The show ‘Benthos,’ by choreographer, dancer, and researcher Adrián Herrera, will be the centerpiece of the ninth edition of Las Noches del Patrimonio in Ibiza, which will take place on September 11 and 12 simultaneously in Spain’s 15 World Heritage Cities.
The City Council will offer 15 free activities that will invite residents and visitors to rediscover the historic ensemble, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from new perspectives, according to a City Council press release.
‘Benthos’ will premiere in Ibiza after an artist-in-residence program. The contemporary dance piece will be performed on Saturday at the Town Hall Cloister, with two shows at 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM, each lasting 20 minutes. The piece takes Posidonia oceanica as its starting point and, through the language of the body, brings the processes of balance, degradation, and recovery of seagrass meadows to the stage, establishing a dialogue between natural heritage and contemporary creation.
Once again, the program is structured around the three main themes promoted by the Spanish Group of UNESCO World Heritage Cities (GCPHE). One of these, ‘Abierto Patrimonio,’ will allow historic sites to open their doors for special nighttime sessions; ‘Vive Patrimonio’ will fill the Upper Town with music and theater; and ‘Escena Patrimonio’ will bring contemporary creativity to our historic monuments.
Carmen Domínguez, the Councillor for Culture and Heritage of the Ibiza City Council, highlighted that this event “is an extraordinary opportunity to experience the Upper Town in a different way, when the heritage complex comes to life with music, dance, theater, and culture.“ She also highlighted that they want both residents and visitors to the city to discover that heritage is not just a legacy of the past, “but a living space that continues to generate experiences, emotions, and creativity.”
Guided suggestions
The program also includes four guided tours that offer visitors the opportunity to explore some of the most iconic sites within the walled city, such as the Ibiza and Formentera Historical Archive, which will open its doors for guided tours on September 11 and 12 at 8:00 PM. What makes this year special is that at least nine royal letters from Alfonso V will be on display.
Madina Yabisa, under the direction of Carmen Mezquida, will offer the tour ‘A Night on the Walls of Dalt Vila,’ an experience that recreates what life was like inside the walled city when night fell and the watch and defense systems were activated. The tours will begin at 7:30 PM, departing from the Portal Nou, and advance reservations are required. Reservations can be made by emailing madinayabisa@eivissa.es or by calling 971 392 390.
There will also be special tours of two of the city’s most notable temporary exhibitions. On Friday the 11th at 9:00 PM, the Puget Museum will offer a guided tour of the “And on the Sea, Dreams” exhibition by Hans Grass, while the MACE will do the same on Saturday the 12th at 9:00 PM with the “Golden Sky” exhibition by Stefan Brüggemann.
The Vive Patrimonio program will bring a variety of artistic events to unique spaces in the Upper Town. The music will begin on Friday the 11th with a concert by Santi Pérez and Anikó Pusztai at 7:00 PM at Es Refectori. Later, at 8:30 PM, the saxophone ensemble will perform at the Mirador of Plaza d’Espanya, and the evening will culminate with a jazz quartet at 10:00 PM in the City Hall cloister.
Theater will take center stage with dramatized tours of the Upper Town, an entertaining way to travel back to the Renaissance era and discover how its inhabitants lived. There will be two tours: Friday the 11th at 6:00 PM and Saturday the 12th at 11:00 AM. The meeting point is the Old Market, and no advance reservation is required.
Up to six open spaces
The ‘Abierto Patrimonio’ initiative will allow visitors to enjoy six historic sites with extended opening hours and free admission, including the Ibiza Museum of Contemporary Art (MACE), the Puget Museum, and the Madina Yabisa Interpretation Center, among others.
These spaces will remain open in the evening during the two days of celebrations, offering a unique opportunity to explore the heritage of Dalt Vila in a different atmosphere. The 15 activities organized by the Ibiza City Council are part of an initiative that will bring together more than 500 free cultural activities in Spain’s 15 World Heritage Cities.
