Portugal’s much-loved farmstead hotel São Lourenço do Barrocal announces two-day small and soulful music festival
From Friday 24th to Saturday 25th June, Barrocal Sound will take place at one of Portugal’s most renowned farmsteads and celebrated bucolic landscapes, São Lourenço do Barrocal. Over the two days, intimate concerts and gatherings will befall on idyllic spots across the 780-acre estate in a celebration of the timeless connection of music and nature. With attendance from six internationally recognised artists, São Lourenço do Barrocal will come alive with the sounds of ancestral rhythms, ancient sounds, and modern beats.
Bringing together a collection of artists who share São Lourenço do Barrocal’s approach to celebrating cultural heritage and time-honoured traditions, Barrocal Sound will create an immersive experience across the estate’s natural landscape, filled with thousand-year-old olive trees and neolithic landmarks. Meticulously curated, the exclusive event will only be open to a total of 400 guests. The artists will perform on two stages, strategically planted to ensure the best acoustic in some of the most picturesque locations on the 200-year-old working farm. The main stage, Barrocais, will be in the central meadow in the estate amongst the granite outcrop which defines the landscape. The other is Colmeal, a circular space in a corner of the farmstead which traces back to its original ancestry and was once and ancient apiary.
Day one’s line up begins with electro-acoustic trio Islandman made up of Turkish producers Tolga Boyuk, Eralp Güven and Erdem Baer who seamlessly blend electronic music with Anatolian psychedelia and other shamanic rhythms. Next up is Silvia Pérez Cruz, one of Spain’s most celebrated singers whose music is a unique infusion of jazz with flamenco and classical music, inspired by her travels through Spain and Latin America. As the clock strikes midnight, Turkish DJ and Producer, Carlita will arrive. Having studied classical music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, but with a personal love for Led Zeppelin and Depeche Mode, Carlita’s set will bring together rock and roll and psychedelic sounds, bound to fill the dancefloor with a kaleidoscope of tunes from across the globe.
To begin day two is instrumentalist and viral sensation Joep Beving, whose love for music began when he inherited his grandmother’s piano. Self-described as someone that makes “accessible music for complex emotions”, Beving will bring his atmospheric, neo-classical piano compositions. Once lulled into the rhythm of the evening, respected composer and musician Anouar Brahem will take to the stage. A master of the traditional oriental lute, Brahem’s is a true classicist who has dedicated his career to celebrating the musical heritage of the Arab and Islamic word. To end the intimate two day affair is Michael Mayer, one of the leading figures in dance music the world over, thanks to his music label Kompakt through which he manages and produces global artists such as Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and Foals. A jack of all trades, Mayer will bring Barrocal to life one final time under a blanket of stars.
Throughout the festival, a specially curated menu showcasing Barrocal’s farm-to-fork ethos will be available, with a choice of light snacks, salads and soups which all nod to the region’s gastronomic customs. Those staying overnight can choose between lovingly restored farm rooms or spacious cottages, with interiors that draw inspiration from the local farm villages with traditional terracotta brick floors and whitewashed walls, beautifully crafted wooden furnishings and artworks inspired by the history of the estate.
