The Acampallengua returns to Manacor with strength and calls to live fully in Catalan

ManacorTwo large banners hang from the upper balcony of Manacor City Hall. They announce the Acampallengua, which will take place this Saturday, April 11th, and Sunday, April 12th, throughout the city. A weekend that is fun, cultural, but above all, a demand for a fully normalized life in Catalan. It is expected that if last year in Felanitx the number of participants was around 4,500 people, "this year the figure will be similar or slightly higher."

"It is true that at the same time as we are proud to host, after 14 years since the last one, another Acampallengua, it is also a shame that we have to use gatherings like these to demand the use of our own language," said the mayor of Manacor, Miquel Oliver, this morning.

This year marks 27 years since the first Acampallengua in 1997 in Inca. “A meeting that is more than a festival, more than a camp,” explains Josep Buades, spokesperson for Joves per la Llengua, the entity organizing the events. “It is especially important at a time when we are experiencing a reactionary rise and individualistic positions, to know that Acampanllengua is a collective project of the youth of this island.”

He added that it has a dual function: “On the one hand, it is a leisure space that allows participants to socialize and live in Catalan. As well as being a space where the youth of this land claim a Mallorca fully in Catalan. This year, especially as a claim within the university framework.”

“According to a study by the Consell de la Joventut de les Illes Balears, the presence of Catalan at the UIB is more worrying than we thought: Only 1 out of every 20 classes that Health Sciences students receive is in Catalan,” states Buades. “Then, when we see linguistic aggressions in the hospital setting, it is inevitable not to think about this data.”

Camp and concerts

The camping area will be located on land situated between the Ronda de Felanitx and Na Molla park, where the concerts will take place. Everyone from 10 am onwards will be able to collect their wristband, t-shirt, and everything necessary to be able to camp. Activities will begin at 11 am, also spread throughout the center of Manacor, Ramon Llull square, Convent square or Font i Roig, "to thus involve the whole town in festive days and collective self-esteem".

For her part, Maria Maians referred to the lineup of artists who will perform on the Na Molla Park stage on Saturday: "We will have a lineup that we think is ambitious and which highlights the album launches by La Ludwig Band, Maria Jaume and Plan-ET, in addition to Nastallat and Auxili".

On Saturday there will be more than 30 activities including talks, debate spaces on the reality of the Islands, sports tournaments, or other classic ones and a great display of popular culture, which will include a great dance, a glosa and a parade that will bring participants to the concerts. The following Sunday, the workshops will continue until the great closing lunch in Plaça Ramon Llull.

It is also curious that for the first time Acampallengua and Correllengua Agermanat (from April 19 to May 5 for all Catalan Countries; May 2 and 3 in Mallorca) will coincide in dates.

“We are proud that Acampallengua is returning to Manacor. And even though the organizers are Joves de Mallorca per la Llengua, all citizens of any age group are invited”, said Oliver, who also recalled that the entity will receive this spring the Recognition of Merits from the Municipal School of Mallorquí 2026.