Despite the exceptional nature of this 30-year milestone, the organizers have no intention of changing the usual operation of the festival: free days in the village square, filled with debates, conferences, and shows, followed in the evening by major paid concerts organized in the nearby field.
Full of different styles “This special edition will be the opportunity to see many artists of different styles on stage,” promises the festival on its social networks. Rock, pop, blues, electro, techno, rap, reggae, metal, and even traditional Eastern European music: the lineup will be eclectic. “There’s a bit of everything, we try to diversify the lineup as much as possible,” confirms Maiena Uhart, festival communication manager.
Deeply committed to promoting Basque culture and language, the festival will once again honor many local artists. Among them: singer Niko Etxart, considered one of the pioneers of Basque rock, who will be accompanied by the Hapa Hapa group; Merina Gris; RTZ Kolektiboa, a rap group from the Basque Country; Ixabe, a folk rock group from Saint-Jean-de-Luz; and ZTAH, a group from Labourd.
“As every year, we are determined to highlight groups originating from the Basque Country, but not only,” says Maiena Uhart. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to travel through music. In addition to a Palestinian music group (Dam) and Algerian (Imarhan), the festival will also host other international artists, such as the Belgian electro group Jean-Paul Groove, the Haitian singer Moonlight Benjamin, and Snapped Ankles, a post-punk group based in London.
Debates and surprises Festival-goers can also enjoy other cultural offerings. Including a show by Bilaka, a collective of Basque dancers and musicians, as well as a carte blanche to Gaizka Chamizo, a clown and comedian. Circus will also find its place with Retrofutur from Esacto’lido. Street arts will be represented in the show “Eta Orai Zer” by Txingili’k.
Practical information Regarding ticketing, the 3-day Pass remains available for 53 euros until early May on the festival’s website. Day tickets will go on sale after the full lineup announcement. This year again, parking, camping, and showers will remain free. For those who want to experience the event differently, the festival organizers are looking for many volunteers; registrations will open in early May, still on the festival’s website.
The festival will also host discussions on various themes: international politics, Basque politics, artificial intelligence, decolonial journalism, fatphobia, agriculture, and transgender issues. These discussions will be enriched by the contributions of researchers, journalists, and other speakers.
