Habaneras and Polifonía International Contest, Torrivieja, July,

The City of Torrevieja eagerly awaits each summer the arrival of the last days of July, as during those days takes place what is without a doubt the most important cultural event undertaken by the city.

The Torrevieja International Habaneras and Polyphony Contest is an event not to be missed by all the citizens and thousands of visitors who enjoy the art of Choral Singing. The setting is perfect on a night besides the calm and sparkling Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by the ancient walls of the Eras de la Sal. Where each year between the 22nd and 30th of July one can enjoy "the largest choral show in the world" and especially the habanera songs, a musical genre in which Torrevieja occupies the first place throughout the world.

Is a great satisfaction for me, like patronage vicepresident, see like Night after night, an especially respectful crowd arrives at the Eras de la Sal. A place that was originally constructed to deposit the salt from Torrevieja that would be shipped around the world. Today it is the stage for choral groups from the five continents that make their voices and the name of Torrevieja heard in every corner of the world. Nowadays, the society of the information has no limits for broadcasting and through radio, satellite television and the new Internet technologies transform the universal spirit of the Habaneras and Torrevieja into reality.

Over one thousand musicians and choristers from all over the world will pass through the Eras de la Sal during those days of July. They will perform live in front of over ten thousand spectators that are expected during the days of the contest. All choirs and groups, national or international, will feel the warmth of the crowd in an amazing setting under a Mediterranean night and inside a perfect auditorium. A few metres away on the other side of the walls and totally oblivious to the spectators, the vibrating tourist and summer life that takes place at the same time carries on in the city, host to all the nationalities of the world that transforms Torrevieja.

This celebration is a tribute to the sailors of Torrevieja (Alicante province), who travelled to trade with Cuba, bringing these popular melodies back with them.

The Torrevieja International Habaneras and Polyphony Competition is the most outstanding event of its type in Spain. This village on the shores of the Mediterranean has been hosting the competition since 1955. Its gentle songs serve as a point of encounter for people from many different countries.

The festival is held in the “Eras de la Sal” (old salt deposits) and features the best choral groups in the genre from all over the world. As a prelude to the July event, there is usually a Children’s and Youth Habaneras Competition in May, where competing groups are obliged to perform a specific piece.

July