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Festivals & Events in Sitges
Festivals & Events

Festa Major de Sitges (Sant Bartomeu)

Sitges
Nighttime fireworks display during the Festa Major de Sant Bartomeu in Sitges, with the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla visible in the background
Photo: Mike McBey / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Festa Major de Sant Bartomeu is the celebration Sitgetans truly call their own — not a tourist event like Carnival. It is the town's most deep-rooted festival, declared a Festivity of National Interest in Catalonia, with the Ball de Diables documented since 1853. Free and street-level: its heart is the 36 hours spanning 23 and 24 August.

The locals' festival, not the tourists'

Sitges has two major festivals and they could not be more different. Carnival (February) has held the title of Festa d'Interès Turístic Nacional since 1978: up to 300,000 spectators, 44 floats, a spectacle built for visitors. The Festa Major de Sant Bartomeu is the other side of the coin: a Festa Patrimonial d'Interès Nacional, the label the Generalitat reserves for a community's intangible heritage. That official distinction codifies the difference — tourism versus the town's own civic ritual. Records of the festival go back to 1353 in the books of the Pia Almoina (Arxiu de la Catedral de Barcelona), and it is driven by the neighbourhood colles, which pass each dance from generation to generation. That is why it belongs to the people of here: the séquito, the dances and the missa major are not a performance for cameras, but the rituals through which Sitges recognises itself every August. It was declared of National Interest in 1991 and of heritage status in 2016.

Sant Bartomeu (24 Aug) and the '36 hours'

The patron saint's day falls on 24 August, but the festival stretches over more than a week (19 to 26 August in 2026; confirm the calendar on the official website). The core is what locals call the 36 hours of the 23rd and 24th — a ritual sequence barely changed in over 150 years. On the afternoon of the 23rd the grallers enter the streets, and at 23:00 the fireworks begin. The 24th opens at 6:00 with La Matinal, a street procession that distributes flowers through the town; at 10:30 comes l'Ofici, the missa major attended by civil and ecclesiastical authorities; and at 19:30 the Processó Cívica sets off — the centrepiece of the whole festival. We recommend planning the entire day of the 24th, because the early morning and morning hours hold the most distinctive events and almost no one from outside rises early enough to catch them. Note: since 2025 the official name is Festa Major de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla, but Santa Tecla is celebrated separately, on 22 and 23 September.

The Seguici Popular and the Processó Cívica

The afternoon Processó Cívica of the 24th brings the full popular séquito into the streets in a fixed order that every local knows by name. Leading the way is the Drac de Sitges, the only sea dragon in Catalonia: built in 1922 by local artist Agustí Ferrer i Pino, it first appeared stepping off a boat on that 23 August. Accompanying it are the Gegants (Vells, Nous, Americanos, Moros), l'Àliga, els Capgrossos, the Moixiganga (an athletic-religious dance representing the Passion, one of Sitges' most singular traditions), els Bastoners, the Ball de Gitanes, els Cercolets and the three colles de diables. Behind them comes the tabernacle of Sant Bartomeu. It is a slow procession and a very crowded one: to get a good view, position yourself at a corner along the route well in advance and do not expect to move through the crowd once it starts. If you are travelling with children or find dense crowds overwhelming, La Matinal at 6:00 is far more manageable than the afternoon procession.

August at full capacity and the train home

The festival coincides with the August peak and the town fills to bursting. The car parks at Vinyet, Poble Sec, Hospital, Sant Sebastià and Aiguadolç fill up quickly, making the R2 Sud train (Rodalies, 35–40 minutes to Barcelona) almost essential. One important warning: Renfe reinforces the R2 service in summer, but only during daytime hours (outbound 9–13h, return 16–20h); there is no extra service at night for the fireworks on the 23rd, which is the most crowded night of the whole festival. After the display the platforms become saturated and return trains run over an hour late. A taxi to Barcelona is not cheap (around 40 km, considerably more than an urban fare, with night and public holiday surcharges) and is scarce due to demand. One final reminder: even though it is August and the fireworks launch from the sea, this is not a beach party. The plan is séquito, diables, fireworks and verbena in the streets.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Festa Major de Sitges free?
Yes, the essentials are free and open to all: the Seguici Popular, the Processó Cívica, the Ball de Diables, the castellers, the fireworks on the 23rd and the sardanes and verbenes in the street cost nothing. Only some concerts in enclosed venues or reserved spots and dinners with views of the fireworks may carry a charge.
When are the fireworks and where is the best place to watch them?
The Castell de Foc is always on 23 August at 23:00, lasts around 30 minutes and is launched from the seafront (La Punta, La Fragata beach and the breakwaters). The best free spot is the Passeig de la Ribera, along the balustrade facing the sea. Arrive at least two hours early — it is the most crowded night of the entire festival.
What is the Ball de Diables and is it dangerous?
It is the fire dance of the festival, documented in Sitges since 1853, featuring diables, satirical versots and pyrotechnics. Three colles perform today. There are rules that locals know well: wear cotton clothing with long sleeves and trousers, closed-toe shoes, and above all never throw water on the fire (it can cause an explosion). Respect the rules and enjoy the spectacle.
Will there be castells at the Festa Major?
Yes. There is a castellera performance in the plaça de l'Ajuntament, with the Colla Jove de Castellers de Sitges and top-tier guest colles such as the Minyons de Terrassa. The ambition for these diades is a 3 de 9. We cannot confirm the exact day or time in advance, so check the official programme for each edition.

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