Cobla is the brass-and-reed ensemble that powers the sardana, Catalonia's circle dance, and for five evenings each August Palamós hands it the run of the town. Concerts spill across squares and parks — Plaça Josep Sarquella, the Arbreda, the Àgora down on the seafront — so you can wander between them on a warm night. The opening Tuesday is the big one: roughly 130 musicians as a combined cobla-and-strings symphony, with projections and guest singers. Later nights range from a programme of female composers to a closing set that folds Balkan rhythms and jazz into the cobla sound.
Most of it is free and outdoors, which makes it easy to drop in for an hour. The exception is the Costa Brava Memorial concert, where tickets run around 18 euros. No Catalan needed — the music does the talking.
