Loraldia was born with the aim of becoming a spring date for Basque creation, a great cultural festival to be held in Bilbao from 23 to 26 April. For four days, the city will take care of the contemporary Basque culture within the framework of the challenge of consolidating the project in the coming years.

In late autumn, the Durango Fair is the annual event of lovers of Basque culture and culture. The organizers of Loraldia, however, have missed the "transmission and visibility" of Durango in the spring, and precisely, they have presented a new project with the objective of filling that gap.

The festival will offer a total of seventeen events and bring together over 50 creators. Thus, for four days, various creative expressions will be accommodated: theatre, literature, music, plastic arts, dance and bertsolarism, among others.

It is no coincidence that the festival has given birth in Bilbao. As the organizers have explained on their website, it has been chosen as "a symbol of global modernity, a pioneer in the history of the Basque Country and Euskal Hiria". Most events will take place in the city centre. The objective is that the Basque country appropriate the city center, imagine the centrality of the Basque culture.

From the Abbadia Floral Games

The project is based on the Floral Games promoted by Anton Abbadia in the 19th century. The initiative was born with the objective of giving visibility to the Basque Country in Ipar Euskal Herria, which included poetry competitions and cultural shows. Loraldia’s intention is to collect the witness and give continuity to the race through Bilbao.

To start the festival, the Kukai dance group will premiere a show created specifically to honor Abbadia. Actor Aitor Mazo will enter the role of Abbadia and the music will be run by Arkaitz Miner in the program. “Through dance and theatre we will revive in the Arriaga the culturist of the 19th century,” they explained.

They will also echo the Bilbao Floral Games of 1901, in which Miguel Unamuno emphasized the Basque. On 26 April, Maialen Lujanbio and AMETS Arzallus will respond to what has been said more than a century ago in the bertso-bazkaria of the Kafe Antzokia, with the script of Lutxo Egia and Mikel Martínez as presenter.

Born large to grow

Considering the possibility of doing so, not all can be mentioned here. However, it is necessary to take into account the meeting of cultural agents to be held on 24 April in the Ensanche market, the exhibition of plastic and visual arts Okela Sormen Lantegia for 25 April in the Rekalde Hall and the performance of the last day Bilbao-Baobil 2115, in which the bertsolaris Uxue Alberdi and Oicihana Gorbartez will take.

There will be other releases: On April 25, the Metrokoadroka theatre group will play Sua izan nahi and the dance groups Kukai and Tanttanka the show Hazipenen POZAK on April 26 in Hall 6 and Guggenheim Square respectively. On the 25th there will also be a session dedicated to Basque cinema.

For music lovers, a concert tribute to Itoiz will be held on Friday at the Kafe Antzokia by Huts-Karakan and Joseba Irazoki; and on Saturday in the Campos Cúpula room the Lurra, 22M2 and Piztiak groups will act in the Badok Geroa space, promoted by the portal badok.info.

Although the premiere programme has been very comprehensive, the organizers have shown their intention to consolidate it and make it a benchmark in the coming years. For the time being, at least for a long weekend, Loraldia will transfer Basque cultural activity to the front line of Bilbao. And the organizers are clear about it. “Our goal is alevín.”