Soaked Sant Sebastia 2017 in Palma

Since the 17th century, the Fiesta Sant Sebastià (Saint Sebastian) has been one of the most celebrated festivals in Palma and Mallorca, as the island comes together to commemorate their Patron Saint of the capital every January.

The history of Saint Sebastian derives from a Roman officer who served Emperor Diocletian as captain of the Praetorian Guard. He was found out for converting prisoners to Christianity and ordered to be tied to a tree and shot at with arrows until he was dead. He had not been killed, however, and a young girl called Irene nursed him back to health. But before long, he was found again and ordered to be whipped to death and thrown into the gutters. Legend has it, he then appeared to a friend in a premonition and told her where his remains could be found. This young Christian woman gave him a proper burial in the catacombs. It wasn’t until 1524, however, that Sebastian became patron saint of Palma when a relic (a bone from the arm of his body) arrived from Rhodes by boat, coinciding with the miraculous end to a plague that had been devastating the city. 

Palma usually comes alive in the week leading up to the 20th January (the day of Saint Sebastian). The programme of events, organised by the city council, usually begins the previous Saturday with a parade and reading of the proclamation of parties. Throughout the week the parties intensify and on the eve of this Patron Saint Day, ‘La Revetla de Sant Sebastià’ there are street parties, BBQs and concerts of various musical styles which are held in the eight squares (Plaças) of the old quarter of the city. The largest stages are always located in Passeig des Born, Plaça d'Espanya, Plaça Major and Plaça Cort. 

This year, on Thursday 19th January, it’s reported that around 28,000 festival-goers of Sant Sebastià weren’t put off by a spot of rain as the city came out in full force to kick off the celebrations. By 18:00, the air was starting to fill with the scent of the bonfires and traditional Spanish meats being cooked on the many BBQs in the streets of the city (the council arranging the grills each year). The various music genres echoed throughout the streets alongside the other festivities. Despite the rain, the show certainly went on as the local bands took to the stages throughout the city and the crowds danced late into the evening.

Scheduled for Saturday 21st January was the climatic ending to this event: a popular ritual known as ‘Correfoc’, a procession of devils and demons who take to the streets in the city centre letting off fireworks and breathing flames before coming together for massive fireworks displays. Unfortunately, this ritual has had to be postponed this year. The strong winds and heavy rain forecast for the weekend had caused much speculation and debate as to whether the event should take place. On Friday, Palma City Council finally made the decision to reschedule Correfoc and Sant Sebastià Petit, the children’s festival (originally scheduled for Sunday 22nd morning), until the following Sunday 29th January (both keeping to the same schedules). 

Whilst many are disappointed that the celebrations have been disrupted due to bad weather, the council didn’t want to take any chances with the safety of the crowds as wind, fires and fireworks do not make for a good combination. If you haven’t already experienced ‘Correfoc’, we highly recommend you take a little visit to Palma next weekend. But, no matter the weather forecast, please make sure you wear protective clothing and a hat. This event is not for the faint hearted! 

Please find the full schedule of events in our Events Calendar.