The 63rd edition of the Pepe Sánchez Trova Festival opened Thursday with a grand inaugural concert in this southeastern Cuban city, the birthplace of the trova musical tradition. The event runs through March 21.

The opening ceremony took place at the Casa de la Trova, an emblematic venue in the city, where performers including Alejandro Almenares and his ensemble, Grisel Gómez, Marcos Figueredo, Grupo Granma, and the Estudiantina Invasora delighted attendees.

This year's edition pays tribute to the 170th anniversary of the birth of José "Pepe" Sánchez, the genre's founding figure, as well as the centennial of the birth of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. The festival also honors local musical ensembles celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2026.

The program includes concerts, jam sessions, and tributes to Ñico Saquito, Eduardo Sosa, Xiomara Vidal, and Ismael Gutiérrez, among other distinguished artists. An academic component, coordinated by researcher Yorisel Andino and specialists from the Pablo Hernández Balaguer Music Museum, will complement the artistic programming.

A notable new feature this edition is the cultural gathering "Con sombreritos y con tragos" (With Little Hats and Drinks), to be held at Casa Dranguet, featuring Rubén Lester González Valdés and special guests. The event is designed to foster dialogue between generations of trovadores and showcase the most authentic expressions of the art form.

A highlight of the festival calendar will be March 19 — the birthday of Pepe Sánchez himself and the national Día del Trovador (Trovador Day) in Cuba. That date will be marked by the Gran Trovada, a tribute ceremony at the heritage cemetery Santa Ifigenia, and a walk along its renowned Sendero de los Trovadores (Troubadours' Path).

The festivities will extend beyond the capital to municipalities with deep trova traditions across the province, including Contramaestre, San Luis, Palma Soriano, and Segundo Frente. In the latter, activities will be held at two venues: the central park in Mayarí Arriba and the Tumbasiete community council, where a special tribute will honor the memory of Sosa, featuring artists who performed alongside him in the early days of their careers.

The festival will be hosted across multiple cultural spaces in Santiago de Cuba, including the Casa de las Tradiciones, Patio de Artex, Álbum Café El Santiaguero, the Taberna de los Artistas "Bar Bohemio," the Casa Natal José María Heredia, Casa Dranguet, the Mercerón Center Community Sociocultural Project, the Centro Cultural Chan Chan, and the Arte Soy art gallery.

Organizers noted that holding the festival amid the country's current challenges reaffirms the commitment to defending and preserving Cuban traditions and culture, strengthening the spiritual life of the Cuban people, and upholding Santiago de Cuba's designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Music.