Santana, Kool & the Gang, Jonas Kauffman and more at Peralada Festival 2018

What better way to enjoy the warm summer nights than at a festival set in the scenic gardens of a castle with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages? This is what the Festival Castell Peralada is all about. Kicking off on Thursday, it runs until August 17, bringing together both local and international artists from a wide range of disciplines and musical styles covering everything from Hip Hop to ballet and everything in between.

It is one of Catalonia’s top festivals in terms of the line-up, which boasts the likes of Kool & The Gang, Santana, and much more. The festivities begin on Thursday night with a much more classical tone, though: a rendition of Verdi’s Requiem. The powerful and emotive score performed by the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona I Nacional de Catalunya will be accompanied by the evocative voices of soprano Leah Crocetto, mezzosprano Ekaterina Gubanova, tenor Charles Castronovo, bass Alexander Vinogradov and the Cor Intermezzo.

Other highlights on the bill include the German tenor Jonas Kauffman (July 28), dance and flamenco from Maria Pages Compañia (July 20), as well as ballet from the Ballet du Capitole Toulouse (July 13.) Opera fans will be able to see the likes of soprano Javier Camarena (July 27) as well as tenor Josep Bros (August 3). There will even be a modern take on childhood classic Peter and the Wolf, performed by local artists the Simfònica del Vallès with a Hip Hop vibe on August 14.

As it stands, the festival expects a nearly full house in terms of spectators. There are few shows with empty seats, with most of them being more than 80% booked up. It takes place in the town of Peralada, in the iconic castle gardens of the same name, just to the north of Figueres, the birthplace of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. The castle itself has been preserved well, and remains standing in all its former glory, all covered in ivy. At night it is lit up, giving a dreamlike feel to the setting of the festival. Tickets are available online through the festival website.