The best parties Pyrénées-Orientales

With its flowered floats, its balls and its animations, the Carnival of Amélie-les-Bains is one of the most beautiful and popular carnivals of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Known since the ^19th century under the name of cavalcade, the carnival sees crowds in jubilation. The most astonishing moment remains the parade of the "Grégoire améliens": penitents dressed in white, bury the Grégoire, the Carnival Majesty, by walking him through the city before burning him in the public square.

The village of Prats de Mollo la Preste is every year the theater of a traditional and singular carnival. To celebrate the imminent return of spring, the villagers disguise themselves as bears, the emblematic animal of the region. They put on a sheepskin and cover themselves with soot. Armed with clubs, these bears start a wild saraband and lead in a crazy farandole. Three days of carnival festivities including the parade of the Carnival Majesties.

Firmly rooted in the traditions of Vallespir, this festival attracts a crazy world every year. In the pagan ritual of the passage from winter to spring, two men dressed as bears enter the village, chasing onlookers and terrorizing young girls. The hunters then organize a hunt and the chase begins through the streets of the village until the final capture and the mock execution... while the crowd celebrates and dances. Unique and fantastic!

In February of each year, 3 Catalan villages in the Pyrénées-Orientales region celebrate a very old carnival festival, which has now become a traditional festival: the Bear Festival. The origin of these festivities lies in the legend of a ferocious bear who, in search of a mate, decides to kidnap a local girl. In Arles-sur-Tech, Prats-de-Mollo-La-Preste and Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, you'll have the chance to attend a unique, festive and transgressive event in the heart of the Catalan countryside, where you can rediscover local customs such as the sardana.

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.

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!

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!

"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.

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.