There are places where culture does not take root on asphalt, but rather grows directly into the earth. The Can Ribes forest, in La Cellera de Ter (Girona), is preparing to host a new edition of Rizomes, an ecosystemic festival of art, music, and ephemeral architecture that is born and dies just once a year. On June 26, 27, and 28, 2026, this forest area will be transformed into a gathering place where collective experimentation and play will take center stage in the heart of nature.
The initiative, which goes far beyond a simple series of concerts, seeks to intertwine contemporary artistic disciplines with the life cycle of an active plantation. The idea behind this gathering is to create a living experience in which the landscape itself dictates the rules of the game, serving as both the stage and the creative driving force for a project that remains connected and active throughout the year.
A design dictated by 15,000 trees
The setting for this gathering is neither an enclosed venue nor just any meadow, but a perfect five-by-five-meter grid where nearly 15,000 poplars grow. What makes it truly unique is that the festival’s layout changes every year because the forest is alive and under active management: each year, 315 mature trees are felled for timber production, and another 315 young saplings are planted to replace them. This cycle of constant renewal directly determines the layout of the spaces, paths, and infrastructure for each edition, transforming the environment into an organism in constant motion.
The festival relies heavily on spatial interventions and ephemeral design. Rizomes promotes and provides financial and technical support for various creative projects closely linked to the plantation itself and the surrounding area. In this way, the structures erected over the three days take advantage of the influx of visitors to engage with the surroundings, creating a temporary artistic legacy that adapts to the changes in the terrain and will disappear once the events conclude.
In terms of music and performance, the festival has curated a program ranging from cutting-edge electronic and experimental music to roots music and improvisation. In total, 32 artists and collectives will bring rhythm to the forest, including notable acts such as Hatis Noit, Paolo Angeli, Ylia, Raph Dumas & Cobla Sant Jordi – Ciutat de Barcelona, and the Sarathy Korwar Drum Ensemble. The full schedule and venue details can be found directly on the official website, www.rizomes.com.
