MOROCCO AS GUEST COUNTRY

From the 27th to the 30th of June, the Historic Zone of Loulé will be celebrating and in “MED mode”, as this Festival marks 20 years of existence and the date promises to be an unforgettable celebration and an invitation to the world to join this celebration.

During the presentation of the event, which took place this Friday, March 1st, at the stand of the Municipality of Loulé at BTL – Bolsa de Turismo de Lisboa, the organization announced some news, including the first names that will be part of the poster, but also an initiative that marks a turning point in this new decade of the MED: from now on, every year, there will be a guest country.

It is up to the Kingdom of Morocco to be the first to showcase its culture and traditions in Loulé, whether through music, crafts, gastronomy, literature and other cultural aspects. In the Cloister of the Convent of Espírito Santo, a Souk, and during these days visitors will be able to experience the true atmosphere of the Maghreb, from the decoration to the smells and flavors, from the music to the dances. Moroccan gastronomy will be one of the highlights, as daily the public will be able to taste typical dishes such as tagines, couscous, keftas or traditional mint tea, while Moroccan artists will perform on stage. Traditional crafts will be worked “live and in color”. In addition, a Moroccan film will be shown as part of Cinema MED's programming, a book will be launched and a conference will be held about its author.

Morocco is a territory that is so close to us but, beyond the geographical borders, there is still a lot to explore from a cultural point of view and that is one of the purposes of the MED Festival. Loulé's rapprochement with this North African country has taken significant steps in recent years, especially since the musealization process of the Loulé Islamic Baths began.

“Our cultural identity and our historical heritage have a lot to do with the Arab legacy that was left in our territory. Loulé has a great Arab influence, it is here where the only known Islamic Baths with a complete plan are located in the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, there is a strengthening of ties that we have been making with Morocco, so this challenge was completely felt…”, explained councilor Carlos Carmo, director of the Festival.

Since the first edition of the MED Festival, this country has been a regular presence due to its Mediterranean characteristics, which bring it closer to the environment it wants to present to the public of this event. Nour Eddine, Oum, Aywa were some of the Moroccan artists who have worked at MED.

But the initiatives under this new “heading” begin long before the festival takes place, and on the 23rd of March, the Cineteatro Louletano hosts a “MED Flavour” concert. With elements originating from Morocco, the Al-Garawiyin Orchestra takes the stage to bring music, as part of the Al-Mutamid Festival program.

The Al-Mutamid Ibn Abbad Association, through the honorary consul of Morocco in the Algarve, José Alegria, and the former rector of the University of Algarve, João Guerreiro, in collaboration with the Moroccan Embassy in the Algarve, are the main promoters of this initiative.

In 2024, MED has 90 hours of music, 54 concerts, 358 musicians, 30 nationalities, 12 stages, 100 craft exhibitors, 2 art exhibitions, 12 groups of street artists and 1 guest country, Morocco.

 

Known 20 artists

In the musical sphere, the Municipality of Loulé released the first 20 names of the 54 that appear in this edition and one of them is precisely from Morocco: the return of the artist Oum to MED. Oum El Ghaït Benessahraoui is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Moroccan popular music, with a career that spans mainly North Africa and Europe. His work is a fusion of influences from Hassani, jazz, gospel, soul, afrobeat and Sufi music.

 

For the first time, 3 countries will be represented – Chad, South Korea and Estonia, which will join the dozens of nationalities that have already been to the MED. Afrotronix is an original concept, an Afrofuturist vision that carries a pan-African message created by famous Chadian-Canadian guitarist Caleb Rimtobaye. The band celebrates African algorithms through Afro electronic music, digital art, African fashion and African urban dance.

Electronics are also in the essence of South Koreans Idiotape, the electronic trio that comes from Seoul. Influenced by Korean classic rock from the 1960s and 1970s, this group's unique sound is an innovative musical blend of synthesizer-driven rhythms and strong acoustic drum beats. Much celebrated for their energetic live performance, the band has attracted the attention of critics and audiences around the world.

Puuluup They will be Estonia's representatives at Eurovision 2024, but this year they also have a presence at the MED Festival on their agenda. A duo of nu-folk Estonian which was created in 2014 by Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson, who will be the first Estonians to appear on the MED.

Highlight in the lineup of this 20th edition for an icon of PALOPS music, the Cape Verdean Tito Paris, Cape Verdean musician, composer and singer, based in Lisbon for several years. He is one of the people most responsible for promoting music from the “Islands of Morabeza” around the world, as well as a prominent figure in the African community in the capital and this year he is one of the artists at the top of the MED poster.

In 2023, the Jamaican Anthony B canceled his participation in the MED Festival – and the European Tour – due to bureaucratic problems related to his authorization to travel. This year, the reggae artist will not miss this special date and is one of the names that will certainly bring a legion of fans to Loulé.

