The 31st edition, held under the theme Terra Regnum, will include extraordinary performances of the Misteri d’Elx and the return of the popular Medieval Market
Elche’s historic centre will travel back in time when the city’s Medieval Festival returns from 23 October to 8 November with music, theatre, street entertainment and traditional celebrations.
The 31st edition of the festival will be held under the theme Terra Regnum. Its highlights will include extraordinary performances of the Misteri d’Elx on 30 and 31 October and 1 November, followed by the Medieval Market from 5 to 8 November.
Councillor for Culture Irene Ruiz described the event as one of the few surviving medieval festivals of its kind in Spain. She said the Misteri d’Elx remained at the heart of the programme, showcasing the historic music and imagery associated with the internationally recognised drama.
This year’s official poster was created by artist, illustrator, graphic designer and photographer Vicente Javier Poveda. Inspired by medieval manuscripts, tapestries, parchments and altarpieces, it features a crowned woman carrying a sword.
Poveda said the image was intended as a tribute to the women of Elche, particularly the city’s traditional footwear stitchers, including his mother, who worked while also caring for and raising their families.
Street entertainment
The festival will open at 7.30pm on Friday, 23 October, when Valencian company Spinish Circo presents Flames al Carrer in the historic centre. Zarzagán Celtic Band will perform in Plaza de Baix at 8.30pm.
On Saturday, 24 October, LA FAM Teatre will stage Quimera, a major street procession beginning at Plaza de l’Algeps at 7pm and continuing to Plaza de Baix. The production centres on the awakening of a giant machine inspired by the fearsome creature of Greek mythology, creating a struggle between humanity and technology through the streets of Elche.
The Elche Symphony Band will present De Reyes y Reinas in Plaza de Baix at noon on Sunday, 25 October.
Extraordinary Misteri d’Elx performances
The Basilica of Santa María will host the traditional extraordinary performances of the Misteri d’Elx.
Dress rehearsals covering La Vespra and La Festa will take place at 9.30pm on Friday, 30 October, and at 8.30pm on Saturday, 31 October.
The official performance will be divided into two parts on Sunday, 1 November. La Vespra will begin at 10am, followed by La Festa at 5pm.
Medieval Market
The Medieval Market will open at 6pm on Thursday, 5 November, across Plaza de Baix, surrounding streets and the Glorieta.
It will remain open from 10am until 11pm each day through to Sunday, 8 November.
Ruiz highlighted the market’s popular appeal and its ability to transform the city centre. It is also one of the festival’s leading tourist attractions, recording more than 200,000 visits last year.
Major productions at the Gran Teatro
The Gran Teatro will host several of the festival’s principal theatrical and musical productions.
Ana Alcaide will perform Essentia at 7pm on Sunday, 25 October. Miguel Hernández University will present Eureka: Music and Science from 7pm to 10pm on Wednesday, 28 October.
Atalaya-TNT will stage The King Is Dying at 8.30pm on Thursday, 29 October, followed by Elche-born singer Blanca Paloma’s Trenza Mía concert at 9pm on Friday, 30 October.
Lluís Homar and the Brugalla & Stambolov Duo will present The Grand Inquisitor at 7pm on Sunday, 1 November. Ángel Ruiz will star in The King of Showbusiness at 8.30pm on 3 November.
Music, family shows and exhibitions
Las Clarisas Cultural Centre will host several free events, including Bubulú – History of Your City on 1 November and Whispers of Al-Andalus and La Galana on 5 November.
The Dúo ZEmER will perform Sefarad in Memory on 7 November, while the Leucante Women’s Choir will present A Journey Through the History of Music on 8 November.
Hort del Xocolater will welcome Ensemble Musicantes with Aurora Musicae: From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance on 6 November. The Valencia String Quartet will perform A Story from the Movies on 8 November.
Younger audiences will be catered for at Sala Tramoia, which will stage Rucs: The Sorcerer’s Curse at 6pm on 31 October, in addition to school performances from 27 to 30 October.
The annual Festa d’Elig magazine will be presented in Elche Town Hall’s council chamber at 7pm on 27 October. The exhibition Joan Castejón – Cercant Bellesa will remain open at the Gran Teatro’s Kursaal Hall until 29 November.
Tickets
Tickets for Blanca Paloma’s concert cost €16.
Productions featuring Ana Alcaide, Atalaya-TNT, Ángel Ruiz and Lluís Homar, together with the children’s show at Sala Tramoia, cost €5.
Events at Las Clarisas and Hort del Xocolater are free, although invitations must be collected from the venue one hour before each performance.
Invitations for the free Miguel Hernández University event are available through vivaticket.com and from the Gran Teatro box office. Admission to the Festa d’Elig magazine presentation is free until capacity is reached.
The full programme is available at festivalmedieval.com.
