The Paupaterres festival in Tàrrega has demonstrated its vitality in its 28th edition, attracting over 10,000 attendees. This figure was reached despite the suspension of the opening day, caused by the municipality's lockdown due to the fire in Guimerà.
Marc Calderó, co-director of the festival, described the assessment as "very positive," acknowledging the initial difficulties. "We didn't get off to a great start," admitted Calderó, referring to the cancellation of the opening event planned for Sant Eloi park. However, he emphasized that "afterwards, the festival ran smoothly".
The concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sopa de Cabra was one of the highlights, with nearly 5,000 attendees "completely captivated." Calderó highlighted Gerard Quintana's performance as "one of the best in the festival's history." Friday night saw one of the highest turnouts, surpassed only by the year featuring Oques Grasses.
Saturday's events also surpassed 4,000 visitors. Performances included Els Amics de les Arts, who celebrated their 20th anniversary by championing Catalan music, and La Pegatina, who chose Tàrrega for their return to Catalan stages. The young band La Follia also delivered an energetic performance celebrating their five years of activity.
PaupaKids had its moment on Saturday afternoon with a performance by Els Beta (SX3), which drew numerous children, accompanied by water games to combat the heat.
Calderó highlighted the commitment to local talent, featuring a performance by Efímer with a stage design evoking the region's dryland roots. Graffiti artist Tope created a live artistic intervention.
The festival, organized by an association with around 120 volunteers, experienced queues at the entrance on Friday, which the organization attributed to many attendees arriving simultaneously.
Looking ahead to the next edition, the plan is to maintain the three-day format, with consideration for incorporating PaupaJove. Additionally, the sandwiches intended for the opening day were distributed among firefighters, ADF, and farmers who assisted in extinguishing the fire.
