La Palanca Festival 2025: contemporary and inclusive circus in Esparreguera
From October 3rd to 5th, Esparreguera will host the fifth edition of La Palanca, the Contemporary Circus Festival. The event, established as one of the most important events in Catalonia, has grown with the goal of bringing the circus to everyone.
The festival will offer three days full of shows, workshops, and activities for all ages. Artistic directors Sílvia Compte and Jordi Juanet (Boni) explain that La Palanca is "a window to current talent and a celebration shared with the local community." Each performance has been chosen to excite and surprise through risk, humor, and scenic poetry.
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A festival committed to inclusion
Before the official start of the festival, La Palanca reaffirms its social commitment with a pre-program focused on inclusion. Thanks to the support of the Barcelona Provincial Council and the involvement of the Municipal Residence and the Can Comelles Occupational Workshop, as well as the FIL Foundation, inclusive circus workshops will be organized for people with intellectual disabilities.
Through play and circus techniques, values such as trust and cooperation will be promoted. On September 30th, the Valencian company Sargantana Circ Inclusiu will present the show "Barri" at the Can Comelles Occupational Workshop. This show is full of humor, juggling, and acrobatics, with a heartwarming and vibrant story.
The circus enters the classrooms
With the "Discover the circus world!" project, children and young people from Esparreguera will be able to participate in educational workshops taught by Tub d'Assaig 7.70, and also attend the school show "I Am" by the Marta Sitjà company. The show invites reflection on diversity and social pressure, encouraging acceptance of one's own identity.
An eclectic program with the best contemporary circus
Friday, October 3
- "Fargar", by the Berta Baliu company, will transform the façade of the Teatro de La Pasión with vertical dance and horizontal castles, thanks to the collaboration of the Castellers de Esparreguera.
- "L'escala", directed by Manolo Alcántara, will bring together leading contemporary circus artists for a festive, multidisciplinary evening, with the TheseHarmonics choir and human towers as a symbol of collaboration and collective strength.
Saturday, October 4th
- "Woow!", a poetic and visual proposal without words by the Italian company Bruboc.
- "Baktana", a meeting between an acrobat and a juggler from the Lazuz Company.
- "Playground", by Collectif Primavez, where the spectators become an essential part of the scene.
- "Akri" by Manel Rosés, a poetic solo built around a staircase.
- "Wild Fire" by Wilbur, a show full of humor and vulnerability.
Sunday, October 5th
- "L'Y-longing to fly", by Yldor Llach, inspired by El Petit Príncep and Joan Brossa.
- "Entre oxen y vacas" by La Côte Folle, an emotional journey about memory and forgetting.
- "Desprovisto" by the UpArte Company, a show of great visual and emotional intensity.
The program will run until Saturday, October 11, with the show "Nüshu" by the Capicua company, a tribute to the feminine world and intergenerational transmission. This special performance is part of the events commemorating the 175th anniversary of Colonia Sedó.
Workshops for everyone
The weekend of October 4th and 5th will feature interactive activities for families. On Saturday, Som Circ Social will host workshops in Plaza de Catalunya and Can Comelles. On Sunday, Circo de las Musarañas will host "Circo con Botas" (Circus with Boots) in Plaza de Santa Eulalia, turning it into a fun and interactive space.
All festival venues are accessible and adapted for people with reduced mobility. Street performances are free, and tickets for indoor performances can be purchased at entradas.esparreguera.cat. General admission prices are €8 and €6, with reduced rates (€5.60 and €4.20) for children 4 and older, young people up to 25, large families, seniors, people with disabilities, or the unemployed. Admission is free for children under 4.
La Palanca is an initiative of the Esparreguera City Council, which champions the circus as an artistic and social tool for transformation. In this fifth edition, the festival celebrates its anniversary with a program that combines tradition, commitment, innovation, and excitement.
