Event Previews & Reviews from Mallorca

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.

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.

Mallorca was blessed with perfect running conditions for the Ultra Mallorca Serra de Tramuntana (UMSdT) races last Saturday – the 105km “Ultra” from Andratx to Pollenca and the 63km “Ultra Trail” from Valldemossa to Pollenca.

The Kaiser Chiefs played Mallorca Rocks last night in the Majorca beach resort of Magaluf. The Chiefs were only the second band since the opening party with Ed Sheeran three weeks ago. Since then the crowds have been treated to the likes of Maverick Sabre and Chase and Status but this was the first full band with guitars and vocals and it was a band who are making something of a come back after a long hiatus. Could they still be enough to entertain the Mallorca crowd?

Soller and its hidden valley celebrate all things orange in June with the Fiesta of the Orange. From the 2nd to 17th June, both Soller & Port de Soller go back to their roots and give the orange the place in its calender that it deserves. Soller has a micro climate and water supplies that produce the best oranges.

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.

Festivals in Mallorca are a considerably more boisterous affair than our more reserved British fetes with their Maypoles and cream teas.

With strings of glistening lights adorning every town and village, Christmas has definitely arrived in Mallorca. And what better way to get a festive fix than a trip to a Christmas market?

This fun fair (or Feria to the Spanish) is a large-scale amusement park located in Son Fusteret, on the outskirts of Palma de Mallorca between February 27th-April 10th 2016.

Although Sant Pere, or Saint Peter, falls on the 29th June, the town of Andratx allocates over a week of festivities to celebrating their patron saint.

Soller is situated in the plains of the valley, surrounded on three sides by the majesty of the Tramuntana mountain range. This encloses us and keeps us safe or insular – both interpretations are valid. It is very common for my neighbours to think they are planning a huge expedition if they venture through the tunnel to join the rest of Mallorca. The car gets packed up with the ‘just in case’ supplies and local friends wish them a good journey.

The Christmas festivities are in full swing in Mallorca but this week it was cranked up a notch as Pueblo Español opened its doors for its annual Christmas market.

La Patrona Festival – it’s Moors V’s Christians in an epic battle re-enactment in Pollenca

The people of Pollenca have been given a reprieve this week as the Miquel Salom photography exhibition that was supposed to run until the 25th of May has been extended until the 7th of June.

On the evening of Friday the 15th there was a gathering of local artisans showing off their wares in the Joan March gardens in front of the Claustro de Santo Domingo.