Leioa experienced one of the most crowded and special days of its 500th-anniversary program on Saturday, September 19th, uniting memory, emotion, and music with the participation of thousands.
The morning featured the "Leioa tiene un Tesoro" (Leioa has a Treasure) initiative, where over 1,000 people participated in recovering time capsules buried 25 years ago at Pinosolo Park. Hundreds of residents reconnected with photographs, messages, and memories unearthed after a quarter-century. The City Council, represented by current mayor Iban Rodriguez Etxebarria and former mayor from 2001, Karmelo Sainz de la Maza, symbolically opened the "treasure" preserved from that year.
The initiative will continue in the coming weeks, allowing children born between 2015 and 2020 to collect new time capsules for future memories, to be buried on October 31st.
In the afternoon and evening, approximately 10,000 people gathered at the parking lot near the Metro station in Lamiako for the 500th-anniversary concerts. The lineup included the local band Still Rising, Basque artist Janus Lester, and the group La M.O.D.A.
Leioa's Mayor, Iban Rodriguez Etxebarria, emphasized that "beyond the numbers," the most important aspect was the day's atmosphere: "It was a festive, family-friendly day, a meeting of generations, and above all, a day where people enjoyed Leioa and being part of Leioa." He thanked attendees and organizers for demonstrating that "Leioa is a vibrant, participatory town eager to continue building community."
