The 21st edition of the Blues & Boogie Cycle in L'Hospitalet is set to run from 24 October to 28 November, establishing itself once again as a key event dedicated to blues music in Catalonia. Organised by the Collblanc-la Torrassa Cultural Centre, the festival will feature a mix of concerts, street performances, and activities aimed at audiences of all ages.
The festival will kick off on 24 October with the sixth edition of CL'HAP!, a gospel gathering led by New Gospel Hospitalet, which will include workshops and a choral concert at the Bellvitge-Gornal Cultural Centre.
Blues performances across L'Hospitalet
The Collblanc-la Torrassa Cultural Centre will be a central venue for the festival, hosting a programme that includes both established artists from the national and international scenes. The series will begin on 30 October with The Bo Derek’s, a band from Vigo known for their energetic performances of classic rock and rhythm & blues.
Other notable acts include Andrea & The Black Cats from Galicia on 6 November, and Big Mama Montse & Captain’s Brotherhood, a prominent Catalan blues group, on 28 November. The international line-up features French guitarist and singer Manu Lanvin, who will perform on 13 November, blending classic blues with rock, and the American band DeRobert & The Half-Truths, bringing their raw and energetic soul influenced by gospel and funk on 20 November.
One of the highlights of the festival will occur on 28 November at the Auditori Barradas, which will host the Boogie Woogie Jubilee featuring international pianists Fabrice Eulry and James Goodwin, alongside Lluís Coloma, recognised as one of Spain's leading ambassadors of boogie-woogie. That same day, the Bellvitge-Gornal Cultural Centre will also host the final of the Barcelona Blues Society's Band Competition, aimed at promoting emerging talents and new bands within the Catalan and Spanish blues scene.
Blues in public spaces
The festival will also bring live music to public spaces, with performances scheduled for the Repartidor Square and Bòbila Square. The programme includes Down Home Blues, a trio paying homage to the purest roots of blues on 7 November; Chino Swingslide, a prominent figure in Barcelona's blues circuit on 14 November; and Lust ‘n’ Found featuring Joan Pau Cumellas, who will merge blues with folk music on 28 November.
Educational activities
In addition to concerts, the festival will maintain its educational aspect with the presentation of the book 40 years of blues in Barcelona by Joan “Linux” Martínez and Serres and Manolo López Poy at the Tecla Sala Central Library. An exhibition based on this publication will also be held at the Collblanc-la Torrassa Cultural Centre.
All concerts and activities are free to attend, except for the Boogie Woogie Jubilee concert, which requires a reservation through codetickets.com due to limited capacity.
