The tenth edition of the Festival Internacional de Artes Vivas Loja (FIAVL) begins on November 13, 2025, in Loja, Ecuador. The event will feature more than 300 cultural activities across various venues and public spaces in the city, which is recognized as the “Cultural and Musical Capital of Ecuador.” The festival will run until November 23.
This year’s festival is supported by several organizations, including the national government, the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI), Instituto de Fomento de las Artes, Innovación y Creatividad (IFAIC), Organización Panamericana de la Salud / Organización Mundial de la Salud (OPS/OMS), Mesa Técnica Interinstitucional del Festival de Loja, accredited diplomatic corps in Ecuador, and private sector partners. These groups have formed a strategic alliance to promote art and culture during the event.
The government has allocated $1.35 million for FIAVL 2025 through the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture. This investment is made in cooperation with the Municipality of Loja and international partners. The festival has become an annual event held each November as part of Loja’s independence celebrations.
According to organizers, FIAVL serves as a platform for cultural exchange and supports local identity. It aims to foster artistic expression, build audiences, stimulate economic activity related to cultural tourism, and strengthen social cohesion.
For more information about this year’s program and schedule, details are available at https://festivaldeloja.com/ and https://festival.loja.gob.ec/.
In addition to supporting live arts during FIAVL 2025, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture will introduce several initiatives aimed at promoting access to culture and heritage. These include efforts to encourage reading habits and improve access to books throughout Ecuador.
On November 20 at 11:00 a.m., the first Ludobiblioteca in Loja will open at the Museo y Centro Cultural de Loja. This initiative forms part of Ecuador’s National Policy for Reading Promotion for 2024-2030 and is funded with $47,619 from both public and private sources.
From November 12-21, the Instituto Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural (INPC) will host an open house at its Zonal Technical Directorate No.7 facilities. The event will showcase archaeological heritage from southern Ecuador with guided tours intended to raise awareness about local history.
A new agreement called “Biblioteca Digital del Patrimonio Musical de Loja” will be signed on November 14 at Museo de las Madres Conceptas with $20,000 in funding. The project aims to digitize sheet music from Salvador Zaragocin Tapia Music Museum so that younger generations can access their musical heritage.
Also on November 14 at Museo de las Madres Conceptas there will be a tour related to “Memorias del Claustro Habitare Terrae Spiritus Fidei,” a project focused on preserving historical value while promoting local development through heritage rehabilitation. This project receives $30,000 in support.
On November 21 starting at 10:00 a.m., INPC will hold a Cine Foro featuring documentaries produced by winners of its funding lines since 2022.
The Instituto de Cine y Creación Audiovisual (ICCA) will organize a discussion with filmmakers on November 14 at Resto Bar Cooltural Gato Suco regarding future projects planned for 2026.
Between November 12-22, IFAIC staff will offer workshops and provide information about ongoing projects throughout different locations in Loja.
These initiatives reflect continued government efforts to use culture as a driver for tourism recovery and economic development in Ecuador.
