Known as the Catalan Manchester in the era of textile leadership in the 50s and 60s, today’s Sabadell recovers that competitive and differential spirit as the Capital of Catalan Culture 2024 and will become a creation and production factory with more than a thousand activities of all artistic disciplines. The mayor, Marta Farrés, and the Councilor for Culture, Carles de la Rosa, have presented an extensive program, with the participation of more than 300 entities, which “will remain alive all year, open to continue growing,” and whose coordination is by the Sabadell writer Montse Barderi.
Under the motto of “Sabadell dresses itself in culture”, Farrés has defended the “potential for social, educational and emotional transformation – it makes us happier – that culture has in our lives”. A program has been designed with more than 50 unique and large-format activities, which will both promote local artists (the pianist Laura Andrés, the flamenco guitarist Juan Manuel Cañizares, the singers Albert Pla or Sergio Dalma, the actors Rosa Renom and Jordi Boixaderas, the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (OSV), the Fundación Ópera Catalunya (FOC), the Joventut de la Faràndula or the film director Toni Andújar, among others), as events with international participation, such as the Metropolitan Dance Festival or the International Biennial Manifesta 15, a reference in visual arts. “We have increased the usual cultural programming by 20%,” detailed De la Rosa. The total budget is close to 900,000 euros, including the hundred preparatory events that were carried out in 2023, all of this year’s programming and what remains pending for 2025.
The official opening will be next Saturday the 27th, at the Teatro Principal, and will feature the performance of the aforementioned Laura Andrés, who accompanied by Roser Loscos on violin, will present her latest album, Venus. The composer, winner of the Enderrock Award for best classical and contemporary music album by popular vote, is currently one of the most sought-after artists of the moment. On February 24, the inaugural show, Som cultura, som capital, will be held in Argub Square with capacity for 1,200 seated spectators. Directed by Albert González and with the collaboration of La Vanguardia journalist Plàcid Garcia-Planas, the proposal will fuse music, visual arts, circus, dance, theater and popular culture, with the aim of reflecting the cultural vivacity of Sabadell.
As for the closing, the Capital year will close in January with the Push Community Opera; a project of the OSV and the FOC, with the participation of the Municipal Music School and more than 100 volunteers from the city. Other notable proposals are Temps de Romances, with Anna Mora on cello and Glòria Peig from Sabadell on piano (March 20 at the Principal) and Lorcura, by Anna Belmonte from Sabadell (April 5, also at the Principal).
On April 20, the tribute to the deceased local musician and composer, Josep Maria Llongueras, Llongue, leader of the group La Madam, a Catalan rock band that triumphed in the 80s and 90s of the last century, will take place. On June 17, Cañizares will open the International Summer Music Festival, organized by Joventuts Musicals de Sabadell. The Embassa’t festivals will feature groups such as Antònia Font, Mushka or Flashy Ice Cream in May. And the Observa, between May and June, will present a poster with Sergio Dalma, Albert Pla, 31 Fam and the Night of Musicals.
Regarding theater, the program will offer premieres of productions by local companies such as Teatro sin Animales, by Estrena Morena. The Lliure will produce the play Casares-Camus: a love story. You can also see La alegria que passinga, a show by Dagoll Dagom. From October 17 to 20, a new edition of the Sabadell Escena Festival will be held.
As a unique event, Sabadell will host the inauguration of the Metropolitan Dance Festival. It will open with the show Prélude by Accrorap and Kader Attou, along with an urban dance battle, by Soul Headquarters from Sabadell. Popular Culture entities have synchronized to prepare a proposal to renew the Aplec de la Salut, a local festival on the first Monday in May, with the creation of a special program. Among other novelties, the 40th anniversary of the Children’s Choir Meeting is celebrated, which will present a show made for the occasion. For their part, the Sabadell Giants will debut costumes and some figures.
The Castellers de Sabadell will celebrate their 30th anniversary with very special guests: La Muixeranga from Algemesí (Valencia). The city will host the national trabucaires meeting, among other popular culture initiatives. Family audiences will enjoy the 20th edition of the El Petit Festival, with several children’s proposals, some international, and Joventut de La Faràndula will premiere its new production Pinoccio. The circus will have its space with a show by the prestigious Leandre Clown; N’imPORTE quoi.
Literature is another of the epicenters of cultural capital. In June, the first Ecobook Fair will be held, with around thirty activities, where the climate emergency will be the protagonist, along with the concept of eco-publishing.
Different personalities from the city are working, in collaboration with the Sabadell City Council, to carry out an act of tribute to the Sabadell poet Feliu Formosa on November 11, coinciding with his 90th anniversary. For Sant Jordi, the SBD Book Week will include each day one of the literary projects that have been presented for the Capital, such as, for example, a show on the poetry of Maria-Mercè Marçal.
During the last quarter of the year, the city will showcase two of its most international artists, Alfons Borrell and Joan Vila Grau, with exhibitions. The drawing will feature at the VI Urban Sketchers Meeting of Catalonia, with 700 registered participants.
The cycle of exhibitions Sabadell becomes fashionable will be promoted, which will feature three successive exhibitions: Sabadell weaves, Sabadell makes and Sabadell creates. This cycle will be done in collaboration with the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation, under the curator of Josep Casamartina, in coordination with the History Museum and the Art Museum and will offer a historical and artistic perspective of the city, based on the unique textile collection . Among the garments, you can see a suit jacket by Manuel Pertegaz (1959-1961), made with Sabadell fabric.
All the Capital’s programming is available and will be updated on the website https://sbdcultura24.sabadell.cat. This is a page that has had the collaboration of the painter and sculptor Ramiro Fernández Saus, author of the capital’s logo and who has also created different icons for each of the cultural areas that make up the programming. The Capital of Catalan Culture has the support of the Generalitat and the Barcelona Provincial Council, in addition to several private sponsors.
