Literary memory
Barcelona Poetry 2026 does not forget where we come from.The program is full of tributes that recover the most classic verses to show that their memory still helps us understand today's world. They are not simple tributes; the idea is to bring the great names to the street and make their voice part of the city again:- Blai Bonet: the Mallorcan poet is the face of this edition on the occasion of the celebration of his centenary. His gaze stars in the poster created by the Setanta studio. From the festival, we are invited to reread his work from a contemporary perspective.
- Joan Alcover: on the centenary of his death, figures such as Biel Mesquida and Berta Giraut will offer a commented recital to rediscover the validity of his verses.
- Clementina Arderiu: this year marks half a century since her death and, within the framework of the festival, the show Dues cares dono al riu will be presented. It is a recital for four voices and live music to pay tribute to her poetry.
Martí Sales wins the Jocs Florals Poetry Prize
One of the most anticipated moments of Barcelona Poesía 2026 will beon May 18 at 6 p.m.. The Saló de Cent of the City Council will open its doors to present the Premi de Poesia Jocs Florals de Barcelona 2026 toMartí Sales i Sariola.Martí Sales is what in culture we call an "all-rounder." He is not the typical poet who only sits down to write in his library;he comes from the mud, from the night and from the street,and that shows in everything he does. First of all, many people know him for beingthe singer of Els Surfing Sirles, one of the most authentic rock-punk groups Barcelona has produced. And that is key: his poetry is not "boring" or elitist,has the same strength and rage he had on stage with the guitar. He is defined as "polyhedral" because he does everything:he has directed festivals, has written novels, has done theater and has translated works. He does not allow himself to be pigeonholed into a single label.
The jury, made up of experts such as Gemma Casamajó and Jordi Vintró, has awarded a voice that has never lost its capacity to surprise. This award confirms that Martí Sales' poetry is, right now, a key piece for understanding where contemporary Catalan lyric poetry is heading, taking over from recent winners such as Adrià Targa or Glòria Coll.
Descripció del món is the title of Martí Sales' book. It is a tribute to Marco Polo's travel book, in which the author does something similar: he travels through reality and describes it to us in his own way. The manuscript was unanimously chosen (all the judges agreed immediately) from among 55 originals; a fact that demonstrates that the text had such evident quality and such an authentic voice that there was no doubt: he was the best poet of this edition of Jocs Florals 2026.
Poetry in Catalan
Despite the strong international presence, the soul of the festival remains the Catalan language. The program will allow audiences to reconnect with the lyricism of Mercè Rodoreda through the proposal Devoro flors d'una a una (May 18 at the CCCB) or delve into the metaphysics of Màrius Sampere.
The festival manages to integrate established authors such as Dolors Miquel, Francesc Parcerisas or Care Santos with the new voices of poets such as Jordi Bossons, Maria Garcia Garau or Sasha Pradkhan. This combination offers a real overview of current Catalan lyric poetry.
Music, theater and classics star in Barcelona Poesía 2026
Barcelona Poesía 2026 once again demonstrates that poetry does not live alone.Music will have a leading role with names of the stature ofFerran Palau, Marina Rossell, Eduard Iniesta and Guillem Ramisa, who will present their most recent projects to dialogue with verse. One of the strong points will beLleona, the creative union of Blanca Lamar(Les Sueques) and the poet Maria Callís, a project that rescues the voices ofgreat women writers of the 19th and 20th centuriesfrom Maria Antònia Salvà to Dolors Miquel. Within the poster we also find other very interesting proposals such asMitescere, May 18, a tribute to female voices that will uniteEduard Iniesta and David Alegretin a classical and lyrical music recital.
On May 19, Cants i enCants de dona will arrive, a journey through musicalized poems that focuses on female creation. But the grand finale will be at Born CCM on May 20 with a double luxury event: on one hand, singer-songwriter and poet Guillem Ramisa will present Tot va sol, where he alternates his songs with the reading of his own poems; and, to close the circle, the voice of Marina Rossell, accompanied on the piano by Xavi Lloses, will offer a proposal that reaffirms why song is, in reality, a very pure way of enjoying poetry.
The theatrical scene will also be present at the festival with high-level proposals. On one hand, Emma Vilarasau and Jordi Bosch will recite Venus and Adonis, the first poem by William Shakespeare, under the musical script of Lluís Claret. On the other, Josep Maria Flotats will offer at La Pedrera an immersive journey through the sensibility of French symbolist poetry.
A luxury closing with La Nit del Palau
The closing of Barcelona Poesía 2026 will arrive on May 21 at 8 p.m. at the Palau de la Música Catalana. The modernist space will open its doors to celebrate the event known as La Nit del Palau, an act directed by Lucia del Greco. The show invites us to inhabit a "cosmic" luminous and musical space, where seven poets from around the world will share their words.
We will have very prominent lyrical voices: from Turkey, Adnan Özer will bring the weight of ancestral traditions; from India, Mamta Sagar —in Kannada language (kannada)— will speak about social commitment; South African Koleka Putuma will shake the audience with her proposal on race and gender; and Ethiopian Bewketu Seyoum will close the circle with his view on social reality.
Barcelona becomes the capital of poetry
The program of Barcelona Poesía 2026 shows us that poetry is not a solitary act of reading: it is a collective artthat needs to be shared. The festival has returned to its roots to remind us that, although the world is moving towards digitalization, verse remains the place where words retain their weight and truth.Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
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