© palmademallorca.es
Fireworks replaced with fire runs for Palma's Sant Sebastian fiesta 2013
Next weekend sees the biggest party of the year
Palma de Mallorca will be celebrating it's patron saint Sebastian next week with a programme full of concerts, exhibitions and the 'Correfoc', from the 12th to 21st January 2013.
The Saint Sebastian festival is one of the biggest and most important fiestas of the year on Mallorca. Thousands of people turn out for the celebrations, and it is customary to bring food to grill on one of the many barbecues on the city streets. The budget for the festival has been reduced by 28% this year which has resulted in the removal of the fireworks display.
There will some street entertainments this weekend in Placa Cort and Parc de les Estacions, and concerts from next Thursday evening in Convent dels Caputxins and Placa Espana.
The main action is held in the evening of Saturday 19th January, with plenty of music concerts running to 3.00am. Earlier that day, you'll find a craft market at Museu Castell de Sant carles from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
The big night on the 19th January starts at 7pm with a parade of giant papier mache figures depicting legendary figures from the past. The parade starts in Placa Cort and heads to Placa Major, where there will be traditional dancing and local folk music, acrobatics and the lighting of the main bonfire (at 8.00pm).
From 8.00pm, many of Palma's squares play host to live music bands and concerts. Placa Joan Carlos, Placa Cort, San Francesc, Sa Llonja, and Placa de l'Olivar are amongst the venues. Placa Espana has headline acts and live DJ's from Europa FM. See the programme for a full list of performers (Spanish & Catalan only).
Sunday 20th January will see another concert in Placa Olivar from 8.00pm and the party continues in Placa Espana from 9.30pm.
The festival finishes on Monday 21st January with the famous Correfoc from 7.00pm. The devil run 'Correfoc' features devils & demons dancing and running through the streets with fireworks, bangers and sparklers, and starts at Teatre Mar i Terra before heading to Calle Sant Magi. It then heads down Avenida Argentina and ends in Placa Santo Domingo de la Calzada. It promises to be a wild night!
Palma de Mallorca is not the only place to have Sant Sebastian as it's patron saint - the whole of Spain and many other Roman Catholic countries commemorate his memory on the 20th January.
