Festa Major de la Sagrada Família

Activity dates

Dates de celebració

Mid-April, in the Eixample district's Sagrada Família neighbourhood

Feast Day: 23 April, Sant Jordi

Eixample

The current Sagrada Família neighbourhood used to be called El Poblet and was part of a little group of houses in the country. Then the factory workers' houses arrived at the end of the 19th century, as a result of the industrial revolution, and the area started to grow. This was also the time when work started on building a key and distinctive feature of the neighbourhood, the Sagrada Família temple.

And it is precisely the Sagrada Família that provides the backdrop for most of the festa major, which is held round the Dia de Sant Jordi (St George's Day). For two weeks a host of activities are organised to liven up the neighbourhood and the people who live in it. Popular culture, which is well represented there, plays a very important role in the festival with dance, a cercavila gegantera, tarda de foc and a jornada castellera.

Reason

Sagrada Família's festa major is held round 23 April, St George's Day in Catalonia. Now this is a day with very strong roots that is celebrated all over the country but the saint has been worshipped since the Middle Ages. 

About festivities

Highlights

Matinades. Early in the morning on the first day of the festival, the Associació Fal·lera Gegantera de la Sagrada Família organises a despertada with grallers and tabalers. These gralla players and drummers make their way round the neighbourhood with the idea of waking up the locals and inviting them to take part in the activities. 

Cercavila gegantera. On Saturday afternoon the Gegants de la Sagrada Família, Pere l’Home dels Coloms and Pepa la Peixatera, host a trobada gegantera organised by the Associació Fal·lera Gegantera. Giants from round the city and all over the country stop in front of the Sagrada Família, where they perform their dances before setting off on a cercavila round the neighbourhood streets.

Tarda de foc. The Bestialots Espurnats de la Sagrada Família and the Colla del Drac Farfolla organise a whole series of fire-related events throughout one afternoon and evening. They kick off with a workshop where children can discover what the devils do. That's followed by a tabalada of drums and verse readings. Then, when it's getting dark, the Bestialots, Farfolla the Dragon and a guest devil group set off to "burn" their way round the neighbourhood streets. When they finish this correfoc, there is a final firework display in front of the Sagrada Família.

Matinades dels castellers. First thing in the morning the grallers and tabalers of the Castellers de la Sagrada Família wake up the neighbourhood with their toc de matinades  announcing there will be an exhibition of human towers, a diada castellera, at midday.

Ballet de Déu. After the festival mass at the Sagrada Família, the Esbart Gaudí dancers perform a traditional folk dance, the Ballet de Déu de l’Anoia. 

Diada castellera. The Castellers de la Sagrada Família are the hosts of the festival human tower display, which two or three other groups always take part in.

Roda d’Esbarts. The Esbart Gaudí organises an exhibition of dances from all the Catalan speaking lands, with groups of young dancers from all round the country taking part. 

Supplementary information

Organisers

Coordinadora d’Entitats de la Sagrada Família.