The Concert for Freedom was a concert held at

Camp Nou Camp Nou (, meaning ''new field'', often referred to in English as the Nou Camp), officially branded as Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship and financial reasons, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It has been the home stadium of FC Barc ...

football stadium in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

on 29 June 2013, organized by

Òmnium Cultural Òmnium Cultural () is a Catalan association based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It was originally created in the 1960s to promote the Catalan language and spread Catalan culture. Over the years it has increased its involvement in broader political is ...

in conjunction with other civil society organization such as the

Assemblea Nacional Catalana The Assemblea Nacional Catalana ("Catalan National Assembly"; ANC by its Catalan acronym) is an organization that seeks the political independence of Catalonia from Spain. It also promotes the independence of other Catalan-speaking regions, whic ...

and the Plataforma Pro Seleccions Esportives Catalanes with the goal using the universal language of music to demand the right of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

and other nations of the world to freely and democratically decide their future. Some 90,000 people were in attendance. Between the

2012 Catalan independence demonstration The 2012 Catalan independence demonstration was a protest march which occurred in central Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, on 11 September 2012 during the National Day of Catalonia. The protestors demanded the independence of Catalonia and its e ...

and the

Catalan Way The Catalan Way ( ca, Via Catalana), also known as the Catalan Way towards Independence ( ca, Via Catalana cap a la Independència), was a human chain in support of Catalan independence from Spain. It was organized by the Assemblea Nacional Ca ...

, the concert was another social mobilization event in favor of

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the s ...

. More than 400 artists performed, among them

Lluís Llach Lluís Llach i Grande (; born 7 May 1948) is a Catalan singer-songwriter, novelist and politician from Spain. He is one of the main representatives of the ''nova cançó'' genre and an outspoken advocate of the right to self-determination ...

, Sopa de Cabra, Miquel Gil,

Pastora Pastora were a Spanish/Catalan electronic group from Barcelona, consisting of Dolo Beltrán (vocals), Caïm Riba Pastor (guitar, synthesisers and programming) and Pauet Riba Pastor (programming and visuals.) Origins After studying visual and di ...

, Joana Serrat, Jofre Bardagí, Jordi Batiste, Lídia Pujol,

Maria del Mar Bonet Maria del Mar Bonet i Verdaguer (Balearic Catalan: ; born 1947 in Palma, Majorca) is a Spanish singer from the island of Majorca. Early life and career Bonet studied ceramics in the school of arts, but eventually decided to dedicate herself to ...

, Marina Rossell, Mercedes Peón, Nena Venetsanou,

Orfeó Català The Orfeó Català is a choral society based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, which was founded in 1891 by Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives.William H. Robinson, Jordi Falgàs, Carmen Belen Lord Barcelona and Modernity: Picasso, Gaudí, Miró, Dalí ...

Paco Ibáñez Francisco "Paco" Ibáñez (born 20 November 1934 in Valencia) is a Spanish singer and musician. He never composed his own lyrics, but used famous poems, like those of Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Rafael Alberti or Miguel Hernández. He ...

, Pascal Comelade,

Pau Alabajos Pau Alabajos i Ferrer (born 1982 in Torrent, Horta Oest) is a spanish singer-songwriter and politician. As of 2017 he has seven records under his belt. He is the current Secretary of the musicians and singers association in the Valencian Cou ...

, Pep Sala, Peret, Projecte Mut, Sabor de Gràcia, Ferran Piqué, Joan Enric Barceló & Eduard Costa from

Els Amics de les Arts Els Amics de les Arts is one of the best-known bands of what some have called the new wave of Catalan music, Catalan folk music, folk-Pop music, pop. Their songs are short stories made with simple melodies, touches of electronic music, wordplay an ...

, and

Brams Brams is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Steven Brams (born 1940), American game theorist and political scientist * Ingeborg Brams (1921–1989), Danish film, radio, television, and theatre actress See also * Brahms (surnam ...

. The artistic directors were

Gerard Quintana Gerard Quintana i Rodeja (; born 27 November 1964) is a Catalan singer, songwriter, poet, novelist, actor, and radio and TV personality. He first came to prominence in 1986-2001 as the lead singer of the rock band Sopa de Cabra. Sopa de Cabra wa ...

and Lluís Danés, who was in charge of

set design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly train ...

. The stage featured various steps symbolizing the path toward freedom. Also present at Camp Nou were nine members of the Catalan government and representatives from the majority of Catalan political parties that support Catalonia's right to self-determination.

