The Eve of Sant Joan is celebrated every 23 June in Barcelona and across Catalonia to welcome the summer. Everyone marks the occasion in their own way: dinners with family or friends, music in the background, bonfires and fireworks. But it is truly the squares and streets that bring the festivities to life, as the arrival of the Canigó Flame kindles bonfires across the neighbourhoods and ushers in street parties filled with rhythm, colour and tradition that last until dawn. A short night, yet so intense it still tingles on the skin at sunrise.
This is good to know
Barcelona doesn’t have just one celebration: each neighbourhood lights its own bonfire and hosts its own street party.
The most traditional pastry is the coca de Sant Joan, now offered in a variety of forms: with candied fruit, pine nuts, pork crackling or filled with custard or cream.
Jumping over the bonfire is more than a dare for the brave; it was once believed to purify the soul and bring good luck.