Puerto de la Cruz has once again turned into one giant open-air stage…
And for a few days at least, it probably has one of the highest concentrations of artists per square metre anywhere in the Canary Islands.
Mueca Takes Over the City
The International Street Art Festival Mueca continues drawing thousands of people through the streets of Puerto de la Cruz, with more than:
🎭 50 performances
📍 20 locations
🎶 Artists from across Spain and beyond
Transforming the town centre into a mix of theatre, music, dance, circus and street performance.
Visitors Returning Year After Year
Among the crowds this weekend were José María Garrido and his wife Loly Gortázar from La Rioja, who say they first discovered Mueca during a wedding anniversary trip to Tenerife.
Since then…
They’ve returned four years in a row.
That’s probably the best advert the festival could ask for.
Music Everywhere
One of the things Mueca does best is making art appear where you least expect it.
A quiet side street suddenly becomes a concert venue…
A square becomes a theatre…
And the harbour turns into a giant performance space.
Local Talent Also Takes Centre Stage
The Puerto de la Cruz Municipal Music School performed across several streets during the day, bringing students and teachers into the middle of the festival atmosphere.
Among them was Alberto Carrera, a retired dentist who swapped dentistry for percussion instruments several years ago.
Quite the career change really.
International and Canarian Influences
Projects like Flüa mixed:
- Electronic music
- Chácaras
- Silbo Gomero
- Field recordings
- Tropical rhythms
Creating one of the more unusual soundtracks of the weekend.
Meanwhile, Las Palmas band Alizulh brought experimental electronic sounds to the streets near La Quinta and Carrillo.
The Harbour Becomes a Stage
By evening, huge crowds gathered around the dock area for performances including:
🔥 Federico Menini’s Llar
🥁 Bloko percussion
🎭 Abubukkaka
💃 Daniel Abreu’s Selva
With some performances attracting crowds of around a thousand people.
Final Day Still to Come
Sunday marks the final chance to experience this year’s edition of Mueca…
Before Puerto de la Cruz slowly returns to normal again.
At least until next year.