figueres

2016 Figueres International Circus Festival closes its doors with record attendance

March 3, 2016 11:47 AM | ACN

A record-breaking 30,504 spectators attended the 5th edition of the Figueres International Circus Festival, which was sold out for almost all performances. The three acts which won the Golden Elephant, the Figueres International Circus Festival first prize, were from China and Mongolia. From China, the WuQiao Arts School of China performed ‘Qin Warriors’, while the Sheyang Acrobatic Troupe of China showcased ‘Fan Dance.’ From Mongolia, ‘Troupe Nomuna’ performed an acrobatic tumbling act. Figueres, a city near the Costa Brava and bordering with France, already hosts the second biggest international circus festival after the one at Monte-Carlo.

Figueres International Circus Festival to host 24 acts never before seen in Europe

February 12, 2016 09:33 AM | ACN

From the 25th to the 29th of February, the 5th edition of the Figueres International Circus Festival will host 24 acts which have never before been seen in Europe.Amongst them stand out Pyongyang’s National Circus, which will leave North Korea for the first time ever, and two shows from Chinese companies which received awards at the WuQiao Festival. 17 different circus disciplines from 13 different countries will be presented at the festival, which this year opens a new tent with capacity for more than 30,000 spectators.Besides becoming the circus world capital for five days, Figueres, a city near the Costa Brava and the French border, plans to become the Word Circus Capital by 2018. 

Picasso and Dalí works, face to face for the first time, are on show in Barcelona

March 20, 2015 09:13 PM | ACN

Barcelona's Picasso Museum unveiled on Friday the first exhibition in the world analysing how Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí artistically admired and influenced each other, despite their political differences. The Catalan museum has opened the most awaited temporary exhibition of the season, which will run until 28 June. 'Picasso/Dalí. Dalí/Picasso' showcases 78 works of these two giants of 20th century art, including paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures and carvings. They tell the story of their artistic relationship and how their works evolved by setting many parallels between the two. The exhibition also includes 33 documents such as some letters that Gala and Salvador Dalí sent to Picasso, which had only been on show once, in Paris.

Figueres presents plan to become Word Circus Capital by 2018, building on its annual festival

March 9, 2015 09:58 PM | ACN

Being the European capital of Circus Arts 5 days a year seems not to be enough for the Catalan city of Figueres (near the Costa Brava and the French border). On Monday, in a press conference that took place a week after the 4th edition of the city's International Circus Festival, Mayor Marta Felip and Festival Director Genís Matabosch announced a plan to become the Word Circus Capital by 2018. Figueres is already working on the project, which will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the circus in Spain. A City of Circus is to be created, a very ambitious project that will host - among others draws - a museum, a high-performance centre for international artists and a permanent big top with a resident show every half-year.

North African gas to reach Central Europe through Catalonia by 2020 to reduce 40% Russian dependency

March 5, 2015 09:40 PM | ACN

A strategic gas pipeline is to be built through the Catalan Pyrenees, linking the Iberian Peninsula with France and Central Europe. The Midcat project aims to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian gas by 40%, diversifying the sources of supply. The pipeline should be operational by 2020, announced on Thursday the Spanish Minister for Industry, José Manuel Soria. The day before, French President, François Hollande, Spanish PM, Mariano Rajoy, Portuguese PM, Pedro Passos Coelho, and European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, re-launched the project's construction. Midcat started to be planned in 2007 but it was halted for several years, mainly due to a lack of interest from French companies and institutions, which were not guaranteeing to build their part. Now, the crisis with Russia has reignited the urge to find alternative gas suppliers for Central Europe.

2015 International Circus Festival consolidates Figueres as Europe’s second circus capital

March 5, 2015 09:38 PM | Clàudia C. Salellas

The 4th edition of the Figueres International Circus Festival has met all expectations and broken its previous record with more than 30,000 tickets sold. The festival ended last Monday and took place in the Catalan city of Figueres (near the Costa Brava and the French border), which is Salvador Dalí's home town. The National Circus of Pyongyang won the Dalí Golden Elephant for its trapeze performance, pulling off a double quadruple somersault for the first time in Spain. The other Golden Elephant, according to the public, went to the Russian company Troupe Trushin for its acrobatic jumping show ‘Watch Dogs’. Figueres has now consolidated itself as the second European city of reference for the circus world, only after Montecarlo.

4th edition of Figueres Circus Festival to break participation record

February 26, 2015 02:08 PM | ACN / Clàudia C. Salellas

The 2015 edition of the Figueres Circus Festival, in the north-eastern part of Catalonia near the French border, will break all records. The festival will be held from Thursday, 26 February to Monday, 2 March. This edition will feature 24 previously unseen performances in Europe by more than 80 artists from 17 different countries, thanks to the incorporation of new countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Uzbekistan. Another novelty is the inclusion of air performances, so the event will use a big top without columns for the first time, allowing the public to enjoy a 360º view. One of the main air shows will be offered by the North Korean Pyongyang National Circus. Some 30,000 tickets have gone on sale, but the event will offer some free cultural activities too.

Dalí war painting purchased and exhibited by Figueres museum

January 12, 2015 09:31 PM | ACN

The Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, which runs the surrealist genius’ museum in Figueres (near Catalonia’s Costa Brava and the French border), has purchased ‘Violetes imperials’ (‘Imperial violets’) from a private collector. The piece from 1938 is a dark creation, painted during Spain’s Civil War and just before the start of the Second World War. It will be on display at the museum from Tuesday onwards. The painting, the price of which has not been disclosed, belongs to the Catalan artist’s surrealist period, but does not employ the colours regularly used by Dalí. Nonetheless, ‘Violetes imperials’ does depict some of the symbols used by one of the world’s most important artists of the 20th century. 

Barcelona and 700 other municipalities approve motions supporting 9 November's independence vote

September 22, 2014 09:44 PM | ACN

The City Council of Barcelona as well as 300 other town halls throughout Catalonia approved on Monday a motion supporting the self-determination consultation vote, scheduled for the 9th of November. Some 400 other municipalities have confirmed they will do the same in the current week and more could join in the coming days. With this action, Catalan municipalities want to back the parliamentary agreement to carry out such a vote, which is being unilaterally blocked by the Spanish Government.  The motions will be sent to the Catalan Government, the Spanish Authorities, the European Union institutions and the United Nations. Town Halls throughout Catalonia are approving the same motion, which has been proposed by the Association of pro-Independence Municipalities (AMI) and the Catalan Association of Municipalities (ACM).