Tarragona.casa

with passion for Spain, Catalonia and Tarragona

Tarragona's celebrations

Throughout the year there are continuous celebrations and events in Tarragona. Below is a small selection of the possibilities, but this is certainly not exhaustive. Click for current dates and more on the agenda site of the tourism office.

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Los Reyes Magos (January)

The Spanish equavilent of the Dutch Sinterklaas, where children receive their gifts. They arrive late at night at the Plaza de la Font, with wonderful animations at the town hall.

Carnival (February)

Carnival all week, culminating in the parade on Saturday night.

Part Alta Somriu a la Crisi (February)

During the month of February, nine top restaurants in Part Alta (Tarragona's old town) offer gourmet menus, along with local wines, for a fixed discounted price. It is advisable to book in advance at one of the participating restaurants, namely: Àpats Quattros, Frida, Palau del Baró, Racó de l'Abat, Merceria 34, AQ, Arcs, Lola Bistro and Seasons.

Flamenco festival Tarragona (March)

Many activities around Flamenco, but especially many concerts. Many of which are in the former bullfighting arena in the center of town.

Semana Santa (March/April)

La Semana Santa is one of the most important celebrations in Tarragona, and since 2010 a 'heritage of national importance'. The procession through the streets of the old town dates back to 1550.

La Diada de Sant Jordi (April 23)

La Diada de Sant Jordi is not only the day of the patron saint of Catalonia, but also the day of the rose and of the book.
The story of the rose comes from a legend in the city of Montblanc (Tarragona). Sant Jordi killed the dragon that terrorized the city and from the blood grew a rose bush. The knight gave a rose to the then princess and so the tradition was born where the women receive red roses from those who love them.
However, it is also the anniversary of the death of two great writers, Cervantes and Shakespeare. For example, the National Book Day has been organized since 1930 and men receive a book from the women in return for the rose.

Arros Marinero (April)

A classic: more than twenty restaurants in Tarragona offer menus with seafood rice as the main protagonist, at a great price.

Tarraco viva (May)

A unique experience: Roman gladiator fights, theater plays, music, etc. are re-enacted in an authentic way throughout the city in a two-thousand-year-old setting.
The town's restaurants also offer classic dishes from the Roman era.

Jazz & Dixieland festival (April/May)

Large jazz and dixieland festival (music from New Orleans) with up to 50 concerts throughout the city.

Sant Pere (June)

The fishing district's main festival, the Serrallo, is one of the city's most traditional neighborhood festivals.
By the way, every neighborhood in the city has its own party, too many to show here all.

International Fireworks Festival (July)

The International Fireworks Festival (Concurs de Focs Artificials) has been a tradition in Tarragona since 1990 and has become one of the most important in the Mediterranean. Over a number of evenings in July, the participants show their spectacular fireworks from Punta del Miracle. Those evenings Miracle beach is very cozy and full of families and other spectators.
See the video below with an impression of the fireworks.

The International Pilon Parade (June)

The posts in Pilon Street are painted over every year during Festes de Sant Agapito Bist. A mini street art street party in Part Alta Tarragona. A party with live music and lots of paint splashes.

Castells, the Human Tower (July)

How does it feel to stand on top of a nine-storey tower completely made up of people? In Catalonia there is a long tradition of building human towers which represents not only a daring feat but also a rich cultural tradition. The towers, known as castells (meaning castle in Catalan), take different forms, but they all rely on skilled castellers to create the tower and a strong group around the base to support it and soften any falls.

Festival de verano (July/August)

The Tarragona Music Festival is an ongoing summer music event with many concerts on some of the most historic stages in the entire Mediterranean, such as the Tarraco Arena (former bullfighting arena) or the Auditori Municipal del Camp de Mart (right next to the 2,000-year-old Roman wall).

Sant Magi (August)

This is one of the city's most important festivals and is celebrated with fascinating culture such as the Magí de les Timbales, the Giants, the Gegantons Negritos, dwarves, bastoners (dancers who beat rhythms together) and more. The castells (human towers) also play a part in the celebration, along with many other events (concerts, theater, etc.)

Santa Tecla (September)

The main festival of Tarragona, Santa Tecla (patron saint of the city). The festival lasts 9 intensive days. The origin of this street party goes back to 1321.

Fiesta de la Siega del Arroz (September to December)

The traditional rice harvest festival takes place in the Ebro Delta from mid-September to mid-December. See here the traditional harvest performed by the ancient rice growers with sickle in hand. There are also many activities here such as traditional music from the Ebro, iota singing and dancing, theater, traditional games and of course many tasty rice dishes.

The festival takes place in various places along the Ebro, such as L'Ampolla, L'Aldea, Deltebre, Amposta, etc.

Medieval Market (October)

The area around the cathedral is these days transformed into a medieval market where you can buy handicrafts. In addition, you can enjoy the street shows that take place during this time (minstrels, juggling, etc.)

Embutada (November)

This festival aims to preserve the memory and the viticultural traditions of the funnel system, which was used not only in Tarragona and the towns of the county of Tarragonès, but also in iconic wine regions such as Priorat.

The epicenter of L'Embutada is the Plaça del Rei in Tarragona, in the Part Alta (historic quarter), where the arrival of the grape harvest is celebrated. Businesses such as El Cortijo, El Tamboret, El Llagut, Ca la Carola and the La Clotxa Association allow you to sample a range of regional gastronomic products. Wineries also present their first wines of the year and serve them straight from barrels, carboys or bottles.

Tarragona 1800 (November)

Casa Canals is one of the best preserved late 18th century stately homes in the city. Towards the end of the year, a weekend takes place here with various historical activities such as guided tours, board games at the beginning of the 19th century, a parade through the streets of the Part Alta (old town), etc. All in the ambiance and clothing from 1800.

Fiesta calçotadas (from December)

Calçot is a type of green onion. The calçot from Valls (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain) is an EU protected registration. The origin of the calçot and its cooking method lies in the town of Valls, Catalonia, Spain, where an annual event celebrates the harvest of calçots. Today, thousands of food gatherings around the calçots, called calçotades (singular: calçotada), are celebrated around Catalonia. At these events, they are grilled over a hot fire, wrapped in newspaper, served on terracotta tiles and eaten, after peeling with bare hands, dipping them one by one in salvitxada sauce.

L'Home dels Nassos (December)

L'Home dels Nassos, or the man with many noses. In this Catalan tradition, a big doll with as many noses as there are days in the year (a big nose) walks through the streets of the city, handing out sweets to the children.

New Year's Eve Dive (December)

On the last day of the year, the bravest and most daring people at Tarragona's Platja del Miracle take to the cold Mediterranean to celebrate the last dive of the year, the Bany de Sant Silvestre. After swimming, all swimmers are served Cava, t-shirts and neulas (a type of Catalan cookie traditionally eaten at Christmas with cava and torró).
Fortunately, a lot less cold than in the North Sea on the Dutch coast!