Moldova hosts global folklore event for the first time

Moldova is, for the first time, hosting the José Antonio Viñas Caravan, a major international cultural event organized under the aegis of the International Union of Folklore Associations (I.G.F.). The event will take place on May 7–10 and will bring together artists and delegates from nine countries, in order to celebrate authentic traditions and intercultural dialogue.

About 30 delegates from Austria, France, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and Ukraine, together with artists from Moldova, will perform in a diverse programme of vocal and instrumental folklore.

The caravan’s agenda includes intercultural meetings at the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, official discussions at the Culture Ministry, the inauguration of the I.G.F. Representation Office in Ungheni, as well as the signing of a twinning agreement between the municipality of Ungheni and the city of Izmit of Turkey. The highlight will be the Caravan Gala, organized on the Fraternity Square, where the public will be able to discover the diversity of folkloric expressions from various cultural spaces.

The caravan is dedicated to the memory of Spanish artist José Antonio Viñas and aims to promote traditional cultural heritage at a global level. The organization of the event in Moldova, after the previous edition held in Israel, confirms the increasingly active integration of the country into the international cultural circuit.

This year’s edition is initiated by Dorel Cosma and implemented by the NGO, Center of Perennial Arts, with the support of the Culture Ministry and the City Hall of Ungheni, the host city of the event.

Moldova joined the International Union of Folklore Associations in November 2023.