Acampallengua: towards 30 years of history
The first edition took place in Inca in 1997, three years after the founding of Joves per la Llengua. One of the keys to this mobilization are the 300 volunteers
PalmaFor Joves de Mallorca per la Llengua, 2026 is a historic year. For the first time in the same year, the entity's two major events will be celebrated: l’Acampallengua and Correllengua. Correllengua will be in a new format, which adds the 'Agermanat' lineage and will travel from north to south through the Catalan Countries between April 19 and May 5.
Acampallengua was born in 1997, three years after the founding of Joves, in a context of success of the first editions of Correllengua. The organization was looking for a demonstration of strength more focused on young people, which would be different. Thus, the first Acampallengua was born, in Inca.
The project was born at a time when large festivals with camping were very fashionable. Although Acampallengua introduces a differentiating factor: while these festivals were always held in the same place, Acampallengua would be rotational through the towns of Mallorca and would locate the campsite near the urban center, with the aim of maximum interaction with the municipality.
L’Acampallengua is the concert and the camping area, but above all the activities. They have evolved over time, but the sports tournaments, the ballada, the glosada, popular culture, and important debates for our land have been present since day one. In both Felanitx and Manacor, the weekend features around 30 activities, many organized by local entities. These spaces give meaning to the slogan ‘More than a festival’.
The current edition, in Manacor, is the fifteenth, with the precedent of a smaller edition in Ferreries in 2010. The last time it was held in Manacor was in 2012, in an edition marked by controversy: the mayor Antoni Pastor gave a speech that practically declared war on Bauzá. That episode would become a milestone in island politics and a step towards the birth of El Pi. That edition was also the last for a few years, until its revival in 2023 with Antònia Font's concert in sa Pobla.
There are editions that stand out for the stories told by those who were part of them. Tomeu Martí particularly remembers the one in Binissalem in 2002. “It was impossible to set up the stage or do sound checks, and the camping area, without being set up, was flooded”, he explains. After a great effort by the volunteers – with mud, stuck trucks, and hours of work –, the event was able to take place normally.
The slogan ‘Acampes a Campos’ from 2011 also remains in memory, surrounded by a story that has become almost legendary. According to the account, an individual entered the campsite one evening with a chainsaw, which generated moments of tension and bewilderment among attendees. Over the years, the story has been distorted: some claim the chainsaw had no chain, others that the whole thing has been exaggerated, and there are also those who simply don't believe it. Be that as it may, the episode has become one of Acampallengua's most talked-about myths.
The network of volunteers, made up of more than 300 people from all over Mallorca, is key to understanding the event. Everything is organized thanks to their time and commitment, with the aim of advancing linguistic normalization and building a better Mallorca. Acampallengua is a concert and a festival, but above all it is what transcends it: the activities, popular culture, collective debate, and the feeling that collectivity is regaining strength.