Event Previews & Reviews from Mallorca

A trip to Deià on the north coast of Majorca is a must for anyone wishing to experience the diversity that this beautiful island has to offer.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations may be over in the UK, but here on Mallorca, we enjoyed a quintessential English garden party at La Residencia Hotel in Deia to mark the British monarch’s 60th year on the throne.

Ed Sheeran opened Mallorca Rocks last night in Magaluf with a gig that left everyone smiling and started the summer-long festival in style. With nothing more than a mic, a guitar and a looping pedal he owned the Mallorca Rocks venue taking to the stage on his own and playing his entire set without support.

This weekend saw the BVAW beach volleyball tournament in Alcudia. From the 22nd to the 24th of May the beach filled up with couples in volley vests, short shorts and tiny bikinis leaping, diving and spiking in an attempt to be crowned winners of the Beach Volleyball Around the World’s 2015 tournament.

As you walk through the narrow streets of Pollensa right now you will see ticker tape suspended from the balconies overhead and it is clear that there is something going on in this usually quiet Majorcan town. Infact, there is no doubt that there is a fiesta taking place as the square is beautifully decorated in white ticker tape, and lights and flags are hanging all around Pollenca and Puerto Pollensa. The flags symbolise the Moors and Christians festival and show that the town is in preparation to celebrate their victory for another year.

The mountains that surround the Soller valley met their conqueror 100 years ago. The thinkers of the hidden valley knew that progress was going to be impossible unless they ended Soller's mountain isolation. At the turn of the century Soller was a boom town trading in cotton and oranges and moving these goods other than by sea was, quite simply, impossible. The majestic mountains and, in particular, the Alfabia mountain range prevented passengers and goods being transported to the island’s main port in Palma de Mallorca.

On the third Thursday in September, a selection of Palma’s art galleries open their doors to the public free of charge, for the cultural extravaganza that is known as the Nit de l’Art. Organised by Art Palma and the Association of Independent Art Galleries of the Balearics, it is one of the top social gatherings in Palma’s events calendar, and you can pick up flyers for the event in tourist offices and art galleries.

Calling all seafood lovers! The MarisGalicia seafood fair will be ending its Palma tour on the 25th October, taking with it the freshest tastes from Galicia. Even the rain felt authentic today as I headed towards the huge marquee in the east of the capital, set up especially to host this annual seafood extravaganza.

The Superyacht Cup opened its docks to the public this year. I went down to take a look and quickly realised what a different world it is…

The BBQ Nights on Thursdays in the summer are a popular event at Ca’s Xorc Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. For €59 per person, you get all the food you could possibly want to eat, including half a bottle of wine, water, dessert and coffee! So, on a particularly balmy evening, we decided to take on their flaming feast.

At risk of ruining one of Mallorca’s best kept secrets, I am going to share my experience of La Fira del Vi de Pollença, in English – Pollenca’s wine fair.

If someone says 'Mallorca market', the one that springs to mind for me is the traditional and popular Wednesday market in Sineu (pronounced Sin a you), which has been going since way back in the 14th century. Sineu is a quaint inland town. If you stuck a needle where you guess the middle of the island of Mallorca is, you'd probably hit Sineu, geographically almost centric, strategically situated in the plains known as Es Pla.

The joys of February in the Soller valley must be experienced. The blossom is appearing on the trees, and the orchards are a mass of pink and white. The grass has been overtaken by yellow sorrel, providing a carpet for the blossom. This truly is a special time of year and an early indication that spring in Majorca comes sooner than in England.

There was a great sense of anticipation at Palma Auditorium on Friday, as people arrived for the one night only show celebrating Glenn Miller and the golden era of swing and big band music.

Nikki Beach’s White Party has become a world famous social affair and is, without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the year in Mallorca. Anybody who’s anybody wants to be seen at this particular party. This year, I went along to see what all the fuss was about.

The Esporles Sweet Fair began in 2005 and is held on the first Sunday of October to guarantee fine weather. The event is becoming increasingly popular and diverse with every passing year and offers a unique opportunity to meet the people who make a fine range of traditional, homemade and, often, organic foods including wines, cakes, pastries, jams and sweets. And, of course, to sample their wares! Here are some of my favourite stands from Sunday's fair, with an insight into the characters and traditions behind the produce.