This month, an exciting event is happening in Catalonia: An Irish Arts Festival in Sitges, a coastal town 40 minutes by train South from Barcelona.
The boutique festival features an incredible array of talent, from Irish traditional music to roots and blues, as well as dance and theatre performances.
Creative Connexions Ireland: Sitges 22 is organised by the Irish based arts organisation, Artscope. The brand aims to develop relationships between Ireland and other cultures. As a result, Artscope has produced this annual event since 2011.
The event was on hold during the COVID pandemic but was revived this year (2022). It will take place from Thursday, 27th of October to Sunday, 30th of October.
An Irish Arts Festival in Sitges
This four-day festival will host Irish, Catalan and international artists, offering a complete panorama with musicians, performers, writers, poets, and dancers. There will be films, performances, lectures, readings, and workshops.
The town setting allows visitors to immerse themselves in the festival, moving between venues and taking in the village’s medieval atmosphere.
The vibe of the festival is one of creativity and collaboration. As well as the main events, there are promises to be many impromptu performances around the town in different venues.
With hundreds of singers, dancers and musicians in Sitges that weekend, you never know what you might stumble on!
Our recommendations
The program features many highlights, but here are some recommendations:
The Waiting
There will be two performances of ‘Waiting’, a one-woman performance by renowned Irish actress Geraldine Plunkett based on a monologue by novelist Jennifer Johnston.
The shows will be on Friday and Saturday.
Let’s Start the Party
The music side of things kicks off on Thursday with the aptly titled ‘Let’s Start the Party’, which promises an eclectic mix of jazz and world music featuring a range of Irish and Catalan performers.
Main Stage Friday
The main festival stage opens on Friday with a range of musicians, starting with Joan Pinos & The Apocadixie Cotton Pickers, followed by performances by the Music Generation groups from Roscommon and Carlow, singer-songwriter Mick McMara, and culminating with the Fiddler of Sitges contest.
The winner of the contest will also be invited to play at a concert on Sunday 30th, the festival’s final day.
Mary Coughlan
Friday night sees a concert by legendary Irish blues and jazz singer Mary Coughlan. Always a brilliant performer, this promises to be a real highlight at the weekend.
The night finishes with a double bill of BRUEL and Soul Ceol (joined with Esosa, Brian Fleming & James Mahon) – a mix of Catalan and Irish musicians that promises to be energetic and exciting.
Main Stage Saturday
From 2pm- 5:30pm the main stage will host a variety of musicians and dancers, with genres ranging from Irish and traditional Catalan songs and tunes, tango to gypsy jazz and dance.
Cor Nua
At 6 pm Cor Nua takes the stage.
Full disclosure, myself and my friends are in this choir and will be singing a mix of Irish and international songs.
We have been rehearsing online throughout the summer, led by Choir Master Eunan McDonald, and will be joining in person in Sitges for a one-off performance.
This will be the absolute must-see highlight of the weekend!
No Crows
Another show not to be missed is No Crows, a group from Sligo, who infuses multiple genres, from Irish trad to roots, jazz and Balkan music.
Featuring Steve Wickham (formerly of The Waterboys) and his incredible fiddle, they bring a unique energy to their shows. We are excited to go to their concert.
Sunday Retiro Sessions
2-5:30 pm on Sunday sees an eclectic mix of performers take to the stage, with traditional Irish performances from Western Roots, Bray Comhaltas and a trio of Irish Harpists to Irish X-Factor winner Mary Byrne who makes her first visit to the festival.
Festival Collaboration at Work
There is an emphasis on collaboration and participation in the festival.
In the words of Altan’s Martin Tourish ‘CCI Sitges is the festival where Bach meets Brazilian and Irish music, where choreographers meet future musical collaborators, where a forty-piece choir happily joins in on a trad session.’
The final day of the festival features an event where these collaborations will come to life in a mix of music, dance and song.
The Dublin Song Live!
A troupe of Irish singers and musicians gather to celebrate Dublin in song and bring the festival to a close.
Singers Simon Morgan, Caitriona Sherlock, Mick McNamara, Esosa Ighodaro, Jay Rankin, Ian Drew, Lou van Laake and Mary Byrne will be accompanied by Claire Sherry, Tim Doyle and Vincent Lynch on such Dublin classics as ‘Dublin Sauter’ and ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’.
This one promises to be a rousing sing-along to bring a great weekend to a close.
Details of the festival
Tickets can be purchased online for each of the 15 individual events. Price ranges from 7 euros to 15 euros.
A Festival pass is also available for 98 euros. Given the array of talent on offer, this is incredible value for such a unique experience.
Barcelona by T will be at the festival and giving a full review of each day! Let me know if you are attending and what you think!
Website: Creative Connexions festival Sitges
Post edit: the after choir
The festival was amazing. Participating to the choir was an unforgettable experience. Eunan McDonald was a fantastic director, it was amazing to beneficiate from his wealth of experience.
The Choir was built from scratch for just that event with singers from different background and it was a success!
The other event that we really enjoyed was the Dublin Song live with various artists performing Dublin classic songs.
By T & D
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