The 17th Fira Mediterrània Manresa is nearly upon us. From 9 to 12 October, the capital city of the Bages region will once again become the cultural nerve centre of Catalonia, hosting more than 300 artistic, professional and city-orientated activities for four days. It is expected that some 100,000 people will attend the event.
This year, Fira undergoes notable developments. The event will take place earlier -until now it had been held in early November- and it is defined by a renewed vision, that is open to, and inclusive of, popular culture. Fira has decided to modernise its structure, based on the fundamental question: what is popular culture today? Video games and traditional formats; urban art and circus; new types of performing arts, street theatre and festival tradition. All of this encapsulates the popular culture of our times, without forgetting community-based performing arts projects that reflect the great and collective transformative capacity of culture, which connect culture with social inclusion, health and education.
The artistic programme, which includes 107 companies and thirty-five premieres, is still firmly committed to Mediterranean music, an area in which Fira has become a solid European benchmark over the years.