So much more than a party! Colourful. Vibrant. A feast for the senses. Noisy, chaotic and always fun – nothing symbolises the very essence of Spain more than a Fiesta. Mallorca, like its mainland neighbour, offers festivals almost every month of the year. The origins of the fiestas often lie in religious feasts, honouring patron saints of the towns and villages where they lived. They all include parades, fireworks, street parties, and a great deal of eating and drinking. Mallorca offers traditional and contemporary festivals all year round, from open-air concerts to local festivities. Rich in culture and heritage, no visit to the beautiful island of Mallorca would be complete without this experience
In our beloved Pollensa, the biggest festivals take place in July and August, but don’t worry, you haven’t missed out as there is still plenty coming up on the Mallorcan calendar.
Pollensa Festivals
Pollenca’s main fiesta is La Patrona Festival, a long, elaborate party that lasts an entire fortnight, the dates for this years’ festival being 21st July to 2nd August, ending in a grand finale on the Thursday 2nd 2018. Mare de Déu dels Àngel, Pollenca’s patron saint, is commemorated through a carnival atmosphere of singing, dancing, foam throwing and bell ringing. Celebrations culminate in an impressive re-enactment of the battle between the Moors and the Christians in remembrance of the invasion of Moorish pirates in 1550. The mock battle involves hundreds of participants from the community dressed in traditional 16th century costume.
We are currently taking bookings for Summer 2019 at Villa Esquina, which is just 10 minutes walk from Pollensa town center, get in touch to make sure you don’t miss next year’s La Patrona festival. Until then there is still plenty to do and see in north Mallorca in September.
Upcoming Fiestas in and around Pollensa, North Mallorca:
It is said that, the origin of the festival dates back to the Roman period, when it was introduced as a way to get rid of the bad grapes before the winter. The locals were not sure about what to do with the grapes that didn’t look good enough to make into wine, so they started to throw them at each other for making fun, and the tradition stuck.
This annual event, held during the last weekend in September (29th -30th Sept 2018), in the wine-growing village of Binissalem includes parades, celebrations, grape-crushing competitions, a wine tasting contest and a grape battle! The festival celebrates the grape harvest and the main attractions include a grape-stomping competition, grape-throwing fight, and lots of fun, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. Binissalem is a 30 minute drive from Pollensa.
This procession takes place on the first Sunday in September (this year it falls on Sunday 2nd Sept), in the village of Santa Margalida, a 30 minute drive from Pollensa. The Blessed leads the procession followed by the authorities, shawm players, peasants, devils (‘dimonis’) and 12 floats that reproduce the most important episodes of Catalina Tomàs’s life.
In late November (17 and 18 in 2018) the Olive Oil fair takes place in the tranquil town of Caimari, just under 40 minutes’ drive from Pollensa. You can experience the traditional methods of pressing the olives and how the oil is produced. In the streets, you can sample and buy typical Mallorcan products, learn how olives are harvested and listen to popular songs describing the work in the fields.
The Autumn fair of Dijous Bo, which is Catalan for “Good Thursday” is held in town of Inca and is the largest fair of its kind in Mallorca. Attracting hundreds of thousands of people, this is a Mallorcan fair - which means of course there is a party! The festivities begin on Wednesday 14th November with the annual Mallorcan black pig contest, parties, a 'fire run', and the reading of the proclamation.The main fair begins on Thursday 15th November 2018 and there is plenty to browse through the streets of Inca. Many of the stall keepers wear traditional Majorcan clothing and the streets are dotted with straw bales and ancient farming tools to celebrate their agricultural heritage. You can enjoy cooking displays, fashion shows and wine tasting, alongside the usual reverie. Inca is a 25 minute drive from Villa Esquina.
A little further afield
The Deia International Music Festival is a long-established tradition which takes place annually in the small but culture-rich town of Deia, an hour’s drive from Pollensa. Deia itself is a popular destination amongst the cool-boho set, and the festival is known to have inspired musicians such as Mick Jagger. Originally the festival was a humble affair featuring musicians with a mix of abilities and experience. Now almost three decades on the interest and support for the Deia International Music Festival increases every year with artists island-wide and worldwide participating. The festival program consists of concerts performed at historic attractions in the area including Son Marroig Palace and the local church. The festival runs until the end of September, so it is still possible to catch a performance.
Here is listing for the rest of the 2018 programme:
August 16, 21:00, Son Marroig: Asier Polo, cello, "The JSBach Suites" Suites I, IV and V.
August 23, 21: 00, Son Marroig: "Hortus Musicus" (Estonia) , Andres Mustonen, director
Works TBA.
August 30, 9:00 PM, Son Marroig: Andres Mustonen (Estonia), violinist Alfredo Oyaguez Montero, piano Works TBA.
September 6, 20:30, Son Marroig: Martti Wallen (Finland), under Sergio Bustos (Argentina), voice Armando Lirente, percussion Joan Roca, double bass Alfredo Oyáguez, piano, "Folkfest: El Tango, two worlds, one music"
13 September, 20:30, Son Marroig: Josep Maria Colom, piano, "The 24 Studies of F. Chopin"
September 20, Son Marroig: "Riu Dolc Brass Quintet", Works by Bach, Bernstein, Gershwin and Harry de Costa
September 27, 20:30, Son Marroig: "Utrecht String Quartet" (Holland), Alfredo Oyáguez Montero, piano Works by Turina, Granados, Shostakovich and Piazzolla.
Don’t miss the party
Villa Esquina is the perfect base to explore North Mallorca and the surrounding towns and villages of Pollensa, Puerto Pollensa, Alcudia, Valldemossa, Fornaltux, Deia and many more beautiful places we’d love to tell you about. Get in touch for availability around these festivals, or any future holiday dates.