Skip to main content

Soller's Fira & Firo, a great Mallorcan Festival

Enjoy the music and art of Mallorca before the battle of Moors and Christians

featured in Events Reviews Author James Fisher, Mallorca Video Reporter Updated

The Firo Soller is one of the most exciting festivals in Mallorca. The battle between the Moors and Christians is loud exciting and a full of colour in the way only a Spanish festival can be.

The festival celebrates the defeat of an invading Algerian force in 1561. The story goes that the Moors landed in Port de Soller and made their way inland to the town where the brave women of Soller repelled them with treacle on the streets and catapults from above.

These days visitors are made far more welcome and the days running up to the battle re-enactment are full of art and music before the ships land once again on the shores of Repic beach in Port de Soller.

Over the next few days there will be art exhibitions and live musical concerts in Soller with late night parties on Friday and Saturday. The main event takes place this Monday 13th May. The Moorish ships will arrive in Port de Soller at 3pm and the battle will take place on the beach and the streets up into the town.

It's a loud and boisterous affair with fireworks and face paint. These days the locals take huge pleasure in wiping black face paint on anyone not dressed up and beware of your hat as the tradition is for it to be placed on top of a shot gun and fired into the air. The resulting hole can limit its sun shielding properties.

Like so many of the Mallorcan festival there appears to be no regard for health and safety and you will certainly never see a party like this in the UK but everyone is in good spirits and the people take care of each other.

If you want to be a part of the Moors and Christians festival you can join in the more sedate celebrations this week but if you want to experience something really quite special then make sure you are in Port de Soller on Monday from midday onwards.

You can find all the times of all the events taking place in our Events Calendar.

Watch this

News

  • Nikki Beach Champagne Brunch 2019 Review

    July in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

  • Copa del Rey, Palma

    August in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

  • Palma Nit de l'Art 2019 Review

    September in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

  • Mallorca in October 2019 - What to see & do

    October in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

  • November 2019 in Mallorca - Top 8 Events

    November in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

  • Christmas Lights Switched On, Palma Centre & Marina

    December in Mallorca: What's On & Weather

Events

  • Lobster Club Full Moon Party

    Full Moon Party at Lobster Club

  • Sunset Market, Puerto Portals

    Sunset Market

  • Bellver Castle Music Festival

    Festival Bellver

  • Reggaeton Beach Festival

    Reggaeton Beach Festival

  • A steinway & sons piano with a violin on the keys

    Deia International Music Festival

  • Open-Air Cinema Nights at Castillo Son Vida

    Open-Air Cinema Nights