Free Acetre concert closes Oria’s magical and historic summer festival

A historic square, a veteran folk group and no ticket price give Oria one last summer night out before July ends. Acetre will bring sounds from both sides of the Spanish-Portuguese border to the Plaza de la Constitución at 10.30pm.

A folk sound shaped by two cultures

Acetre comes from Olivenza, the border town in Badajoz where Spanish and Portuguese traditions meet. Formed in 1976, the group reworks music from Extremadura alongside Portuguese fados, corridinhos and other traditional forms.

The Oria date comes in Acetre’s 50th year. Its repertoire draws on regional dance tunes, dawn songs and festive melodies from Extremadura, alongside Portuguese influences. The result remains rooted in the border country without being treated as a historical recreation. 

That makes the group a fitting closing act for Rincones de Música y Palabra, a festival built around bringing music and performance into places with a strong local identity. 

Five nights in five corners of Oria

This year’s 16th edition began on July 2 at the Era de Ciezar with Albardín. Fernando Labordeta and Kikín Fernández followed at the Lavadero del Rulador, Los Hermanos Cubero played beside the Ermita de San Gregorio, and Javier Ojeda took the fourth concert to Plaza del Norte. The final performance moves into Plaza de la Constitución, closing a five-night programme spread across July.

Over its 15-year history, Rincones has hosted musicians including Diana Navarro, Pedro Guerra, Carmen París and Marwán, as well as writers and storytellers such as Espido Freire and Félix Albo. The wider festival format combines music with literature, oral tradition and stage performance, although the five advertised dates this year are concerts.

Oria’s deputy mayor has described the idea as an alternative to large, conventional events. The festival uses settings including threshing floors, old public washing places, chapels and plazas, with lanterns, candles and torches forming part of its wider visual style.

Free entry for the final concert

The Acetre concert begins at 10.30pm on Friday July 31 in Plaza de la Constitución, Oria. Admission is free until capacity is reached, making an early arrival sensible.

The festival is organised by Oria council, with backing from Almería provincial council, the Junta de Andalucía’s tourism department and Cosentino.