Muriel Casals Muriel Casals i Couturier (6 April 1945 – 14 February 2016) was a Catalan economist with both Spanish and French nationality. Biography She was born in Avignon, France. Couturier was a professor in the Department of Economics and Historical Eco ...

, the president of

, gave a speech affirming that "Catalonia's independence movement is not against anyone or anything" and requesting that politicians not delay the process toward a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...

Background

Concert tickets went on sale on Monday, 3 June and almost all (60,000) were sold the same day, with online wait times to purchase tickets that exceeded six hours. This caused the organization to initially freeze ticket sales and then release 30,000 tickets for sale on the 17th, though these were for seats at the south goal post of the stadium, behind the stage. When the singer Dyango announced his participation in the Concert for Freedom, some Spaniards were outraged. Dyango was not intimidated by the attitudes of the hosts on

13 TV Thirteen or 13 may refer to: * 13 (number), the natural number following 12 and preceding 14 * One of the years 13 BC, AD 13, 1913, 2013 Music * 13AD (band), an Indian classic and hard rock band Albums * ''13'' (Black Sabbath album), 2013 * ...

, an ecclesiastic television channel that is one of the stalwarts of Spanish nationalism, in the face of his support for

separatism Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

. He affirmed that the current goal is to hold a Catalan referendum, and ultimately achieve full separation from Spain. Peret also denounced pressure and threats he has received for participating in the concert. Singer-songwriter from the Canary Islands,

Pedro Guerra Pedro Manuel Guerra Mansito (born 2 June 1966 in Güímar, Tenerife) is a Spanish singer-songwriter. Biography Guerra is the son of Pedro Guerra Cabrera, the first President of the Canarian Parliament. He began studying the guitar at the ...

, cancelled his participation in the concert alleging that the event had veered toward "purely separatist motivations that he doesn't share" and that "this is not his fight," while affirming that he was not pressured into withdrawing. Singer Mayte Martín also withdrew at the last minute for similar motives.

Program

Before the concert an information fair was set up outside

and the local

Food Bank A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food dire ...

established collection points to benefit the needy, collecting a total of 25 tons of food. The event was divided in two halves. In the first half, various artists interpreted songs related to freedom and popular Catalan tunes such as "L'emigrant" (The Emigrant) sung by Peret; "Què volen aquesta gent?" (What do these people want?) sung by María del Mar Bonet and Companyia Elèctrica Dharma, and "Camins" (Paths) sung by Sopa de Cabra. The second half featured songs by

sung both by the artist himself and other artists such as Orfeó Català,

Perros Perros-Guirec (; br, Perroz-Gireg) is a commune in the department of Côtes-d'Armor in Brittany. It has been a seaside resort since the end of the 19th century. Geography Climate Perros-Guirec has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classificatio ...

, Ramoncín,

and Miquel Gil, in homage to Llach's concert at Camp Nou in 1985, remembered as a protest in supports of the rights of the Catalan nation. At halftime, the Castellers de Vilafranca orchestrated a 9 level high human tower called a ''3 de 9 amb folre'' and they played the Catalan national anthem " Els segadors," while forming a giant mosaic reading "Freedom Catalonia 2014." During the first half, readings were performed between songs by Cristina Plazas, Anna Sahun, Bonaventura Clotet, Manel Esteller, Miquel Casas, Pere Joan Cardona, Alícia Casals, Isona Passola,

Ventura Pons Ventura Pons Sala (; born 25 July 1945, in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish movie director. He mainly directs films in Catalan but also in Spanish and English. Pons has directed 32 feature films and is one of the best-known Catalan film dir ...

, Joel Joan, Jordi Díaz, Josep Pedrals, Lluís Soler, Màrius Serra,

Matthew Tree Matthew Tree (born December 30, 1958) is a writer in English and Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origin ...

Montserrat Carulla Montserrat Carulla i Ventura (19 September 1930 – 24 November 2020) was a Spanish actress. Career Coming from the amateur theatre, she completed her training with courses at the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona (Barcelona Theatre Institute) a ...

, Núria Feliu, Quim Masferrer, Roger Coma and Sílvia Bel. Readings were written by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...

, Dolors Miquel, Enric Casasses, Jacint Verdaguer
La veu del Montseny
,

Joan Margarit Joan Margarit i Consarnau (; 11 May 1938 – 16 February 2021) was a Catalan poet, architect and professor. Most of his work is written in the Catalan language. He won the 2019 Miguel de Cervantes Prize. Life and career Born in Sanaüja t ...

