Ibiza’s Sa Colla de Vila will host the first edition of VilaFolk, a new cultural event celebrating traditional music, dance and folk heritage, this Friday, August 21, at Es Martell in the Port of Ibiza.
The inaugural VilaFolk 2026 will bring together Sa Colla de Vila and the Grupo de Paloteo y Danza Villa de Ampudia, from Palencia, for an evening showcasing two distinctive traditions from different parts of Spain.
The event will begin at 8:00 pm with a traditional street procession (cercavila) departing from the new clock at Vara de Rey and making its way to Es Martell, where the main performances will take place.
At 8:30 pm, the Grupo de Paloteo y Danza Villa de Ampudia, from Palencia, will take to the stage. The group is dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional dances of its region, including the paloteo, one of the most distinctive forms of Castilian folk dance.
The evening will continue at 9:00 pm with a performance by Sa Colla de Vila, the host group for the first edition of VilaFolk. The Ibiza-based ensemble will present a traditional ball pagès, one of the island’s best-known expressions of cultural heritage.
Celebrating Ibiza’s traditional culture
Founded in 1989 following the creation of a folklore school by Ibiza Town Council, Sa Colla de Vila has spent more than three decades helping to preserve and pass on the island’s traditional culture.
The group teaches and promotes ball pagès, as well as traditional instruments including the flaüta, drum and castanyoles. Throughout the year, its members take part in traditional dances, local festivities and cultural exchanges, both in Ibiza and beyond.
According to the organisers, VilaFolk 2026 aims to highlight traditional culture as a meeting point between different territories and generations. Bringing together Sa Colla de Vila and the group from Ampudia will give audiences the opportunity to experience and compare two different expressions of Spain’s rich folk traditions.
Cultural exchange is already an established part of Sa Colla de Vila’s work. The group regularly organises and participates in meetings with folk ensembles from outside Ibiza, creating opportunities to share traditions, strengthen cultural ties and introduce audiences to different forms of traditional heritage.
Over the years, Sa Colla de Vila has taken part in folk festivals and cultural gatherings across Spain and internationally, helping to promote Ibiza’s traditional culture beyond the island.
The organisers are inviting local residents, families, visitors and anyone interested in traditional culture to come to Es Martell and enjoy an evening dedicated to music, dance and the living traditions of Ibiza and Spain.
