Crato, Portugal, a historic town nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Alentejo region, transforms from June 19th to 24th, 2024, as Waking Life unfolds itself into a week-long festival experience. Born from the shared dream of a group of friends in 2017, this isn’t your typical festival; it is a haven where over seven thousand kindred of spirits can meet and weave relationships, engage imaginations and celebrate the dance between art, nature and humanity. Nestled within 35 hectares of untamed splendour, the festival beats in sync with its verdant surroundings. Here, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a guiding principle around which everything evolves. Over these past five years, it has become an international platform that combines urban and rural culture with music, workshops and art performances in order to bring together different cultures and traditions while covering subjects such as ecology, culture, new technologies and more.
At its core, Waking Life embodies a concept known as “circular world-building”, a dynamic philosophy that extends far beyond the festival’s temporal boundaries. Throughout the year, the organizing community behind this event engages in a myriad of endeavours, from sustainable initiatives such as hosting workshops like “Biodynamic Living and Food Forest Gardening” to the preservation of cultural heritage. They’re also active members of the Green Art Lab Alliance, a collaborative network of art organizations across Asia, Latin America, and Europe that fosters knowledge sharing, solidarity, and resource exchange in the realm of art and ecology. The festival is a joyous crescendo culminating from their collective efforts.
Waking Life goes beyond mere environmental consciousness; it’s also a sensory celebration, that sparks the imagination both on stage and throughout the natural surroundings. The festival lineup includes a diverse range of live performances and DJ sets from both established and emerging artists, each channelling the zeitgeist of their generation. From the rhythms of Goldie & Medic MC to the genre-bending joint effort of Burnt Friedman & João Pais Filipe, attendees are taken into a world of sound discovery. Lyra Pramuk stuns with her voice while Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble invites spectators to explore the rhythmic tapestry of a global soundscape. Concerning the electronic experimentation sphere, Arpanet pushes sonic innovation in order to create absorbing experiences that fit into an epochal moment. “Unlike other festivals chasing big names,” says a seasoned attendee who wished to remain anonymous, “Waking Life focuses on quality, underground artists with true experience and musical depth. You won’t find the same repetitive sounds here; it’s a place to discover something new and exciting.”
In addition to the musical acts, performances, film screenings curated by esteemed Portuguese film festivals such as MONSTRA – Festival de Animação de Lisboa, CURTAS – Vila Do Conde International Film Festival, and NotBinaryCode, Waking Life encourages guests to explore the surrounding villages and experience local delicacies and artistry. The “Apuro” program, hosted in the ephemeral bamboo temple of counterculture, a space for self-discovery within the festival, offers workshops on everything from grief processing to radical burlesque. The festival fosters inclusivity, promoting cultural exchange that builds bridges of understanding across backgrounds. Waking Life wants you to slow down and enjoy the beauty of Alentejo as well as engage in experiences that blur the line between rural and urban cultures. As attendees converge on Crato, become part of a larger narrative focused on creativity, sustainability, and collective endeavour.
