We’re happy to welcome Festival Arabesques as a new member of our network. Organized by Uni’Sons in Montpellier, France, the festival has established itself since 2006 as one of Europe’s leading platforms dedicated to the arts and cultures of the Arab world.
Held every September, the event offers a multidisciplinary program that brings together music, theater, dance, and gastronomy, highlighting both traditional heritage and contemporary artistic expressions.
With a footprint that extends across the Montpellier metropolitan area, from the prestigious Opéra Comédie to the vibrant Halle Tropisme, Festival Arabesques draws over 20,000 visitors over a two-week period. its commitment to the Mediterranean cultural landscape is reflected in its extensive international partnerships, which provide crucial visibility for both emerging talents and established creators.
We’re happy to welcome Festival Boreal as a new member of our network. Held annually in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, the festival has developed into a distinctive meeting point for music and the arts, connecting emerging and established artists with audiences, media, and industry professionals in a remarkable natural setting along the island’s northern coast.
With its multicultural outlook, Festival Boreal stands out as both an eco-festival and a committed advocate for human rights. Recognised by leading Spanish media, including El País, which described it as a boutique festival, it offers a carefully curated and socially engaged programme. In 2017, the festival became the first in Spain to receive a Fest Award for Best Festival for Diversity and Gender Equality, presented by the Association of Women in the Music Industry at BIME in Bilbao. It has also been a finalist at the Iberian Festival Awards in categories including Best Musical Programme and Best Festival for Sustainability and Equality.
We’re pleased to welcome La Línea as a new member of our network. Held each April across London since 2001, the festival is presented by Como No, England’s leading promoter of Latin American music with a legacy dating back to the 1980s. Over the years, Como No has presented landmark concerts in venues including Royal Albert Hall and The O2 Arena, contributing significantly to the visibility of Latin music in the UK.
La Línea offers a broad and adventurous programme, bringing together established artists and emerging talent from across Latin America and its diasporas. Past editions have featured artists such as Gilberto Gil, Celia Cruz, Natalia Lafourcade, Buena Vista Social Club, Seu Jorge and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. The festival spans genres from Afro-Cuban hip-hop and Argentine electronica to samba, folk, jazz, flamenco and big band Latin jazz, reflecting the richness and diversity of the scene. Recently recognised by Billboard as one of the Best Latin Music Festivals of the Year, La Línea combines concerts with storytelling and cultural exchange, creating a strong sense of community in the city.
The FWMF warmly welcomes Reggae Geel as a new member to the network! Held each summer in Geel, Belgium, Reggae Geel is one of Europe’s oldest and most respected reggae festivals. With a strong mix of reggae legends, rising voices, and genre-bending acts, the festival has become a valued meeting place for artists and audiences alike.
Across its four stages, Reggae Geel offers a rich musical journey: the Gold Stage for headline concerts, the Dub Forest with heavyweight sound systems in a woodland setting, the Bounce Dancehall for Caribbean grooves, and Yagga Yagga for underground sounds and new talent.
Entirely run by volunteers and created in close collaboration with local associations, Reggae Geel reflects a grassroots spirit that combines music, community, and social engagement. We are pleased to welcome them into the FWMF community and look forward to future exchanges and collaborations.