Arrecife en Vivo: sowing culture and reclaiming public space
This is no normal festival, and therein lies its charm.
There are no shuttles, no temporary stages erected in the outskirts of town, no electronic wristbands, no entrance fee.
Instead, there’s an open invitation to share live music in the heart of Arrecife, celebrating life right there on the street, nourishing the mind, offering free access to culture to both locals and tourists.
Since 2013, the festival has been programming concerts in a wide range of genres that have something in common: power, attitude, communication.
On the last two Fridays of September and the first two Fridays of October, Arrecife en Vivo holds four open-air concert routes in the capital of Lanzarote, on stages set up along the shores of the Bay of Arrecife.
Routes? That’s right, routes. The audience walks behind a hardened local rocker called Buli Panés who dresses up as Elvis Presley and carries a giant yellow neon finger on his back pointing in the direction of the concerts.
Thus, in a happy crowd and accompanied by an orchestra, spectators parade from one concert to another, dancing, shouting, walking and hugging in a 2-km-long pedestrian circuit.
Supporting local culture and talent
Since its inception, the presence of bands from the Canary Islands and the island of Lanzarote itself has been fundamental to its line-up. This promotion of local talent earned it a nomination in the Canary Islands Music Awards.
Its complementary activity AEV Channel has highlighted the rich contemporary musical heritage of Lanzarote, through documentaries starring historical and emerging artists from the island. The series has run for two seasons and, in 2024, Arrecife en Vivo will broadcast the third on its YouTube channel.
For the first time this year, the festival has produced a training programme called AEV Training: seven workshops related to music and the performing arts given by renowned professionals, from April to July at the Teatro Víctor Fernández Gopar.
Thinking about the sustainable future of Lanzarote
Four of the students who attended the master’s course given by the specialised photographer Javier Rosa will be working at Arrecife en Vivo this year, thus adding to the list of jobs generated each year by a cultural event that has undeniable benefits for the local community (hiring professionals from Lanzarote, hotel bookings, taxis, restaurants…).
Its cleaning protocol, its mobility arrangements (by bike, with shared electric cars), its commitment to working with Adislan users and to making young artists visible, its rice paper confetti, its reusable cups, its bamboo straws and its lighting and sound design (with minimal impact on the natural environment) are just some of the commitments made by the festival to be as sustainable as possible, both environmentally and socially.
The maxim is to take care of the neighbourhood, the stage of city life. The concerts are held in parks and squares in the Arrecife marina – a place as fragile as it is biodiverse – and once the show is over, the place must be left as clean as it was before, if not cleaner. The second commandment of this unique festival is to offer free access to culture for the whole population and to make the street a space for art and social encounters for all ages and conditions.
10 years!
Voted Best Small Format Festival (2016) and Best Medium Format Festival (2019) at the Iberian Festival Awards, Arrecife en Vivo celebrates its tenth anniversary this year – 10 years with a loyal audience that will give its all in an extra concert on September 23rd where rock and punk rock stars like El Drogas, with his show Barricada-40°, Def Con Dos, Hamlet, Lady Banana, Serial Killer and Sickmen will come together. If you haven’t got your ticket yet, get a move on because they’re about to sell out.
The festival’s regular routes, which have free admission, will be held on Fridays 22 and 29 September, 6 and 13 October, with a line-up headed by Tote King, Alizzz, Desakato, La Plazuela, Los Estanques and Anni B Sweet, Niña Polaca, Ácido Pantera, Doctor Explosión, R de Rumba & Carlos Porcel, Calva Louise, Cantera Rock (ayoung band from the Toñín Corujo Music School), Space Surimi, Baldosa, Akelarre, Ya No Te Quiero, La Jaula del Canario, dj CHK, Freewomen and Cheese & Bacon DJs.
In September, the festival will be doing a mini tour of the Canary Islands. On the 2nd of September there will be a presentation party in Puerto del Rosario with J.E.R.I, DJ Keroi and DJ CHK and on the 8th and 9th of September it will be in Las Palmas and La Laguna with Grande Amore in concert.
You can consult routes and timetables and resolve all your doubts on the festival’s website. This year many people from all over the Canary Islands are expected to travel to Arrecife, attracted by the originality of the format, the line-up and the extraordinary festive atmosphere that this adventure generates.