If you love classical, historical, and traditional music as well as a scenic setting and a seaside vacation, then we have the perfect destination for a holiday in Spain: Peñíscola. This charming town, located along the Costa del Azahar in Valencia, is overlooked by its ancient castle fortress and is fronted by a long sandy beach. During the day in the summer months, it bustles with tourists and beach-goers and, by night in August, the air is filled with the sound of Baroque tunes that drift down from concerts at the castle. To attend one of these magical events for yourself and to explore all that this gem of a town has to offer, book one of our villas in Peñíscola.
The Festival Internacional De Música Antigua Y Barroca De Peñíscola, or International Festival of Early and Baroque Music of Peñíscola, takes place each year in August and was inaugurated back in 1996. The festival kicks off early in August (or at the very end of July on some years) with a so-called pyro-musical show involving music and fireworks on the beach-front. After this, there is then a series of concerts that are held in the Gothic hall of the castle each evening for around a week to ten days. Inviting some of the biggest artists in the genre and the most talented and experienced international specialists, it is a virtuoso display of musical wonder in the impossibly atmospheric and evocative surroundings of the ancient and majestic castle. Making your way through the historic centre of town, up to the striking castle, with the lights of the buildings below glittering and the Mediterranean crashing against cliffs and lapping the long beach, in order to attend a wonderful musical performance is a pretty magical way to spend an evening on vacation in Spain!
In addition to the concerts, there are some other events that take place throughout the duration of the festival, including film screenings, exhibitions, and other types of cultural experiences. As part of this schedule, some free performances are held for families. Free tickets for these concerts and the cinema screenings are distributed an hour before the events to those interested in limited qualities.
Generally, however, tickets for the festival tend to be relatively inexpensive and can be bought singularly or as part of bundles for five performances or access to all performances – with greater savings offered for those who purchase these larger tickets. Last year tickets cost €12 for individual concerts, passes to attend five concerts were €50, and those granting access to all events were €100. This year’s tickets will likely cost the same or a similar price as these have not changed hugely in recent years. They can be purchased in advance of your stay in one of our vacation rentals in Peñíscola by checking them out online once they go on sale or in person during your holiday from the box office at the Casa de L’Aigua.
So, come enjoy the sound of lutes and organs and fiddles or wondrous harmonising of choral groups as they echo around the ancient halls of Peñíscola’s beautiful castle and its Gothic hall. Listen to the great works of the likes of Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach. Appreciate an incredible night of culture and art and emotion. Do all of this while also spending your days splashing around and having fun in the Mediterranean, working on your tan on the town’s lengthy beach, exploring the history of the Old Town and the amenities of the new town, hiking and mountain biking in the amazing surrounding landscape, and having all sorts of adventures. It all sounds like a perfect combination to us! Just find your holiday rental in Peñíscola today and plan your cultural getaway for August.