Some returns mark this edition and one of them is that of Kumpania Algazarra who is celebrating 20 years of MED celebrating his own 20 years. The group livened up the presentation at BTL.

Those who were also present at this moment were another confirmation on the poster. The singer and songwriters Rita Vian begins to take her first steps in national music and Loulé will be another showcase for this young woman who, in 2022, received a Play Award in the New Artist category. The future of Portuguese music passes, once again, through the MED Festival.

“I am very happy to be part of a festival that is so diverse, and where I will present my album. I sing music in Portuguese, a mix of Fado with Portuguese songs and Hip-Hop. But above all, I like writing about myself, about my life, it's a very personal and very autobiographical project. At this concert you can expect intimate words and Portuguese music”, revealed Rita Vian about her presence in Loulé.

The first names already confirmed at the MED'24 Festival are: Afrotronix (Chad), Anthony B (Jamaica), Antti Paalanen (Finland), Bixiga 70 (Brazil), Chico César (Brazil), Dubioza Kolektiv (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Idiotape (South Korea), Kumbia Boruka (Mexico/Chile/Argentina/France), Mazgani (Portugal/Iran), Mouvman Alé (Réunion Island), Oum (Morocco), Puuluup (Estonia), Roberto Fonseca (Cuba), Sofiane Saidi (Algeria), Throes+The Shine (Angola/Portugal), Tito Paris (Cape Verde) and Portugal, Kumpania Algazarra, Lina, Rita Vian and Teresinha Landeiro

 

Award-winning festival that invests in sustainability

 Over the years, MED has been recognized not only by the public but also by national and international critics. Since the first edition of the Iberian Festival Awards, in 2016, it has received more than 60 nominations, having won 9 awards, namely: Best Medium-sized Festival (Portugal) in 2016, Best Medium-sized Festival (Iberian Peninsula) in 2017 and 2018 , Best Tourist Promotion (Portugal) in 2018 and 2020, Best Tourist Promotion (Iberian Peninsula) in 2023, Contribution to Sustainability (Iberian Peninsula) in 2019, Best Lusophone and Hispanic Festival (Iberian Peninsula) in 2020 and 2023.

The MED Festival wants to make its contribution to a better future for the Planet and, with the initiatives it has integrated over the years, it already has its mark of sustainability.

With each edition, the MED Festival seeks to promote, through example and dissemination, the construction of good sustainable practices that generate economic, social and environmental value, directly or indirectly, among all parties involved. Examples of this are the Ecological Cup, the integration of renewable energy in the venue, the provision of free and efficient water points, the placement of various selective collection equipment for different waste streams such as cigarette butt dispensers (eco-butts). , chewing gum (papachicletes) and intelligent waste bins that are completely energy-independent and considerably reduce the frequency of waste collection due to their compaction capacity, or the promotion of the circular economy and the involvement of local suppliers and artists in the creation of decorative elements through the reuse of materials.

In terms of tourism, the MED Festival is one of the anchor events, not only in the municipality but in the entire region. More than 40% of MED visitors are foreigners, coming from different parts of Europe, notably Spanish, English, Dutch and French. Taking into account the tourists who visit the Algarve, 39% state that coming to the MED was the main reason for this visit, thus affirming the festival's notoriety and the consolidation of its brand in terms of tourist impact.

The number of visitors to the MED has been growing considerably year after year, with an average daily attendance of between 8 and 10 thousand people. The age range of this public is mainly between 18 and 45 years old (79%) and between 56 and 64 years old (15%).

During the presentation, the event director highlighted the fact that it was a festival organized by a public entity, the Municipality of Loulé, which “reveals that municipal councils have a great concern with promoting culture to create audiences”.

Regarding this 20th anniversary, Carlos Carmo guaranteed that “we can expect the same quality that the MED Festival has brought over these 20 years, a different, challenging and quality program”.

From a timid event, MED has consolidated itself and is today an international reference, integrating the route of European world music festivals. It has been awarded several times and is now a reference at summer festivals in Portugal, mainly because it presents a differentiating concept. Every minute at the MED Festival brings a new experience to the visitor, whether in musical, artistic or even sensory terms.

IN THE 19 EDITIONS, ANOTHER 355 THOUSAND VISITORS AND 665 BANDS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THROUGH MED, REPRESENTING 75 COUNTRIES.

It should be noted that tickets are already on pre-sale, until June 24th, with the following prices: Daily Ticket 10 euros, Festival Ticket 30 euros and Daily Family Ticket 35 euros. After June 24th the prices change to: Daily Ticket 15 euros, Festival Ticket 40 euros and Daily Family Ticket 40 euros.

The MED'24 Festival has the support of RTP, Antena 1, Antena 2, Antena 3 and RDP África.