Old Square was set for Plaza Viva on 2 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 02:02 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Old Square (Plaza Vieja) in Havana was set to host Plaza Viva on 2 October 2026, a community cultural programme for older adults. The event was organised by the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana as part of a city-centre programme running from 28 September to 2 October.
Plaza Viva brought exhibitions and music to Old Square
The announced programme was scheduled from 2pm to 5pm at the Cultural Community Development Space in the former Palace of the Counts of Jaruco. The venue is located at Old Square in the historic centre, linking the event to one of Havana's principal urban spaces.
Organisers planned art exhibitions, stage and musical performances, physical training and an exhibition fair presenting projects and services for older adults. The programme also included work from workshops in postcards, dolls, embroidery, weaving and baking, with displays planned in the arcades around the square.
The programme was organised by the Office of the Historian's Humanitarian Affairs and Cultural Management departments. ACN's programme notice placed the event at the square on 2 October 2026.
Old Square connects Plaza Viva with Havana's historic centre
The square is one of the five large plazas identified within Old Havana and its Fortification System. UNESCO describes the property as retaining its original urban layout, with Baroque and Neoclassical monuments alongside houses with arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards.
The Cultural Community Development Space occupies the former Palace of the Counts of Jaruco. That setting gave the 2 October programme a direct connection with the historic centre's buildings, rather than making it a separate city event. The fair was planned for the square's arcades, while visual work was also scheduled for the portal of Havana's Planetarium.
The wider World Heritage property was founded about 1519 and includes Plaza Vieja among its five major plazas. UNESCO's heritage description also records the historic centre's 214-hectare area and its protection as a National Monument.
Older adults shaped the programme at Old Square
Plaza Viva was presented as the closing activity of Saberes compartidos, the Jornada de las Personas Adultas Mayores en el Centro Histórico. The wider programme began on 28 September and brought together cultural institutions, educational bodies and local participants.
The announced cultural section included the choir of the Convent of Bethlehem, as well as poet and oral storyteller Sinecio Verdecia with Lisette Núñez from the Ceibaobab theatre and oral storytelling group. Visual displays were to include paper-mache recreations of traditional Cuban forms of transport by Mariano Lazaro Hernandez.
A report by Tribuna de La Habana said the fair would also present services for older adults, including optical assistance, massages and haircuts. Tribuna's event report identified the former Palace of the Counts of Jaruco as the programme's central venue.
Visiting Old Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Plaza Viva was scheduled for 2 October 2026 from 2pm to 5pm at the Cultural Community Development Space in the former Palace of the Counts of Jaruco.
- The announced programme concerned the square's arcades and the former palace space, with exhibitions, music, stage performances, physical training and a fair for older adults.
- Old Square is in the historic centre of Havana, within the UNESCO-listed Old Havana and its Fortification System.
- The surrounding historic centre contains arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates, internal courtyards and five principal urban plazas.
- Spanish is the official language of Cuba, and the national currency is the Cuban peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Old Square
When did Plaza Viva take place at Old Square?
Plaza Viva was scheduled for 2 October 2026 from 2pm to 5pm. It formed the closing activity of the older adults' programme in Havana's historic centre.
What is Old Square?
Old Square is one of the five large plazas within Old Havana and its Fortification System. The surrounding World Heritage property preserves a historic urban layout and buildings with arcades, balconies and internal courtyards.
Where is Old Square and how do you get there?
Old Square is in Havana's historic centre in Cuba. It is within the UNESCO-listed Old Havana and its Fortification System.
