Manresa will launch a new summer music festival, Camins Manresa, from 10 to 18 July, aiming to establish the city on the map of Catalonia's major summer events.
Xavi Pascual, the festival's director, announced the programme at the Kursaal's Sala Petita, stating the event's ambition is to "play in the Champions League" of national festivals. The festival will feature six nights of concerts over two weeks, with an eclectic line-up designed to attract diverse audiences.
The first week will see performances by Luz Casal, Joan Dausà, and the tribute band God Save The Queen. The second week will include Sergio Dalma, Sopa de Cabra, and Rosario. Pascual described the selection as an "eclectic" bill.
Festival Details and Ambition
Camins Manresa is organised by Promo Arts Music, with a budget of €900,000. The promoter will cover 83% of the costs, relying on ticket sales and sponsors, including Estrella Damm for the first edition. Manresa City Council, through Manresana d'Equipaments Escènics (MEES), will contribute €150,000, making up 17% of the budget.
The festival will take place at the Palau Firal, transforming its outdoor space into an open-air auditorium. Initially, it will accommodate 2,600 seated spectators, with 1,600 in the stalls and 1,000 in the stands. If demand is high, the stalls could hold around 3,000 people without chairs, increasing the total capacity to 4,000.
Beyond the main stage, a 'Village' area will feature emerging local musical acts, with Àuria Franch from Bages confirmed as the first artist. This area will also include a gastronomic zone, as Pascual explained, "Camins is not just music, it wants to be an experience."
Strategic Alliance for Manresa's Cultural Scene
Camins Manresa partly replaces the Sons del Camí festival, which will not run this year. It aims to fill a gap for a medium-sized festival that still attracts big-name artists. Pascual noted that while these artists typically play much larger venues, the festival offers a more intimate setting.
The project is a four-year agreement, according to organisers, who stressed that Camins Manresa is not a standalone event but a natural progression of the region's cultural potential. They cited existing cultural institutions like the Kursaal, Casa de la Música, and Fira Mediterrània, as well as local bands such as Gossos, Beth, and Anaïs Vila, as proof of the area's strong artistic foundation.
Manresa Mayor Marc Aloy expressed his "deep excitement" for the project, highlighting that the city lacked a large-scale music festival. He emphasised the initiative's key aspect as a "strategic alliance uniting the public and private sectors," combining municipal logistics with the financial risk taken by "specialists."
Culture Councillor Tània Infante added that the festival will place Manresa "on the map of the country's big festivals." She described its creation as being in the "Manresa style: with a collaborative formula, with everyone participating in the project and with the intention that it will last over time."
