Costa Brava’s Cap Roig music festival ends with 88% of tickets sold and 41,000 attendees

Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz ended the successful Costa Brava festival that achieved full audiences in 15 of 20 concerts scheduled and an attendance of 41,000 people. This year's festival was the first organised by Catalan music publisher Clipper’s and included performances by Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, Simple Minds, James Morrison, Miguel Bosé and Manolo García, among others. The festival has had a positive effect on the local economy providing a boost of €20 million.

CNA / David Tuxworth

August 20, 2012 10:52 PM

Barcelona (ACN.) - Cap Roig Festival, the main music festival at the Costa Brava and organised each summer at Calella de Palafrugell, finished last Saturday with excellent attendance figures. The festival had an attendance of some 41,000 spectators who enjoyed the various concerts scheduled, according to the organisation. 88% of tickets for the festival were sold, with full audiences at fifteen of the twenty concerts scheduled. “At a time of economic difficulties, the festival has boosted the local economy, bringing €20 million to the area.” the organisation revealed in a statement.


With an eclectic line-up made up of leading artists from different genres, Cap Roig Festival faces up to the crisis selling 88% of tickets and with more than 41,000 spectators. Bob Dylan, Manolo García, Ben Harper, Rosario, Simple Minds, Miguel Bosé, Sergio Dalma, Tony Bennett, Chambao, James Morrison, Homes G, and this Saturday night Alejandro Sanz, were the protagonists at this year's festival, the first organised by Catalan music publisher Clipper’s.

Els Amics de les Arts and Mishima headlined two successful Catalan nights alongside La iaia and Bremen while Miquel Abras from the Empordà county (where the festival is held) shared the stage with the Belgian Milow, in the evening dedicated to indie pop music. Last Saturday Alejandro Sanz returned to the stage in Spain just a few weeks before the release of his new album ‘La música no se toca’. The performance by the famous Spanish pop singer was the finale of the concerts that have taken place over the last month at the Cap Roig botanical garden, in Calella de Palafrugell. 

A great line-up and quality production, the key to success

The President of music publisher Clipper’s and director of the Cap Roig Festival, Juli Guiu, said the key to this year’s success has been “preparing a great line-up, a strong communication plan and striving for quality organisation and production quality”.

Economic impact of €20 million

Jaume Giró, Deputy Director General of CaixaBank, which promotes and sponsors the festival, said that “in these times of severe economic crisis we must not only consider the musical benefits but also in terms of the cultural social and economic return the event has had for Girona and Catalonia as a whole”. For the Deputy Director General of CaixaBank, which is Spain’s main bank and has its headquarters in Barcelona, the festival’s result is “without a doubt very positive and we can be proud of the work done by the many people who have made it possible”. Giró highlighted that the festival has given 300 people employment and generated €20 million for the area.

“The musical benchmark in the Costa Brava”

The President of Girona’s Provincial Council, Jaume Torremadé, said that Cap Roig Festival “is already the musical benchmark in the Costa Brava”. According to Torremadé, the festival is already a classic “not only for the quality of the artists but primarily for its eclecticism”. “Surely this is its secret and its stamp of personality”, he said.

The Mayors of Palafrugell and Mont-ras, where the Cap Roig gardens are located, have also shown their satisfaction with the festival. Juli Fernández, Mayor of Palafrugell remarked that “the festival promotes quality culture and tourism and is a credit to the organisers and the municipalities where it is held”.

Carles Surtis, Mayor of Mont-ras praised the festival as having “opened the doors to artistic talent in Empordà with performances by Miquel Abras and a clear commitment to supporting new talent such as the Catalan band La iaia”.