Pantxoa Karrere and Peio Ospital to Close 40-Year Career with Farewell Tour and Receive 2026 Adarra Award

Pantxoa Karrere (born 1948 in Azkaine, Lapurdi) and Peio Ospital (born 1948 in Ezpeleta, Lapurdi) are set to end their four‑decade partnership with a series of farewell concerts in January 2027 at the Bizkaia Arena at BEC in Barakaldo. The duo, whose last joint appearance was in 2011, announced the tour as a “token of gratitude” to fans after a fifteen‑year stage hiatus.

The final circuit, titled Looking at the history of Pantxoa and Peio, will feature nine shows in key Basque venues: Santutxu, Lesaka, Bergara, Baiona and the BEC arena. The Santutxu performance is especially historic, taking place on the very site where police clashed with an audience fifty years ago. The duo describes the tour as a “narrative of a journey” that celebrates a shared love story with the Basque people.

Tickets for the ninth BEC show are almost sold out, a rapid turnover that signals sustained public interest. Karrere admitted initial hesitation, but said the decision to tour was spurred by the audience’s warm reception after a joint appearance on Peio Reparaz’s show Mitoaroa II. Ospital echoed this sentiment, noting that public demand and the emotional response to the reunion were decisive.

Their music, rooted in traditional songs from the Northern Basque Country, has consistently resonated with the land’s issues and collective memory. Karrere remarked that their songs “have been successful because they resonate with the issues of this land,” and that listeners see their lives reflected in the music.

In the past, performing in Basque was uncommon in Ipar Euskal Herria. The duo’s early vinyl and cassette releases helped bring Basque songs into homes, and local festival committees began booking them. They credit Mixel Labegurie as a pioneer who opened doors for Basque performers. Karrere emphasized that they learned their repertoire at home, treating it as a conservatory, and that they have always been clear about what they wanted to sing.

Ospital recalled the 1960s Basque cultural renaissance in the North, citing figures such as Manex Pagola and Telesforo Monzon as inspirations. He explained that his generation fought to make Basque a language of education, while the next generation’s struggle is to make it a language of the street. Karrere expressed optimism about the vitality of Basque music and the growing skill of young musicians.

In addition to the farewell tour, Pantxoa and Peio will receive the 2026 Adarra Award, presented by the Donostia City Council and Donostia Kultura. The award ceremony will take place on European Music Day, June 21, at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre. The jury cited the duo’s significant role in reviving and transmitting traditional Basque songs that express the identity, sentiment, and collective memory of Euskal Herria.

The Adarra Award is one of the most prestigious recognitions for Basque musicians, and its presentation to a duo that has been largely interpreters rather than composers underscores the importance of cultural transmission. Ospital remarked that the duo’s work has been worthwhile if it has encouraged people to learn Basque through music or helped those abroad maintain a connection to their homeland.

The farewell concerts and the award highlight the enduring relevance of Basque folk music in contemporary culture. They also illustrate how artists can bridge generational gaps by preserving traditional repertoire while engaging modern audiences.

The final tour will conclude in January 2027, after which Pantxoa Karrere and Peio Ospital will retire from public performance. Their legacy will remain through recordings, the influence on younger musicians, and the cultural memory they helped sustain.