Lleida kicks off this afternoon the 45th edition of the Aplec del Caragol with more than 16,000 participants gathered in the Glorieta de los Camps Elisis. The event officially opens after a week of cultural activities organized by Fecoll and will concentrate the inaugural events and the start of the brotherhood dinners of the groups from the first hour.
The official start comes after several days of programming, so that this afternoon's festive opening culminates a calendar that began on Monday with the opening speech by the rector of the Universitat de Lleida and ended last night with the singing of habaneras. The thread of the start thus moves from cultural events to the more massive format of the gathering.
The IX Caragolasso opens the edition at 7:30 PM with Trenca-Clasques as Honorary Group 2026
The inauguration of the Aplec will include the IX Caragolasso at 7:30 PM, one of the central events of the edition's start. In this event, Trenca-Clasques will participate as Honorary Group 2026.
Along with this recognition, the opening program will include the participation of Xavier Bertran, known for the character Lo Cartanyà. The Xaranga Mai Toquem Bé, the Castellers de Lleida, and Ponent Roots will also perform, with Sr. Postu as the event's host.
The expected attendance exceeds 16,000 participants in the Glorieta de los Camps Elisis venue, the space that will once again concentrate the bulk of this edition's activity. This figure highlights the massive nature of the event from the first day.
The Cultural Week ended last night and the Remember 90's evening will start at 8:00 PM
Before the official opening, Fecoll has celebrated the XXVIII Cultural Week of the Aplec. The program began on Monday with the opening speech by M. Àngels Balsells, rector of the UdL, and served as a prelude to the main days of the festival.
Last night, the previous programming ended in the same Glorieta de los Camps Elisis with the XXXII Cantada d'Havaneres de l'Aplec. Arrels de la Terraferma and Sons del Mediterrani were the groups responsible for the performance.
After the Caragolasso, this afternoon's agenda will continue at 8:00 PM in the Plaza Central, Espai Lleida Turisme, with the Remember 90's FlipFlap evening. Later will come the brotherhood dinner of each group, one of the fixed moments of the Aplec's start.
The opening speech of the Cultural Week was given by M. Àngels Balsells on Monday, and the previous programming concluded last night with the XXXII Cantada d'Havaneres in the Glorieta de los Camps Elisis.