Palma.The axe has finally fallen on the internationally famous folk dance festival in Palma.
After years of uncertainty about the event's future since the recession hit in 2008, organisers have confirmed, due to a lack of funding from the local authorities, the global event is now history.
Since the biannual folk dance festival was first staged in the capital in 1987, dance troupes from over 80 countries have travelled to Palma to perform for what was a growing international audience.
Every two years in April, the city would be full of exotic dancers from all over the world who would perform on stages located around the centre of Palma bringing the capital to life with the sounds and colours of cultures from across the globe. Each troupe would come with its fans and folk dance lovers from across the world would also travel to Majorca to enjoy the near week long event.
The festival was important for promoting both culture and tourism in Palma and Majorca as a whole. It would attract well over 40'000 dancers, musicians and singers every two years and in the later editions, younger troupes were coming and once they had competed in Palma, they would tour the island performing in towns and villages across Majorca.
Tomeu Bosch, who has organised the event since 1987, said that the festival was only possible thanks to funding from the local authorities because all of the events were open free to the general public.
Bosch said yesterday that he would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have helped over the years.
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