Catalonia is synonymous with traditions and popular festivals. Going into the richness and plurality of these, it will allow you to discover an inexhaustible cultural and intangible heritage, full of values and characterized by the involvement and participation of citizens, associations and institutions. Palamós and its surroundings are full of these festivities and traditions.
Cantada d’Havaneres de Palafrugell
One of the distinguishing features of the start of the summer season on the Costa Brava is the Cantada d’Havaneres in Palafrugell, an international tourist icon and one of the most important cultural events in the Girona region. The genre of the habanera and the groups that sing them are a sample of Catalan popular culture, despite the fact that they had not previously had platforms for disseminating music that was so deeply rooted in Catalonia that, time was time, it went to Cuba. During the weekend of the Cantada d’Havaneres, Calella receives nearly 30,000 people and the event reaches more than 300,000 viewers through the live broadcast of Televisió de Catalunya. It is a show aimed at all audiences, which makes it an event not only cultural but also social and media. With the Cantada, the genre of habaneras has been recovered and saved from oblivion.
Nit de Sant Joan (St. John’s Night)
The Revetlla de Sant Joan is celebrated all over the Catalan Countries, as well as in different parts of the world, during the night between 23 and 24 June. It is a magical night that welcomes summer and has become part of the Catalan festive heritage with marked and symbolic customs such as fire, midnight baths, Sant Joan’s wort, songs, dancing or magical garnishes and rituals. In addition, Palamós celebrates the main festival just for Sant Joan, which fills the town with different activities and invites everyone to enjoy the fair and other consolidated events such as the planting of giants, concerts in the young area of huts, sardanas, the celebration of the first night of summer with habaneras and the closing fireworks on the Platja Gran de Palamós, among many others.
Feast of the Virgin of Carme
On 15 and 16 July, Palamós hosts the feast of the Virgin of Carme, patron saint of the people of the sea. On the night of the 15th there is a big dance on the esplanade of the Llotja and the next day a solemn mass is celebrated in honour of the Patron Saint, followed by a procession accompanied by the giants and “grallers” of Palamós to carry the Virgin to the boat. To end the celebration and as a central act, there is a maritime procession with the entire Palamós fishing fleet led by the boat carrying the image of the Virgin.
Festival Rumb(A)
Throughout the month of July, different spaces in Palamós host different concerts every Friday (and a Saturday for the little ones) as part of what has become the first Catalan rumba festival organized on the Costa Brava, created with the aim of highlighting popular and traditional music in the Catalan rumba genre. This is a program that has renowned and quality figures in the world of this genre and is offered free of charge in different areas of Palamós, along with a Catalan rumba workshop dedicated to the most important secrets of the genre.
With copla sound
At the beginning of August, Palamós hosts the only copla festival in Catalonia, which aims to express the genuine sound of the copla beyond the conventional formations that were known until now.
First bath of the year
This is a casual and crowded activity that is held every year on the Platja Gran in Palamós coinciding with Easter Sunday and which symbolically marks the start of the bathing season in Palamós. The activity begins with a few minutes of gymnastics to get warm up and when you get out of the water the participants are offered a cup of hot broth to comfort themselves.
Prawn Fair
Palamós is synonymous with prawns and with the aim of promoting the Palamós Prawn Guarantee Mark and encouraging its consumption, this fair was born, which is usually held on the second Saturday in June in the space of the Fish market and which consists of showing various ways to cook and consume prawns.
Bunyols de l’Empordà (Fritters of l’Empordà)
Fritters are a dessert dish that is started to be eaten for Lent and eaten throughout Holy Week. The ingredients to prepare them are: flour, water or milk, yeast from Paris, salt, lard, olive oil or butter, lemon, eggs, sugar and anise or grenache. They are shaped like a crushed sphere and have no holes.