Presentation at Café Calcinha

It was at the iconic Café Calcinha that another presentation of the 19th MED Festival took place. In a kind of get-together – or if this were not a space with that vocation –, the organization announced the other cultural aspects of the program in addition to music and the partnerships with local associations. There was also a musical moment, starring one of the names already confirmed on the poster, Jean Christian et le Quator des Rêve Enfouis (Canada/Portugal).

“MED lives a lot from its international projection, but as a public entity that organizes this festival, Loulé City Council has the responsibility of promoting what is done locally and the excellence of local production in artistic terms, Music, Theatre, Literature, Cinema, among other areas”, highlighted the councilor and director of the Festival, Carlos Carmo.

Calcinha is once again part of the MED program, after a year behind closed doors. The image of the poet António Aleixo that can be found at the door of this “Café with History” will certainly inspire singer-songwriter Afonso Dias who, on the 29th and 30th of June and 1st of July, will be the resident artist. Each night, he will star in two moments of around 40 minutes (at 8pm and 10pm), with different themes and “musical beacons” ranging from Carlos do Carmo’s fado to timeless Francophone songs such as Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour, by Zeca Afonso and Ary dos Santos takes a foray into traditional Portuguese music. Musical proposals that may be accompanied by the gastronomic suggestions that Calcinha will prepare for MED.

Literature is already a classic of this festival and, in 2023, it returns to the Atlético building, headquarters of the Casa da Cultura de Loulé, which will continue to be a space for sharing and promoting words, books and poetry. In partnership with Casa da Cultura de Loulé, this is an inclusive initiative where guests say/read poetry in their mother tongues. The curatorship will be in charge of João Pedro Caliço “Tápê” who will invite friends of different nationalities to bring Literature from their countries, thus contributing to the multicultural richness of the event.

In the Cloisters of the Convento do Espírito Santo, MED Jazz brings jazz sounds once again, in a space promoted by Mákina de Cena, after the success of the last edition. Miguel Martins Kaleidoscope, FUSHI and Leon Baldesberger's Meersalz will provide music to the public that passes by and will have the opportunity to enjoy good concerts and the rich heritage of the place.

The result of a partnership between Mákina de Cena, Casa da Cultura de Loulé and Festival MED, on Open Day, July 2nd, PLINT – Pablo Lapidusas International Trio takes the stage for a concert as part of the presentation of the Loulé Jazz'23 Festival poster, organized by the Casa da Cultura de Loulé.

On July 1st, the president of APORFEST – Portuguese Association of Music Festivals, Ricardo Bramão, will moderate the conference “The importance of music festivals for cultural promotion”. The guest panel will be announced soon and this initiative will once again take place at Casa do Meio Dia, headquarters of Sul, Sol e Sal, another local partner associated with the festival.

Last year, the challenge launched to the Loulé Design Lab incubators brought creativity and sustainability to the decoration of spaces, such as the Hammam Stage or the MED Cinema. This year, the ideas that were born from the Infinity Movement are once again applied in the venue, through pieces created and produced in a circular economy concept, which is based not only on prevention, reduction and reuse, but also on the recovery of materials, producing useful objects from waste. For example, the tarpaulins used to promote the MED will now have a new use: they will be comfortable beanbags for the public to rest on.

Cinema constituted “a value that has had a growing projection”, thanks to the role of programmer/curator Rui Tendinha and the dynamism of the Loulé Film Office. This year, Cinema MED takes place in a new space, on Rua Vice-Almirante Cândido dos Reis, and will, once again, be based on a combination of music and films. But “the big highlight will be at Cineteatro Louletano”, on “Open Day” (July 2nd), at 5pm, with the presentation of “A Viagem do Rei”, by Roger Mor and João Pedro Moreira. A trip by the poet and provocateur Rui Reininho, the unmistakable musician who will perform a showcase after the screening of the film.

MED Classic returns to its headquarters, the Igreja Matriz, a space now renovated and ready to host classical music concerts that are so popular with those who visit the MED Festival. Sérgio Leite, director of the Loulé Music Conservatory – Professor Francisco Rosado, is responsible for the program that will feature the groups Duo Guirimbadu, Caminus Duo and Quintetango. On free entry day, the protagonists are the Conservatory students, gathered in an orchestra with choir. The concerts are scheduled for 7:30 pm, shortly after the venue doors open.

The focus on diversity and the integration of new nationalities includes not only the more than 100 craft stalls spread across the venue but also the gastronomic component. “We increasingly want to attract new cultures to our festival, particularly in these two areas”, highlighted director Carlos Carmo.

The plastic arts will also be represented and the exhibition open to the public at the Art Gallery of Convento Espírito Santo, “Corpos Celestes”, by Adriana João, Bruno Silva, Joana da Conceição and José Jesus, curated by David Revés, is yet another proposal in this multidisciplinary dimension that MED embraces.

Rhakatta, Satori and Al-Fanfarre are three of the local partners that participate in street arts, with moments of animation and the presence of dozens of entertainers in constant interaction with the public, in every nook and cranny of the Historic Zone of Loulé, One of the What's new is the new partnership with the house of Latin America that will allow us to bring street entertainment starring groups from this geographic space. Alentejo singing and Algarve folklore are other ethnographic manifestations that will be present at this meeting of cultures.

For the youngest, MED Kids opens its doors again in the space next to the Main Church. While parents enjoy the Festival, children will also be able to have fun in a lively environment and participate in a program of activities promoted by educational services and monitored by monitors from the Loulé Municipal Library.

The Open Day will be on Sunday, July 2nd, and despite the absence of concerts (only the performance of students from the Conservatory, at the Main Church, and the PLINT concert, as part of the Loulé Jazz presentation, are planned, in the Cloisters of the Convent), the public will be able to enjoy other entertainment, gastronomy and crafts.

4 days, 90 hours of music, 55 concerts, more than 300 musicians, 17 nationalities represented and 12 stages (4 main stages, 2 small stages and other spaces) will make up the 19th edition of the MED Festival, as its director said.

Tickets are on pre-sale, with reduced prices, until June 25th: Daily Ticket – €10.00; Festival Ticket (pass for the 3 days of the Festival) – €30.00; Daily Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children up to 16 years old) – €35.00.

Remember that this year the MED Festival won two more prizes at the Iberian Festival Awards: Best Tourist Promotion in the Iberian Peninsula and Best Lusophone and Hispanic Festival in the Iberian Peninsula. These distinctions, which contribute so much to the event's notoriety, are also another reason for foreign audiences to choose the Algarve as a tourist destination at this time of year.

Starting today, the new MED Festival website is online (https://festivalmed.cm-loule.pt), “completely renovated, developed, programmed and updated by employees of Loulé City Council”, where it is possible to provide all information.

Carlos Carmo announced the last moment of communication for the 19th MED Festival: it will be on June 2nd, at 9pm, at Cineteatro Louletano, with the presentation of the complete program. Guinean Eneida Marta&Huca takes the stage for a concert, being immediately confirmed on the poster for the 20th MED Festival, which will take place in 2024.

RTP, Antena 1, Antena 2 and Antena 3 are the media partners of the MED Festival.