The Festival de Ortigueira has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Runas competition, now in its 27th year. This year, the contest adds a new incentive: the winner of the final will not only perform on the festival’s main stage, but may also join the lineup of the Festival Internacional Sierra Celta, held during the Medieval Days organized by the Cortegana City Council in Huelva. In addition, the higher cash awards introduced last year will remain in place.
The competition is aimed at emerging bands with between two and 10 members whose repertoire is connected to traditional Celtic and folk music. Applications are open until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
The selection process will unfold in two stages. First, a technical committee appointed by the Ortigueira City Council will choose up to 10 acts. Then, on Monday, May 4, the public voting phase will begin on the festival’s website. Voting will remain open until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.
Three finalists will be selected through a five-vote system. One vote will come from the public poll on the festival website, with scores from 1 to 10 based on the total number of votes received. The other four votes will come from a jury of industry professionals, including musicians, journalists and music promoters, selected by the festival’s organizing committee. The festival will announce the three finalists between May 19 and May 22 on its website and social media channels.
The finalists will perform on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at the Festival Internacional do Mundo Celta de Ortigueira. Each act will receive a fee of €2,000. They will share the bill with artists such as Yves Lambert, Lúnasa, Solas, Noon, Anxo Lorenzo, Rubén Alba and Xara, the Madrid group that won the 2025 Runas competition.
After those live performances, a professional jury appointed by the organizing committee will select the winner. That act will return to the festival in 2027 for another performance with a €3,000 fee, which will bring its total earnings to €5,000. The winner may also join the bill for the Festival Internacional Sierra Celta in August 2026.
Runas was created to promote Celtic culture and music by supporting emerging bands, with a focus on original material. More than 250 national and international acts have taken part so far.
More information about the contest: festivaldeortigueira.com/runas/
(headline image: Xara, winners of Concurso Runas 2025. The band is set to perform in the 2026 edition of the Ortigueira festival.)
Author: World Music Central News Room
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