Andorra la Vella Launches 16th Cultural Diversity Week with Parades and Global Cuisines

Maria Nazzaro, councillor for social affairs, youth and public space in Andorra la Vella, presented the 16th Cultural Diversity Week on Tuesday. The event, a fixture in the parish's cultural calendar, will run from 11 to 16 May and feature 18 participating entities.

All activities are free and open to the public, centred around UNESCO's World Day for Cultural Diversity. Nazzaro said the aim is to highlight the diversity of groups within Andorran society by creating meeting spaces between cultures and encouraging participation. Organisers have prioritised smaller-scale events to make them more conducive to interaction. "These are more family-oriented and intimate proposals, places to share and reflect, which is often harder at larger events," she explained.

The programme includes lectures, such as one by the Andorran Society of Sciences, cooking workshops for different audiences including young people, and a Caribbean-style social dance. Saturday's highlight will be a festive day with a parade from Plaça de la Rotonda to Plaça Guillemó, followed by a gastronomic and cultural showcase titled "La Diversitat a Taula". Around ten entities from countries including Argentina, Colombia, Philippines, India and Portugal will offer affordable tastes of traditional cuisine alongside dance and music performances. The event coincides with the first car-free weekend, which Nazzaro said will allow people to enjoy the parade differently and draw larger crowds.

A key novelty is the 11 May opening at Teatre Comunal: a dance show, "Un recorregut per Colòmbia a través del ball", by Madrid-based Nativos de Macondo. This departs from the usual focus on local entities and involves collaboration with Colombia's embassy, the foreign affairs ministry and the government's active culture department. Nazzaro described it as a welcome opportunity to enrich the line-up.

The communal project, "Una plaça que balla", will install tiles in Plaça Guillemó naming dances from various cultures, aiming to make the space a lasting reflection of cultural coexistence. Its inauguration is set for 12 May.

Christian Fernandes, president of the Cultural Association of Residents from Alto Minho in Andorra, called Saturday "the strongest day" of the week, noting how it makes multiculturalism tangible in a compact area. He highlighted the growing number of entities, which mirrors Andorra's evolving society.