The festival of Sant Joan marks the official start of summer. The days before, people of all ages start throwing firecrackers to open their mouths for the big day: the night of June 23-24. That night, fire, music and the traditional coca take over towns and cities. Although this year the festival could last more than just one night, since it falls just at the beginning of the weekend.
Although the tradition of throwing firecrackers and eating coca de Sant Joan has been maintained over time, this emblematic festivity has been changing for 50 years, when hundreds of bonfires were lit throughout Barcelona during the festival. This year, some towns and cities in Catalonia maintain the tradition and light various bonfires, although others choose to celebrate the festival in a more family-friendly way, with concerts and activities for all ages.
These are some of the festivals that will be held this Sant Joan in Catalonia.
Barcelona is preparing for the night of Sant Joan with more than 40 festivals spread throughout the city and with 26 bonfires authorized by the City Council. The festival reaches all the neighborhoods thanks to organizations, associations and 'casals', which have carefully organized the atmosphere, fireworks, food and music for that night. In addition, each district of Barcelona will set up its own bonfire.
As is tradition, the central act of the festival will be the Arrival of the Flame of the Canigó, which this year will be held again in Plaça Sant Jaume. As every year, the Cobla San Jordi – Ciutat de Barcelona, the Eagle and the Giants of the City will participate to accompany the people of Barcelona in the expected act.
On the beach, where thousands of people will gather, it is expected that around 3:30 in the morning the beach bars close their doors, as far as possible, to encourage consumers to go home or move towards other establishments that are open at that time of the morning.
In the Pyrenees, the days close to Sant Joan are celebrated with the traditional fire. Las Falles dels Pirineus take place from mid-June to July and are quite a fireworks show. In general, the fallaires light the fallas at the top of the mountain and go down with them while the citizens join them until they reach the town with them lit. This tradition is celebrated by up to sixty towns in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees and each one gives it a unique character, since the way they make them, light them and the descent of the fallas varies.
Although some towns have already celebrated, such as Boí, Casós, Durro, La Pobla de Segur or Sort, Alins, Arties, Bagà, Isil, Les, Pont de Suert, Senet and Vilaller will celebrate this weekend. The rest are scheduled for early or mid-July.
The night of June 23, the eve of Sant Joan, is festival night in all the towns on the Costa Brava and the Girona Pyrenees. As in the rest of the Catalan territories, these are dates also marked by popular festivals, where fireworks and music are the main stars. The Palamós Festival is one of those that coincides with Sant Joan, since it is celebrated from June 23 to 26. However, some municipalities in Girona started special activities on June 16.
Likewise, this Thursday the Sant Joan festivities begin with the Gambarrock contest. The festival will be full of music with groups like Clima, Repercussió and La Masovera Barbuda. On the 24th it will be the turn of Cotton Guest, Auxili and Kharlos Selekyah and on the 25th of The Covers and The Missip Band.
Other towns on the Costa Brava join in the celebration of Sant Joan, with activities and bonfires to enjoy the festival. In the case of Blanes, events will be held including the performance of the Diables Saforcanera, a dance exhibition, an open microphone, concerts of various music and two DJ sessions.
L'Estartit will celebrate the festival with the Ítaca Sant Joan Festival, in which the voices of various artists such as Alizz, Els Catarres and Vetusta Morla will sound. In addition, this municipality has its own festival for these dates. This year, Pirat's del Foc will liven up the bonfire to the rhythm of a Retumbatuka batukada.
This Friday from 5:00 p.m. the activities of the Sant Joan festival in Tarragona will begin, which will end with the celebration of the festival as such with performances by the cover bands Mano's Rock and Tribut FM until 2 in the morning. As a closing to this summer festivity, Saturday's program will include the traditional Diada Castellera at 7:30 p.m.
In Valls, the Sant Joan celebration coincides with the fiesta mayor, which began on June 16 and lasts until the 25th. Although the concerts began on the 20th, the highlight of this Jewish day are the concerts of the Valencian group La Fúmiga and the singer Julieta in the Hort del Carmen car park. At the party, in the same place, 31FAM and Companyia Elèctrica Dharma will perform, while on Saturday the 24th they will be Mariona Escoda, winner of the first edition of the Eufòria program on TV3, Lildami and the Figa Flawas.
The pastry chefs are already at work with the typical cocas from Sant Joan, the star of the festival along with the firecrackers.
The sector ensures that creative cocas, those filled with fresh fruit, green tea or pistachios, are gaining ground every year. Whatever the type, this year they are confident that the festival of Sant Joan will be "amazing" as far as the sale of cokes is concerned. They expect to exceed the sales forecasts for cokes, which stand at 1.8 million units. This is how Antoni Bellart, president of the Guild, explains it, who affirms that the fact that the festivity is at the beginning of the weekend with good weather predicts “very good” sales.
The fireworks sector expects to bill 17 million euros this Sant Joan campaign and recover the pre-pandemic figures in Catalonia, as confirmed by the Association of Fireworks Merchants of Spain (ACFAE). The rise in billing is also driven by the inflation of costs, rates and taxes. Even so, they anticipate that citizens will spend an average of around 40 euros on fireworks this year.
The pyrotechnics sector has recently met with Civil Protection to establish an agreed message in the face of the current climate emergency situation to prevent fire risks. For this reason, they have insisted that, in rural areas, it is important to take special care with flying firecrackers, which can be used in safe spaces authorized by the municipalities and, if they do not exist, a remote space will be sought. of the vegetation zone.
The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, together with the metropolitan councils of the Catalan coast, have designed a special device for intensive cleaning of beaches to coincide with the celebration of the festival of Sant Joan. Starting at 6:30 a.m. on June 24, 150 workers will work intensively to leave the space in good condition for bathers.
To make cleaning easier for the workers, two all-terrain compactor trucks, eight sieves, three quads and 35 4x4 vehicles, three backhoe loaders and two all-terrain trucks with cranes have been made available to them. In addition, some fifty additional auxiliary and beach containers will be installed. The AMB has recalled that it is forbidden to make bonfires in these spaces.
