Events calendar Pyrénées-Orientales

Since 2002, the Identi'Cat festival has been festively promoted by the Baotenca Aire Nou association in Baho, in the name of the "normality" of the Catalan language and culture in northern Catalonia. Beginning in Pézillà and ending in Baho, the festival celebrates the vigor of the Catalan language and the richness of the culture of the Catalan lands, with an exceptional program free and open to all: theater, concerts, shows, dances, correfocs, Catalan giants, parades... An authentic, committed festival not to be missed!

Les Toques blanches Roussillon-Occitanie, presided over by Jean Plouzenec and Henri Ronde, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. After two years of "dearth" due to Covid, the Palais Gourmand becomes Palais des Chefs. And what a Palais! Forty chefs associated with forty winegrowers, assisted by Olivier Bajard, MOF and world pastry champion, Henri Poch, MOF in bakery, and some starred "pointures" like the Pourcel brothers, to name but a few, highlight, for one evening, their know-how and the products of the Catalan soil for a thousand guests. A once in a lifetime experience.

The first edition of the festival Festa Majorca was a great success! With an eclectic program implemented by Catalan producers with the support of the department, it is in the heart of Perpignan, in the sumptuous palace of the kings of Majorca, that festival-goers can enjoy two enchanted days: traditional wooden games for young and old, sound baths with local tunes, old-fashioned circus, dance and rock scenes, electro as well as sound system... It is about sixty Catalan artists who meet during this beautiful local event.

This event is held in the gardens of the town hall: local producers and craftsmen from all over the department are present. Producers of olive oil, tapenades, olives, honeys, jams, wines, fruit juices, as well as an oil bar and tastings. Activities for children, a country lunch with a band for the atmosphere, etc.. For the past 17 years, this event has honored local products and has been a growing success.

The Festa Major, or "great festival" in Catalan, is a very popular festival in the towns and villages of the Pyrénées Orientales. In Banuyls, you'll find a host of festive events: a creators' market, a smugglers' sardinade, a grand ball, sardanas, free rowing lessons, parades, a horse-drawn carriage race and the Carnival night cavalcade, a masked ball and a concert... Five days for a wonderful immersion in Catalan culture, which we invite you to enjoy with friends or family!

With tunes from America and South Africa to Europe, you can enjoy world music concerts, street entertainment, parades and various workshops on the folk arts and traditions of the invited countries. In recent years, however, local and regional culture has taken center stage, with exhibitions on the musical instruments of the cobla, and the culinary and folk traditions that make up the cultural richness of the Catalan region.

On the Côte Vermeille, Banyuls celebrates Catalan culture in July. The festival kicks off with a parade of musical groups accompanied by the impressive Capgrossos Torroellencs, a 400-year-old tradition from Torroella-de-Montgri. Enjoy this joyous cavalcade to the sound of the gralla along the route. Don't miss the sardanes that liven up the streets, the many concerts and the seaside Catalan market. The festivities end with a grand fireworks display. A family event that celebrates Catalan traditions!

The origins of this great traditional festival lie in the celebrations surrounding the arrival of the relics of the town's patron saint in 1701. Today, the Saint-Vincent festivities in Collioure have become the highlight of Collioure life. Over the course of 5 days, locals and visitors alike gather to enjoy a wide range of entertainment: sea processions in Catalan boats, water games, concerts and bandas, balls, sardanas, street arts... not forgetting the grandiose fireworks display launched over the bay!

The Sant Jordi festival in Perpignan is a not-to-be-missed event in the literary world. For 10 days, books are in the spotlight with an attractive program including conferences, exhibitions, shows, book fairs and signings, writing workshops, tributes, film screenings and the Mediterranean prize-giving ceremony... A colorful line-up of events, with a special focus on local figures. The full program is available online.

3 days of traditional Catalan dance in Céret! This dance holds a special place in the hearts of all Roussillon residents. During the festival, you'll be able to meet "colles" (groups of dancers) from the 4 corners of the department and Spanish Catalonia. To the sound of coblas (sardana orchestras), try your hand at this dance or enjoy the music in the streets and squares of the village! The event closes with the "Germanor", a sardana fraternity gathering up to 500 dancers.

"Força, Equilibri, Valor i Seny", in French: "Strength, balance, courage and wisdom", this is the motto of these men who build human towers with harmonious geometry. The Castellers, from the Catalan word "castell" (castle), are human tower builders with complex structures and different heights (some can reach the equivalent of a 5-storey building) that follow a precise code. Listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 16 November 2010, this tradition, which is certainly the most meaningful in Catalan culture, dates back to the 15th century. It is a breathtaking participatory show combining strength, agility and flexibility that most often takes place in a public square. Beyond a simple festive event, it is a philosophy of life, a demonstration of cooperation, teamwork, solidarity, self-sacrifice, concentration, courage, physical and mental strength where men, women and children, whatever their age, social origin and physical characteristics are essential to the building's elevation, each one having to trust the other before being in turn a pillar.

An essential image of Catalan identity, a symbol of peace and friendship, a festive and popular dance par excellence, the sardana (in Catalan sardana) is danced in the public squares of the Pyrénées-Orientales and South Catalonia. The sardana is danced in a closed circle alternating, in principle, a man and a woman. During the Francoist period, the sardana was banned in South Catalonia, but as a bravado against the dictatorship, it was still danced until it reached the square in front of Barcelona Cathedral. The sardana was known outside Catalonia thanks to Pablo Casals' "L'oratorio" and Charles Trenet's song "La jolie sardane" composed to music reminiscent of Catalan dance. Finally, it should be noted that Perpignan is in 2019 the international capital of the Sardana.

On Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day), Catalans celebrate love and books. On that day, men offer a rose to their sweetheart, and in return, women offer a book to their chosen one. It's a kind of Catalan-style Valentine's Day... plus culture. The story of St. George defeating the dragon is common to many countries, it is the symbol of the victory of Good over Evil. In 1995, UNESCO declared 23 April as "World Book and Copyright Day", giving Sant Jordi its full meaning, namely the victory of knowledge and understanding over obscurantism, with the red rose symbolizing the blood of the dragon.

The Correfocs, literally "the fire runners", are an opportunity to see an unusual facet of Catalonia. At nightfall, the "devil's glue" (groups disguised as devils, demons and witches) run past with spinning Bengal fires planted on spikes, dancing around people to the sound of percussion. Another representation of good versus evil, noise and fire being supposed to drive away demons (found in northern and southern Catalonia from spring to October).

An event that has long life since it has existed since 1936. The Festival Folklorique International d 'Amélie-les-Bains celebrated its 76 th edition in 2018. Every year, it offers an exceptional plateau of 600 artists (or more) from all continents to present folk dance performances on the streets of the 1 st spa resort in the Catalan Country. A show of beauty that ends in apotheosis with a closing gala entitled «The night of continents» in the theater of greenery.

Rivesaltes is a town in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. Among the town's attractions is the La Reja Flamenca dance school. The school offers flamenco dance classes for all levels, from beginner to advanced. Classes are taught by experienced and passionate teachers.