Cervantino Festival 2023 Concludes With Global Attendees and Stellar Performances
The 53rd International Cervantino Festival, named after Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, concluded in Guanajuato on October 26, 2023. The event, which ran from October 10 to 26, attracted over 330,000 attendees and featured over 3,400 artists from 31 countries, with a focus on Veracruz and the United Kingdom.
The festival, inspired by playwright and professor Enrique Ruelas who presented comic plays by Cervantes in the 1950s, offered a diverse range of performances. Notable acts included Julieta Venegas, Nathy Peluso, Damon Albarn, Kid Koala, Javier Camerena, Channel One Sound System, and Los Bitchos. The Sun Ra Arkestra, an avant-garde jazz band, gave a cosmic send-off performance on the final night, following a mobile concert by Mexico's first Scottish pipe band, the San Patricio Battalion Bagpipe Band.
Celtic Fandango, a fusion of Mexican and Scottish musicians, performed a blend of Veracruz fandango and traditional Gaelic tunes. The Sun Ra Arkestra left the Cervantino event to give an intergalactic musical journey at the Alhóndiga. The festival was covered by independent journalist Cathy Siegner.
The International Cervantino Festival, held annually in Guanajuato since 1972, once again brought together a global array of talent, celebrating music, dance, opera, theater, films, and visual art exhibitions. The 2023 edition, with its unique blend of local and international influences, has left attendees eager for next year's event.
