Sant Sebastià, Palma and beyond
19 - 20 January 2026
Every January, Mallorca swaps beach towels for bonfires. Nowhere burns brighter than Palma, the island capital, where Festes de Sant Sebastià fills the old town with music stages, crackling foguerons, and a whirling correfoc of devils and dragons. The feast day itself is 20 January, but the city treats the whole fortnight as a rolling party.
What’s it all about
Palma is Sant Sebastià’s city; he’s the patron saint, and the municipality builds a program that takes over multiple plazas at once—live bands on open-air stages, bonfires for DIY street barbecues (torrades), children’s workshops, and art and sport across the centre. The signature night is La Revetla on the eve of the feast (19 January), when practically every square becomes a concert venue and the air smells of sobrassada grilling over the flames. In recent editions, crowds for the closing correfoc have topped 30,000 people.
Palma also adds theatrical folklore: the fire-breathing Drac de na Coca opens festivities before demon troupes (colles de dimonis) “chase” spectators through corridors of sparks. It’s a uniquely Mallorcan spectacle—and mostly free.
Reverence for Saint Sebastian reached Palma during a plague in 1523–1524, when a ship carrying a relic—legend says a bone from the saint’s arm—was forced by storm to remain in the bay. The epidemic eased, and Palma eventually adopted Sebastian as its protector and patron; his feast on 20 January became the city’s great midwinter fiesta. Today the relic is venerated in the cathedral.
What to expect in 2026
The 2026 feast day falls on Tuesday, 20 January, which means the main blowout, La Revetla, will be Monday night, 19 January 2026—true to tradition. Expect multiple music stages across Plaça Major, Plaça Cort, and other central squares; municipal bonfires with free grills for your own sausages; and a family program (Sant Sebastià Petit) earlier in the week. The festival typically stretches over two long weekends, with the final correfoc (demon-and-fire parade) closing the cycle after the feast day. Official programming is usually released in early January, but the pattern is consistent year to year.
Island-wide 2026: beyond Palma
While Palma is the headliner, towns across Mallorca keep the fires burning around the same dates—often blending Sant Sebastià with the equally beloved Sant Antoni traditions (16–17 January). Look for:
Inca: Foguerons, communal torrades, xeremiers bagpipers and local dimonis in the days around the 19–20th.
Cities and villages across the plains and Llevant: bonfires and neighbourhood grills, sometimes small correfocs or rosaries in honour of the saint on the 19th–20th. (Municipal agendas typically publish the exact times.)
Sa Pobla, Manacor, Artà (mid-January): spectacular Sant Antoni fires and demons that roll seamlessly into the Sant Sebastià period—ideal if you want a whole week of flames and folklore.
A newer addition likely to return is Dia de la Pesta (“Day of the Plague”), a history-meets-party event launched in Palma in 2025 to narrate the origins of the devotion with performances and street ritual—part of the city’s push to frame the fiesta over a full fortnight.
How to do it like a local
Bring something to grill: buy sobrassada and bread in the afternoon; at night, claim space by a fogueró and share. (Many bonfires come with free grates; you bring the food.)
Dress for sparks: fire proof clothing, long sleeves, closed shoes, a scarf and hat—especially if you plan to step under the correfoc. Follow stewards’ instructions.
Chase the music map: each stage books different styles, with a strong slate of Mallorcan artists—the city has leaned into showcasing local talent at the Revetla.
There’s a reason this is Palma’s most beloved week: deep winter, and yet the city glows—embers in the squares, dragons spitting fire, guitars and voices carrying through the night. It’s a shared ritual of light and sound that transforms the capital into one great celebration.