Nuno Coelho, president of the Associação Recreativa da Juventude Mirandesa (ARJM), announced that the 15th edition of the festival will feature performances by UHF, Pica&Trilha, Sebastião Antunes&Quadrilha, and Diabo a Sete.
“This way, we make the most of the entire weekend, with musical concerts taking place in the main tent on Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday, the music will be improvised, and everyone is invited,” he stated.
Over the past 15 years, the Geada Festival has established itself through a fusion of sounds ranging from rock to folk and traditional Mirandese music, complementing other cultural transformations.
The linguistic and musical diversity is a hallmark of the Geada Festival, with a special emphasis on the Mirandese and Castilian languages.
For the 2024 edition, the festival attracted around two thousand participants, with this year’s goal being to reach three thousand, as the event extends its program by an additional day compared to previous editions.
“This festival started in 2007 to celebrate the anniversary of a group of pauliteiros from Terra de Miranda, and since then, efforts have been made to make Geada a reference among winter festivals in the northern interior border region, where Spanish visitors are significant,” Coelho noted.
Among various recreational, musical, and cultural activities, the highlight is the tour of the historic cellars in this 16th-century city, allowing visitors to taste regional products and experience traditional cellars, engaging with the local population and boosting the circular economy of the city.
The festival’s motto remains “Bamos derretir l carambelo!” (“Let’s melt the ice”), referring to the harsh winter typical of the Mirandese Plateau.
Throughout the historic city’s streets, particularly on Rua da Costanilha, fires will be lit to warm visitors.
The Geada Festival is part of the winter solstice celebrations, serving as a cultural and social manifestation of great importance to Miranda do Douro and the Trás-os-Montes region.
The 15th edition of the festival aims to continue offering a diverse set of activities promoting local culture, the Mirandese language, and traditions, while also reinforcing sustainable regional development and social cohesion.
The festival also focuses on integrating and creating partnerships with local associations and institutions, such as the Pauliteiras of Miranda do Douro, providing “a new dimension to ARJM and consequently to the festival itself, underscoring a commitment to promote Mirandese culture in an inclusive and innovative manner.”
ARJM emphasizes the importance of the event affirming itself as a cohesion agent by involving the entire community and visitors in an “immersive experience,” with active participation opportunities for all social and age groups.
