On 14 September, coinciding with the main day of the Fiestas del Cristo, La Laguna will host La Noche del Patrimonio, a significant cultural occasion celebrated concurrently by the fifteen municipalities forming the Group of World Heritage Cities in Spain. The alignment with the celebration of Christ influences this year’s agenda, which will be more compact, yet simultaneously adds a symbolic weight to the event, as La Laguna prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of its listing on the UNESCO Heritage List.
“Heritage Night is a remarkable celebration that brings together the 15 cities of our Group towards a shared aim of welcoming visitors, relishing a vibrant heritage and providing an experience abundant in art, culture and tradition,” stated the mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, who also highlighted that this edition concludes the programme celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Group’s formation.
Heritage Night is segmented into three parts, common among the 15 cities. The Heritage Department has curated a distinctive programme centred around the premiere of Lagunkak, a dance performance devised for the occasion by the Basque company Kukai Dantza.
This event merges contemporary dance with the cultural heritage of the Canary Islands, particularly that of La Laguna, owing to the collaboration between the award-winning choreographer and dancer Jon Maya, who has received the National Dance Award, and La Laguna-based artist, Rogelio Botanz. The title Lagunak corresponds to the city selected to develop this artistic exchange, and its translation into Basque is ‘amigo’.
The evening will commence at 5:00 p.m. in the square of the former Santo Domingo convent. A whistled signal relayed from San Roque mountain to the bell tower will announce the beginning, prompting a member of the La Laguna Bell Ringers Association to start ringing the tajaraste. The Dance of Los Viejos de Las Mercedes and the Caballitos de Fuego will follow, inviting everyone to immerse themselves in a contemporary dance experience.
The performance will conclude inside the convent, featuring musical contributions from Botanz, the group Percuteras de Garaldea, violinist Arkaitz Miner, and Basque percussionists Mairi and Xalbat Maya. To round off the event, the participants will parade towards the Plaza del Adelantado, enlivened by drums, chácaras, whistles, bucios, and more whistles.
