Festa major del Carmel

Activity dates

Dates de celebració

First fortnight of July in the Carmel neighbourhood, Horta-Guinardó district

The Carmel neighbourhood is located on a hill of the same name, an epithet that comes from the hermitage dedicated to Mare de Déu del Mont Carmel which was built in the second half of the 19th century, and to where pilgrimages were often taken. Like many neighbouring areas, there was an intense period of population growth and development in the 20th century when all at once the single-storey houses were replaced by huge blocks of flats.

There are many activities in the festa major, the main festival, aimed at all ages and for different tastes. There are sporting activities, concerts, dances, and community meals as well as charity events and others aimed at getting to know the history of the neighbourhood a little better. Popular culture is evident, especially related to fire, thanks to the Diables del Carmel devils' group and their dragons.

Origins

The first celebration of the festa major, as we understand it today, took place in 1979. 

Did you know...

Sabies que...

One of the capgrossos, the big-headed figures from the Horta-Guinardó district is dedicated to the local activist Custòdia Moreno, a very popular and well-loved character in the neighbourhood. In the end of the 1960s he fought for the demolition of the slums and the installation of basic infrastructures and services.

About festivities

Highlights

Cercavila de festa major. The neighbourhood's fire groups, like the Diables del Carmel, along with neighbouring associations, organise the cercavila de festa major, the festival street parade. In this, fire and gunpowder play a pivotal role, because the parade's main protagonists are the diables (devils), tabalers (drummers), dracs (dragons), and the trabucaires with their blunderbusses.

Tabalada and correfoc. On the last day of the festival, the Diables del Carmel and the Banyetes d’Horta organise the tabalada, the drum gathering, and the correfoc, the fire run. They usually invite another group from the city to join them. After the tabalada and before the correfoc starts, all the devils' groups get together to light their fireworks in the encesa general.

Interesting features

Interesting features

Drac Capallà is the fire beast belonging to the Diables d’Horta-Carmel. It was made in 1990 by the image maker Toni Mujal, according to drawings by one member of the group. They say that its unusual name comes from  the opening day when the people carrying it kept shouting "this way, that way!", which in Catalan is "cap aquí, cap allà!"».

Supplementary information

Organisers

Comissió de la Festa Major del Carmel.