Renewable Energy Festival celebrates new ways of living

By Stacey Auch | Special to The Tico Times

Did you know that Costa Rica aims to be the first carbon-neutral country in the world for its Bicentennial in 2021? The NGO Fundación Pro Energías Renovables (FUPER) is overlooking the end of the world pandemonium, and instead is celebrating new lifestyles and promoting Costa Rica’s environmental goal with its incredible four-day SW!CH festival, which takes place Dec. 12-15.

The inside and outside of the National Stadium will be taken over by concerts, movies and activities to reconnect attendees with Mother Earth while generating public consciousness about renewable energies.

A daytime feria will begin each morning, during which participants can join a massive yoga class, form a human mandala, meet vendors of renewable energy products in Costa Rica and sign an accord with Mother Earth hosted by the Gaia Foundation and the International Human Rights Consortium.

Each afternoon, film and environment enthusiasts can catch green-themed movies shown by the Criterio Ambiental Film Festival (CRAFF).

Evening concerts will close the festival each day – a fantastic opportunity to see some of Costa Rica’s best rock and reggae bands, including Sonámbulo, Editus 360, Cocofunka and 424.

The festival headliner event Friday evening will feature the Mexican band Molotov, which will have just released its newest album. Recently reunited Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas from Argentina will also perform.

Four-day festival passes are $16, one-day $4. After 4 p.m. each day, $8. Friday night’s concert is $50. Tickets to the international concert are available at www.mundoticket.com.

Alternative methods of arriving at the festival are recommended, including bus, bike or foot.

Full activity schedule is available at https://www.facebook.com/FUPERCR.