Saturday 14 March · Sala Paral·lel 62 (Barcelona)

IrídiaFest reached its fourth edition, establishing itself as a space where culture, human rights and collective celebration come together. A festival created to combat the culture of hate and champion culture as a tool for social transformation, community-building and resistance.

In this edition, the festival turned its attention to both shores of the Mediterranean, bringing together artists who bridge tradition and the future, roots and the avant-garde, memory and electronic music. These projects view music as a bridge for forging connections, sharing struggles and imagining shared futures.

Artistic programme

Hailing from the Valencian region, Faixa presents a powerful sound that fuses cant de batre, Moorish marches and folk traditions with dubstep, jungle, footwork and UK bass. A sonic explosion that celebrates tradition from a contemporary perspective, bridging the gap between roots and the electronic avant-garde.

From Morocco, Aïta Mon Amour pays tribute to the ancient art of Aïta and to the figure of the Cheikhats, reinterpreting this legacy through a contemporary, electronic and feminist lens. The duo, comprising Widad Mjama and Khalil EPI, builds bridges between past and present with a powerful, liberating and deeply political voice.

Hajar, an artist based in Barcelona whose work is shaped by the cultural intersectionality of North Africa, the Mediterranean and Latin America, transcends musical boundaries with sets that blend raï, Brazilian music, funk, house and disco. Her sets not only get people dancing, but also tell stories, celebrate diversity and champion mixed-heritage identity as a collective strength.

The evening also featured a special DJ set by Baiuca, an undisputed pioneer in the fusion of traditional music and cutting-edge electronic music. A key project in the revival of contemporary folk, it brings together landscape, memory and rhythm.

On Friday 13 March, a discussion event was held at the CCCB with the Artist at Risk collective, a global network of arts organisations, non-profit organisations, local authorities, state institutions and international bodies dedicated to assisting, relocating and funding artists who are at risk of persecution or oppression, or who are fleeing war or terror.

Third edition of the IrídiaFest was on February 2025, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 at Pral·lel 62. The festival was born with the intention of promoting the culture of human rights as opposed to the culture of hate. Under the slogan “Let’s make it happen”, we wanted to create spaces of connection, community and celebration. Reflection, words, music and rhythm will be the protagonists through programs of local and international artists.

IrídiaFest bets on culture as a fundamental tool in the defense of human rights, understanding it not only as an artistic expression, but also as an engine of social and historical change. In this context, we claim the transformative role of art and its power to articulate ideas that drive change.

Thursday, February 13, we kicked off the festival with a special live edition of the podcast Ciberlocutorio, presented by Andrea Gumes and Anna Pacheco. With seven seasons behind us, this space has established itself as a benchmark in the field of culture and reflection.

Friday 14 we presented four local, national and international bands:

Branko, founder of Buraka Somos Sistema and producer of artists such as M.I.A., will present his new show, recently premiered at the last edition of the Sónar festival in Lisbon.

Ortiga, Galician artist, revisits the traditional concept of verbena and brings it to the present day, fusing festive rhythms with a renewed energy.

Las Bajas Pasiones, a project whose sound ranges from pop melodies to raw rap and socially conscious lyrics, all seasoned with a generous helping of synthesisers and keyboards. A liberating and hedonistic catharsis, yet one that also makes a statement.

Remei de Ca la Fresca, one of the most restless and unclassifiable bands on our music scene, armed with castanets and ironing boards. At IrídiaFest they will present their second album, “El anzuelo de la pregunta” (2024).

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A project with the support of Say It Loud and the complicity of Sala Paral·lel 62.

We denounce the unacceptable. Let’s imagine the desirable.
Second edition of the IrídiaFest

Two days with musical and scenic proposals, local and international, where culture and human rights converge. With this festival we claim the role of culture to create shared imaginaries capable of transforming the reality, and at the same time we help to finance the service of attention and denunciation (SAIDAVI) guaranteeing its gratuity.

Together with Say It Loud we prepared a luxury program:

Friday, February 16

“No soy tú gitana” by Síliva Agüero: More than an hour of humor, dance and curses. Antigitanism without pretensions of deconstructing anyone.

Flamenco performance with Rafael Perona and Carmen Amador.

Saturday, February 17th

Dowdelin: Creole Afrofuturism with roots to Guadeloupe, Martinique and Armenia.

Lapili: Afrobeat, dancehall and attitude of an artist who has been to London, Ghana and Madrid.

Tarquim: With a powerful wind section specially assembled for the occasion and anticipating much of the repertoire that will make up his second LP. Salsa and Afro-Cuban music from the hand of one of the most solid and elegant formations of recent times.

LA BULLA PERREO: with JAHZZMVN & ACEITUNAS NEGRA. A party to sweat it out with reggaeton, dancehall, demBow, hip hop, Afro Beatos… With an underground and anti-commercial look for the enjoyment of all those of you who are starting to get bored of listening to the same tracks at every party.

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A project with the support of Say It Loud, the complicity of Sala Paral·lel 62, and the support of the Culture Department.