, Joana Raspall
El vell vestit
, Maria Àngels Anglada, Marià Villangómez,

Miquel Martí i Pol Miquel Martí i Pol (; 19 March 1929 – 11 November 2003) was one of the most popular and widely-read Catalan poets of the twentieth century, publishing more than 1,500 poems. Biography At the age of 14, Martí i Pol started work in the offic ...

, Montserrat Abelló, Salvador Espriu
El meu poble i jo
, Vicent Andrés Estellés, Joan Brossa, Josep Maria de Sagarra
La campana de Sant Honorat
.

International reception

The Concert for Freedom was covered by several international media agencies (such as

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was est ...

and

The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

) and various newspapers, television and radio stations from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Portugal, etc. One of the most talked-about images from the event by the media was the mosaic that unfolded in the stands during the playing of the national anthem of Catalonia. Among the articles covering the event were: *

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French Newspaper of recor ...

(France): Un stade sang et or pour l'indépendace de la Catalogne (Blood- and Gold-Colored Stadium for Catalan Independence) * L'Indépendant (France)
Grand concert pour l'indépendance catalane ce samedi soir au Camp Nou avec Lluis Llach
(Huge Concert for Catalan Independence Saturday at Camp Nou with Lluís Llach) *

Wiener Zeitung ''Wiener Zeitung'' is an Austrian newspaper. It is one of the oldest, still published newspapers in the world. It is the official publication used by the Government of the Republic of Austria for legally-required announcements, such as company r ...

(Austria)
90.000 fordern bei "Konzert für Freiheit" Unabhängigkeit Kataloniens
(90,000 Call for Catalan Independence at Concert for Freedom) * DS De Standaard (Flanders)
90.000 mensen op concert voor onafhankelijkheid Catalonië
(90,000 People at Concert for Catalan Independence) * RTBF Info (Wallonia)
Quelque 90 000 personnes au “Concert pour la Paix” pour indépendance de la Catalogne
(Some 90,000 People at "Concert for Peace" for Catalan Independence) * Stol (South Tyrol)
90 000 fordern bei „Konzert für Freiheit“ Unabhängigkeit Kataloniens
(90,000 Call for Catalan Independence at "Concert for Freedom") *

Zürcher Unterländer Zürcher Unterländer, commonly shortened to ''ZUL'', is a Swiss German-language daily newspaper, published in Bülach. History and profile Founded in 1852, the newspaper has a leading position in the districts of Bülach and Dielsdorf. The T ...

(Switzerland)
90 000 fordern bei „Konzert für Freiheit“ Unabhängigkeit Kataloniens
(90,000 Call for Catalan Independence at "Concert for Freedom") * Neue Luzerner Neitung (Switzerland)
Katalonen fordern Unabhängigkei
(Catalans Demand Independence) * 7seizh.info (Britain)
Barcelone : 90 000 personnes au « concert pour la liberté » de la Catalogne
(Barcelona: 90,000 People at Concert for "Catalan Freedom") * RTP Noticias (Portugal)
Catalães celebram luta pela independência da Catalunha
(Catalans Celebrate Fight for Catalan Independence) * Enikos (Greece)
”Πλημμύρισαν” το Καμπ Νου
(Camp Nou, Filled to the Brim) *

Tanea ''Tanea'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Naticinae ( of the family Naticidae, the moon snails or necklace shells. MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Tanea Marwick, 1931. Accessed through: World Register ...

(Greece)
Συναυλία για την Ελευθερία της Καταλωνίας
(Concert for Catalan Freedom) * 24Sports (Cypress)
«Πλημμύρισε» το Καμπ Νου για την ανεξαρτησία της Καταλονίας
(Camp Nou: Full to the Brim for Catalan Independence) * BBC Amèrica Latina
Multitudinario concierto por la independencia de Cataluña
(Massive Concert for Catalan Independence)

References

External links

Webpage of the event

Webpage of Òmnium Cultural

Webpage of Assemblea Nacional Catalana

Dossier especial sobre el Concert per la Llibertat a Vilaweb
; Important Videos
Cinc hores de concert, condensades en quinze minuts

El vídeo dels Segadors i el mosaic per la independència al Camp Nou

Parlament de Muriel Casals

Lluís Llach - "Venim del nord, venim del sud"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Concert for Freedom 2013 concerts Catalan independence movement 2013 in Catalonia