Sitges welcomes a new edition of SITGES – Catalonia International Fantastic Film Festival
The 59th edition of the festival will once again turn Sitges into the epicentre of world fantastic cinema for ten days, during which hotel occupancy will approach 100% and the town will celebrate culture through the festival programme and a wide range of parallel activities.
This year’s edition is one of the most special in recent years. The presence of historic figures from fantastic cinema, such as Peter Jackson, Danny DeVito, Kevin Bacon and Amy Irving, as well as the premiere of the television series Carrie, directed by Mike Flanagan, are among this year’s highlights.
In total, the Festival programme includes 286 feature films, 128 short films, 11 television series and 11 special sessions, adding up to 443 titles. Festival screenings will take place at the venues that make up the official circuit: the Auditori Melià Sitges, Sala Tramuntana, Sala Llevant (Brigadoon), Casino Prado de Sitges cinemas, Escorxador – Centre Cultural and Centre Cultural Miramar.
At the previous edition, the Festival reached a new attendance record, with 130,322 spectators at screenings and 178,171 participants across all programmed activities, including workshops, exhibitions and the Zombie Walk. This year’s figures are expected to be close to those achieved in the previous edition.
Sustainable tourism impact
The Festival activates dozens of hotels and hundreds of restaurants and retail establishments, which adapt their services to cater to visitors. According to Booking, a leading international accommodation booking platform, hotel occupancy in Sitges is expected to reach 96% during the first weekend of the Festival, which is also the busiest. As every year, approximately 70% of visitors come from abroad.
The ten days of the Festival help extend Sitges’ tourist season until mid-October and position the town on the international map thanks to the media attention generated by major premieres and the presence of prominent figures from the worlds of film and television.
Mobility and safety: a coordinated operation
The Town Council has activated a special temporary traffic and signage plan to adapt the town to the mobility needs generated by the organisation and distribution of the different Festival venues. The areas around the Melià Hotel, the Festival’s epicentre, and Sant Sebastià beach, where the King Kong Area is located, have also been reserved. The main objective is to facilitate the movement of people between screening venues, exhibition spaces and leisure areas.
In terms of mobility, the Urban Bus service is collaborating with the Festival by offering free travel to staff members who have the official festival accreditation. Visitors are advised to use the free car parks at La Devesa, Carrer de la Creu Roja and Manel Torrents, as well as the available park-and-ride and private car parks. Visitors are also encouraged to travel on foot whenever possible to reach the different Festival venues. Urban Bus line L3 has stops close to the Festival, while Renfe is offering a special service with the Tren Fantàstic, departing from Sitges station for Barcelona-Sants at 1:30 a.m., with no intermediate stops.
Emergency management
The Festival has a specific Safety Plan coordinated between the Local Police and the Mossos d’Esquadra. It includes, among other measures, emergency response protocols, meeting points and reception areas for external emergency services.
During the Festival, the Sitges Alert mobile application operated by the Local Police will include a dedicated button, identified with the Festival logo, for reporting incidents or emergency situations.
