Paraguay launches 'Atyguasu' contest to fund cultural festivals and events

Paraguay's National Secretariat of Culture (SNC), in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (Fondec), the National Directorate of Intellectual Property (Dinapi), and the Paraguayan Institute of Crafts (IPA), has launched 'Atyguasu: Fiestas del Paraguay 2026.' This initiative aims to bolster festivals and cultural events that promote Paraguayan culture, tourism, gastronomy, and crafts.

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Atyguasu is born because we want to work together, because we believe that the great festivals that already have a trajectory and the emerging festivals are those that generate that ecosystem within the cultural economy.

The 'Atyguasu' contest is open for applications until August 18 and will distribute over G. 200 million (approximately $27,000 USD). The goal is to strengthen the cultural economy by creating employment opportunities, preserving local culture, facilitating artistic mobility across regions, and supporting both established and emerging festivals. Adriana Ortiz, the Minister of the SNC, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, stating, "Atyguasu is born because we want to work together, because we believe that the great festivals that already have a trajectory and the emerging festivals are those that generate that ecosystem within the cultural economy."

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generate jobs, keep the culture of the territories alive, create artistic mobility for our artists to move and perform in different territories around Paraguay, and above all, keep culture alive.

Ortiz highlighted the broader impact of these festivals, noting they "generate jobs, keep the culture of the territories alive, create artistic mobility for our artists to move and perform in different territories around Paraguay, and above all, keep culture alive." Gonzalo Gómez, Director General of Copyright and Related Rights at Dinapi, underscored the importance of institutional unity, saying, "Uniting in culture, uniting in music, in the arts, in dances, I think is the most positive and most valuable aspect of these funds." Graciela Meza of Fondec added that festivals are "drivers of local development," contributing to identity, cohesion, and economic growth.

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Uniting in culture, uniting in music, in the arts, in dances, I think is the most positive and most valuable aspect of these funds.