The Leonese Institute of Culture subsidizes magic in towns with 400 euros

The Leonese Institute of Culture (ILC) has opened the call for grants to bring performances from the XXIII International Festival León Vive la Magia to municipalities in the province with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, with an allocation of 400 euros for each requesting city council or neighborhood board. The agreement of the ILC Governing Council dated October 23, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of León no. 207, Friday, October 30, 2026, with the official reference BOP-LE-2026-207002 and identification number BDNS 938815.

The framework: 2008 bases and 2022 ordinance

The call is supported by articles 17.3.b and 20.8.a of the General Grants Law 38/2003, of November 17, and refers to the regulatory bases approved by agreement of the Plenary of the Provincial Council of León on February 27, 2008, published in the BOP no. 45/2008, of March 5, as well as the General Grants Ordinance approved by the Plenary on July 27, 2022 (BOP no. 206, of October 27, 2022).

The objective is to facilitate the holding of performances from the XXIII International Festival León Vive la Magia in the towns that request them, “bringing the Festival to all people who do not normally have access to its performances.” The activity will take place during December 2026 and January 2027, integrated as a provincial extension of the event. The full text can be consulted in the National Grants Database and on the ILC website.

Four hundred euros per entity and 800-euro performances

The amount of the aid is set at 400.00 euros per city council or neighborhood board, although each entity may opt for more than one grant if requested and performances are available. The call is based on the collaboration agreement formalized by the ILC with the International Festival Vive la Magia Association (FIVEM), which commits to offering performances for an amount of 800 euros to all beneficiaries, without prejudice to offering higher-cost shows to those who demand them.

• Beneficiaries: city councils and neighborhood boards of municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.
• Amount: 400 euros per entity, with the possibility of accumulating several requests.
• Cost of the performance offered by the association: 800 euros.
• Criteria: score obtained and a draw in case of a tie until the available budget is exhausted, with a reserve pool for substitutions.

Ten business days and justification until February 2027

The application period is only 10 business days starting from the day following the publication of the summary in the BOP of León, which places the closing date around November 13, excluding holidays. The justification for compliance with the conditions and objectives must be submitted by February 15, 2027, in accordance with the fifth and sixth sections of the General Grant Ordinance.

Entities must provide the payment request (ANNEX II), the activity report signed by the mayor or president of the neighborhood council (ANNEX III), the economic report certifying payment (ANNEX IV), invoices and bank transfer receipts in the case of neighborhood councils, digitized posters featuring the logos of the Diputación de León and the ILC, and the third-party form if it was not submitted with the application. Furthermore, beneficiaries assume the express mention of provincial collaboration in their advertising and the liability for damages established by Law 7/2006, of October 2, on public shows and recreational activities of Castilla y León.

Impact on the rural environment

The call is of interest to virtually all minor local entities in the province, many of which are neighborhood councils with limited budgets and little stable cultural programming. The agreement formula with FIVEM allows towns that would hardly be able to afford a professional fee to access the festival with a symbolic contribution, although the calendar is tight: ten business days to decide and process the application and barely three and a half months to execute and justify the expenditure.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of León, no. 207, of October 30, 2026, pp. 7-10 (official reference: BOP-LE-2026-207002).