The Beñesmer festival, inspired by the ancestral Harvest Festival, will take place from August 6 to 8 in El Agujero. The programme includes talks, workshops, music, and the opening of the La Guancha Interpretation Centre as a venue.
The coastal neighbourhood of El Agujero, in Gáldar, will host a new edition of the Beñesmer Festival from August 6 to 8, recreating the ancient Harvest Festival of the pre-Hispanic Canarians. Organised by the Gáldar City Council through the Department of Identity, led by Carlos Ruiz Moreno, this year's event will feature the opening of the La Guancha Interpretation Centre as a new venue.
The festival will kick off on Thursday, August 6 at 20:00 at the La Guancha Interpretation Centre with the talk ‘What is Beñesmer?’, led by researcher Rumén Sosa. Following the lecture, the group Generación del 21, made up of young Canarians committed to art and culture, will perform.
On Friday, August 7, the programme will start at 19:00 with the screening of the short film ‘Pervivencia’, by Alberto García Miranda and Almudena Ruiz Rey, a tribute to persecuted women of power. From 19:30 to 21:30, the podcast ‘Solo Palique de Beñesmer’ will feature guests such as Idaira Brito, Eliezer Medina, Clara Díaz, and Juan Francisco Betancort. The day will conclude with a night visit to the La Guancha Interpretation Centre, which will include an astronomical activity, with prior registration at entradas.galdar.es.
Saturday, August 8 will be the main day. From 10:00 to 19:00, the Craft Fair will take place in Plaza Mr. Leacock. In the morning, guided tours to the archaeological sites of Bocabarranco and El Agujero will be conducted (with prior registration), a Bola Canaria workshop led by the Engaliate collective, and the presentation of the book ‘Once Upon a Time a Islander’ by Teresa Gubern. There will also be ‘Wool Encounters with the Origins’ with weaver Fabiola Santana Pérez and a meeting of Juego del Palo Canario, declared a Cultural Asset of Interest, with participants from El Hierro, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Tenerife.
At 12:00, Teresa Gubern will present ‘No me quejo’, followed by the Tagoror 15’ under the title ‘From those powders, these muds: the imprint of colonialism in present-day Canarias’. After a break for lunch, the afternoon will include a second guided tour of the archaeological sites, the workshop ‘Today I come to tell the story’, and whistling activities with the Association Yo Silbo. From 17:00 to 18:00, there will be Juego del Palo workshops ‘Plough Lifting’ and storytelling ‘YuPa Fantasy: YuPaventuras’, as well as a Amazigh writing workshop with Rumén Sosa.
From 18:00 to 20:00, there will be a second session of ‘Wool Encounters with the Origins’ and a painting workshop with natural pigments, ‘The Canarian Almagre and its History’, taught by Mujer Caracol. Simultaneously, the collective Tambor de Cabra will perform. At 19:00, Teresa Gubern will present ‘I Carry the Sea’ alongside comedian David García. The festival will close at 20:00 with a concert by Canarian artist Raquel Molina, whose musical proposal focuses on Canarian roots.
The ‘Beñesmer Chinijo’ space at the La Guancha Interpretation Centre will offer activities for children and families throughout Saturday, with wool workshops, storytelling, and painting with natural pigments.
The Councillor for Identity, Carlos Ruiz Moreno, has highlighted that Beñesmer “is an opportunity to connect with our roots and value the intangible heritage of Canarias.” Entry to most activities is free until capacity is reached, except for guided tours and the astronomical activity, which require prior registration on the municipal website.
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