Festa major de l’Esquerra de l’Eixample

Activity dates

Dates de celebració

Last days of September and the first week of October.

Eixample

Esquerra de l’Eixample is one of the five neighbourhoods that make up the district. The others are Dreta de l’Eixample, Sant Antoni, Fort Pienc and Sagrada Família. It has a large number of organisations and associations that are actively involved in the festa major and they organise lots of events and activities to suit all ages and tastes.

So, during the final days of September and the first days of October, Esquerra de l’Eixample is decked out for a festival with loads of activities and celebrations. Highlights include the gegants and capgrossos, the demonstrations and public sessions of Catalan folk dances, a big correfoc, communal meals, concerts, talks, sports competitions, children's workshops and entertainment, the traditional lacemakers gathering and so on.

About festivities

Highlights

Trobada de gegants i capgrossos. Transeixample. These popular festival figures have their own day in the Esquerra de l’Eixample festival programme. That day gegants and capgrossos (giants and big heads) from the city and elsewhere gather in the neighbourhood for a cercavila parade round the streets accompanied by music.

Trobada de puntaires. Every year around 500 puntaires (lacemakers) from Barcelona and neighbouring counties gather on Avinguda de Roma, where onlookers can admire the handmade lace and even buy a piece.

Correfoc. The Colla de Diables de l’Esquerra Infernal lead the dancing and fireworks of the other devil groups as they go round the main streets in this big correfoc. This is split into two parts: the children's part, with the Diablons, and the adult one.

Sardanes and ballets. Each year the festival programme includes a ballada de sardanes , an open-air session of this traditional ring dance that local residents are welcome to join in, with music provided by the guest cobla. Other traditional Catalan dances can be seen in the performance put on by Ballets de Catalunya, a group dedicated to reviving and spreading these dances.

Children's activities. Esquerra de l’Eixample's annual festival pays particular attention to children. So much so that there is now a parallel kids programme, with lots of different activities: sports championships, handicraft workshops, stories, exhibitions, talks and even a correfoc.

Supplementary information

Organisers

Associació de Veïns i Veïnes de l’Esquerra de l’Eixample.