The opera 'Carmen' will ignite the Camp de Mart Festival 2026

TarragonaOnce again, the Camp de Mart Festival arrives, with around twenty shows for all tastes and ages: musical proposals of large and small format, circus and dance in various locations in Tarragona, from June 26 to August 14. Luz Casal, Rodrigo Cuevas, Lila Downs, Yerai Cortés, Maika Makovski, or the company Mal Pelo, among others, are some of the highlighted names in a program made up of an opera, 14 concerts, 4 circus shows, and one dance show.

The festival will open with a new production of Carmen, the masterpiece by Georges Bizet, on June 26 and 28. This event is consolidated as the only open-air opera proposal in Catalonia during the summer months. The production stands out for the high level of its cast, with the participation of Mexican tenor Arturo Chacón, one of the great voices on the current operatic scene, accompanied by mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera, with a notable career in recent years. This production also features the significant involvement of Tarragona-born baritone Àngel Òdena, promoter of the project and performer within the cast.

Carmen will be directed by maestro Oliver Díaz, at the head of the Camerata XXI Orchestra - Ciutat de Reus and the Choir of the Opera of Tarragona, with stage direction by Emilio López and the choir direction by Miquel Massana, which guarantees a first-class musical performance.

Luz Casal, Yerai Cortés, and Maika Makovski

. The Mèlt Quartet begins a new stage with the show La belleza. The Quartet Mèlt begins a new phase with the show Lo país mèlt, which will visit the Auditori de la Diputació on Sunday, July 12.

Another of the proposals that the Teatre Auditori del Camp de Mart will host is Lila Downs on Saturday, July 18. Downs is one of the most powerful voices in root music internationally. On July 25, the festival will also enjoy the live performance of the great Luz Casal, who will present the tour of her new album, Me voy a permitir. The Teatre Tarragona will also host Maika Makovski with Bunker Rococo on July 31, and on Saturday, August 1, the Alicante guitarist Yerai Cortés arrives at Camp de Mart after the success of the documentary film La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés.

For lovers of small-format music, the Refugi Sonor will once again be a reference space, with four concerts that will transport the audience to unique atmospheres. Los Sara Fontan, the experimental duo formed by Sara Fontan and Edi Pou, will be in charge of inaugurating this edition on July 16. Also participating will be Bernarda, a minimalist pop project by the Catalan composer and producer Bernat Cuyàs, on July 23; KIW, a Catalan trio that redefines 21st-century jazz with an organic fusion of jazz, funk, hip-hop, and electronics, on July 30; and the collective Neromambola with their experimental and electronic psychedelia, on August 5.

The festival will conclude with the Nit Jove, co-organized with the Municipal Youth Service within the Festival Sota la Palmera, which will offer free performances by renowned groups such as Compota de Manana, one of the most original and promising proposals in contemporary Latin music; La Sra. Tomasa with their new album, 1040, where they experiment with sounds and rhythms of folk and Asian music; and a live DJ set by Wu Shido (Klaus Stroink and Guillem Boltó, members of the group Stay Homas), with wind instruments. Hits from yesterday and today to end with a great party for everyone.

Dance and circus

The Camp de Mart Festival will also offer a selection of dance and circus performances, notably Mal Pelo, who will present Inventions at Camp de Mart on Friday, July 10. The French company Cie des Chaussons Rouges will offer the street performance Epiphytes, for all audiences and free; circus performed by four acrobatic dancers on a tall metal structure. On Fridays in July, you can also enjoy the family circus shows Lua, by Alba Sarraute and Les Ofèlies, El Gran Cabaret de Circ, and Collage, by BotProject, for free at the Camp de Mart Auditorium.