This weekend Catalonia is preparing, once again, for the big carnival party, with its parades, concerts, masked balls and much more. As tradition dictates, these days revelry is king, so the best thing is to go out and fully enjoy the different activities that have been planned in a large part of the Catalan towns.
Barcelona. This year, Queen Belluga has just arrived in Barcelona after a long trip around the world looking for the purest essence of carnival. A mystical and very revealing odyssey that she has carried out with the most bizarre characters and who have emerged as the seven ambassadors of the Barcelona carnival, each one representing one of the seven deadly sins. We find the Prince of Rabiaemfàs and Vullsercomtú, the count jealous of everything; the Marchioness of Mandra and Tansemenfot; the Vescomte d’Això-és-permí and the Duc de Socelmillor, among others. All of them have, however, a common objective: to turn everything around and make the madness spread and completely invade Barcelona.
Starting today afternoon and throughout the weekend there will be endless parades from mountains to sea and from Besòs to Llobregat. If what you like is to dress up, it is possible to join them, if not, you can observe them from the outside and enjoy the originality of the costumes made with imagination, satire and burlesque tone. For the little ones in the house, this afternoon the so-called children's carnivals will take place in the Casc Antic, leaving from Plaça de l'Acadèmia (5 p.m.), and in the Gòtic, which will begin in Plaça del Rei and end in the de la Mercè with chocolate, percussion and music (5:30 p.m.).
The troupes will also parade today through different districts of the city, from Dreta de l'Eixample to Poble-sec, Horta and Sarrià starting at 5 p.m., with popular chocolates and costume contests in different cases. Now, the big party is planned for tomorrow with dances, workshops and popular meals before the night parades take center stage in the evening. A must-see will be the party that has been organized in the Santa Caterina market, inspired by the legendary Studio 54 from the seventies with the MSC club. In Gràcia, Carnaball is aimed at young people, who will be able to dance to urban rhythms from 10 p.m. in the Parc de la Creueta del Coll. In the Sant Martí district, a parade has been organized for today (7 p.m.) and a traveling mask dance (9 p.m.), and for tomorrow, an escape room (12 p.m.) and a party for the whole family with spoon food and prizes for the best costumed troupe (from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
Tarragona. The brand new carnival parades will also be protagonists in the city of Tarragona, where the streets will be filled with colors and lots of music. Tomorrow, Saturday, you have to get up early to enjoy the Andròmines del Pajaritu Reception, where participants will be able to show off their satirical and fun works of art, and spectators will be able to admire them before they get into action at 11 a.m. with their exciting descents.
The highlight of the day, however, is the great Crafts Parade, which will begin at 6 p.m. from Ramón i Cajal Avenue with troupes, floats and the entourage of King Carnestoltes and his concubine, which will lead to the festival. with Dj Chus and Dj Christian reviewing the great hits of the eighties and nineties. At midnight and on Cós de Bou street it will be time for Carnival, a la Jove! to dance without brakes until well into the early morning.
Lleida. The capital of western Catalonia is not far behind. Today at 7 p.m. the Marató de l’Ou a Cappont will take place, a race of skill and expertise for all ages. Tomorrow will be the big day, with the carnival ride with the Bsumeta and, in the afternoon, with the big carnival parade. 39 floats and nine troupes are planned. The uniqueness of the parade is that the age of the participants is very wide: they range from daycare centers, school afas and ampas, cultural, social, recreational entities, groups of retirees and young people.
Girona. The city of the four rivers also wants to invite citizens to the party. For this reason, one more year they invite you to enjoy the parade and the party that will begin at 4 p.m. in the Plaza del Vi to the Plaza de Santa Susanna del Mercadal, where there will be a children's entertainment show by the group La mujer del sac and a popular chocolate bar. Later the board games will take place at the Center Cívic Barri Vell-Mercadal. And no, one should not forget the costume, as it is an extremely special occasion for fun, whether with friends or family.
Vilanova i la Geltrú. The arrival of Queen Carnestoltes is celebrated with special fervor in some towns where these dates have been remembered for centuries with their own idiosyncrasy. We are talking about Vilanova i la Geltrú, where the famous Candy War takes place, a unique event where these sweet projectiles are thrown through the streets. On the other hand, in Torelló yesterday the Pullaso took place, where the ladies exchanged clothes to walk through the streets. With this desire for equality we also find the Sitges festival, an emblem of LGTBIQ inclusion and with a costume parade with very elaborate dresses and garish shows. Finally, the Solsona carnival has been a festival of national tourist interest since 1978, as it has some of the oldest and most unique traditions, such as the Penjada del Ruc (made of papier-mâché) of the Torre de les Hores.
