From 24 to 29 August, the gardens of Can Mantega, the Castellers de Sants space and eight streets and squares in this neighbourhood will be brimming with activities for the big annual festival, with capacity control and prior booking to prevent large crowds and the spread of infection.

Following a very low-key 2020 due to the pandemic, the Sants Festa Major will be back celebrating popular culture this year with a small-scale edition that will last for just five days. Between 24 ad 29 August the annual festival will be back, adapted to the health situation and applying all the current protocols to ensure a safe and responsible festival. All activities must end by 12.30 am at the latest.

The gardens of Can Mantega, between Carrer de Joan Güell and Carrer del Torrent de Perales, will be the main venue for the festival. This is where the opening speech will take place, along with children’s workshops and cultural and popular shows. The festival will still feature the traditional offerings to Saint Bartholomew, in the church of Santa Maria de Sants and Sants Market, and it will be extending into new spaces in the neighbourhood, such as the gardens of the Rambla de Sants, with the Diables de Sants static fire show, or the Lleialtat Santsenca, which will host the poster exhibition, among others.

The street festival committees are responsible for the small-scale programme taking place on the street, with events and activities to suit all tastes and for audiences of all ages. Highlights include musical performances, such as those taking place in the Castellers de Sants site, located as always on the esplanade behind the old Germans Climent factory. During the festival, there will also be activities for children and families both in the Borinots centre and in the streets and squares.

Speech paying tribute to the essential services in the pandemic

This year’s speech, which will take place on Saint Bartholomew’s Day (24 August) at 8 pm, will pay tribute to the two sectors that have played a key role during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely the health service and commerce. Representing the first of these is the director of the Numància primary care centre, Marta Sorribes, and the world of commerce will be represented by pastry chef Joan Galimany, owner of Kessler-Galimany, one of the oldest and most iconic patisseries in the neighbourhood.

The traditional decoration of the streets and squares for the Sants Festival is also having to adapt to the health situation this year and there will only be aerial decorations, which means no decorated façades or figures on the ground to ensure easy passage and access to the festival sites. In total there will be eight decorated spaces: Alcolea de Dalt, Alcolea de Baix, Plaça de la Farga, Guadiana, Finlàndia, Robrenyo, Valladolid and Plaça de Bonet i Muixí (a space that will be shared by the committees from Carrer de Papin and Carrer Sagunt). What’s more, this year sees the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the streets C/ Finlàndia and C/ d’Alcolea de Baix.

All the popular culture events

To enjoy the events in person you need to register in advance by clicking here.

As tradition dictates, on Tuesday 24 August, Saint Bartholomew’s Day, the floral offering to the saint will take place (at 10 am in Santa Maria de Sants church and at 11 am in Sants Market). The day before this will see the bell ringing in Santa Maria de Sants church at 5 pm.

Taking place on Wednesday 25 is the fire show featuring the Guspires de Sants in the gardens of Can Mantega. On Saturday 28 at 12 noon the prize-giving event, based on the result of the popular vote for best street, will take place with Núria Feliu and a performance by the giants of Sants (on Carrer de Valladolid) and at 9.30 pm the fire show featuring the Diables de Sants (in the gardens on the Rambla de Sants).

Also worth a mention are the popular culture events scheduled to take place on the streets, such as the havaneres (Thursday 26 at 10 pm in Alcolea de Baix and Friday 27 in Plaça de Bonet i Muixí), the sardanas (Saturday 28 at 12 noon in Alcolea de Baix) and the ‘Paint your own dragon’ workshop (Saturday 28 at 10 am in Plaça de Bonet i Muixí).

Also, on 4 September, the Festa Major concert will be held featuring the Municipal Band in Espanya Industrial Park and from 23 August until 4 September the Lleialtat Santsenca will be hosting the exhibition of posters entered for the 25th Festa Major Poster Competition (open Mon. to Fri, 10 am to 9 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm).