote theatre and make the town’s annual festival celebrations to be increasingly grander with locals taking part in the performances. In recent years the festival has become even more popular and aims to promote less well known artists in order for them to obtain recognition for their work. Tickets are available from the event’s official website and 5% of the box-office takings will be used to purchase goods for a local food bank. Camping costs €14 per person per day with children under 7 camping for free.