Friday 26th August 2022
REI EN JAUME 2022 FESTIVITIES
- The institutional event will take place on Thursday with the mayor's speech and the proclamation's reading that this year will be given by chef Miquel Calent
- The Rei En Jaume Photography and Theatre 2022 Prizes will be awarded and the Exhibition of the 15 works selected by the jury will be inaugurated on Wednesday
- Both, rei En Jaume's Christian troops and Abú Yahyá's Saracen troops, after two years, will once again parade in the Santa Ponça streets
Festivities' programme
The rei En Jaume 2022 festivities will start next week, this year returning in their full dimension, recovering all the activities and the participation of the Moors and Christians groups, after the two-year parenthesis forced by the pandemic.
The institutional event commemorating the 793 anniversary of Jaume I landing in Santa Ponça will take place on Thursday 1st September. The speech by the mayor of Calvià, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, and the festivities' proclamation that this year will be read by the renowned chef Miquel Calent who, in his creations, combines modernity and tradition, always with local produce, will take place at the Santa Ponça Cross at 8 p.m. The event will end with the floral offering by the different associations and entities of the municipality.
Prior to the institutional event, on Wednesday, the rei En Jaume Photography and Theatre 2022 Prizes will be awarded, which, in this edition, have had as their theme: “Calvià is culture: symbols, values, customs, artistic expressions, traditions, celebrations and cultural events of the municipality. The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 31st August at Calvià Town Hall's gardens, at 7.30 p.m., coinciding with the Premis rei En Jaume 2022 exhibition opening.
The XXI Trobada de Gegants (Giant's Gathering), which will make the ''stand'' at plaza de la Pinada (pinewood square), where the joint dance of all the groups will also take place after parading down Puig de Galatzó avenue, will take place on Saturday 3rd September. Practically all the giant groups of the island that are active will participate in the gathering.
The tradition: parade and final battle
The tradition will meet again, first of all, on Sunday 4th September, at plaza de la Pinada, with the banners' delivery to the Moors and Christians groups and the fesitivities' kings presentation: Jaume I, this year performed by Jabo Martínez Rodríguez, from the Guillem de Montcada group, and Abu Yahya, performed this year by Alberto Mota Leiva, from the Al Andalus group. Next, the Calvià Municipal Music Band will offer a jazz concert with a journey through the history of jazz with its best-known themes.
On Saturday 10th September, the Jaume I troops will disembark at Santa Ponça Cross, to parade later, together with the Saracen groups, and prepare for the 'Moors and Christians' final battle to take place on Santa Ponça beach, with the previous confrontation at es Caló d'en Pellisser.
La Nit de Foc (Night of fire), popular ballades, activities and children's entertainment, with the novelty this year of a children's concert with the Trencaclosques group, concerts by Calvian groups or soloists such as Baaldo, Self Service or Bosc, theatre and historical tours, the Nit de l'humor (Night of humour) with Patricia Espejo and José Boto, parties and sporting events, along with the traditional Medieval Market, which will open from 8th, complete the programme of activities for the rei En Jaume festivities to end on Sunday 11th September with a pyrotechnic show.
The festivities will once again have a sustainable character since the concession bar will offer reusable cups and biodegradable plates and cutlery.