The mayor of A Coruña, Inés Rey, welcomed a delegation from the cultural association Xacarandaina at the María Pita Palace to celebrate the group's achievement at the FIDAF World Championship in Brazil 2026, where they secured the runner-up position in one of the closest finals in the event's history.
Among those present was the group's director, Quique Peón. During the reception, Rey conveyed the city's congratulations to the association for its outstanding result and its nearly fifty-year commitment to researching, preserving, and promoting traditional Galician music and dance.
“Xacarandaina is one of the great cultural references of A Coruña and Galicia. Its international success is also a success for our city, as it reflects decades of rigorous work, commitment to popular culture, and love for the heritage that defines us as a people,”
The A Coruña group achieved second place in the competition held during the 22nd edition of the International Folklore Festival in Nova Prata, located in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, following a tightly contested final against the Bulgarian group Sofia 6. The jury acknowledged that the decision was the most complex and closely contested in the 22-year history of the event.
In addition to the runner-up title, Xacarandaina also received awards for Best International Couple Dance and Best Costume, further enhancing the prestige of the artistic presentation by the A Coruña entity.
Rey praised Xacarandaina's ability to showcase Galician culture on major international stages, stating, “Taking our muiñeiras, jotas, dances, and traditional music across the Atlantic and doing so at a level that allowed them to compete with the best groups in the world is a source of pride for the entire city. Xacarandaina represents the best of our culture: tradition, excellence, and a vision for the future.”
This international achievement coincides with the group's first transatlantic tour in history, which was supported by the Concello. Xacarandaina sent a delegation of 29 people to Brazil to present Galician cultural heritage at festivals, educational activities, and cultural exchange meetings.
Throughout its history, the association has conducted extensive ethnographic work across Galicia, documenting and preserving over 500 traditional dances and participating in more than 150 national and international festivals.
