The festival of Verneda de Sant Marti started on 3rd of November. The celebration schedule included sports tournaments, such as five-a-side football or table-tennis, outdoors theatre performances and percussion concerts. But of greatest interest were the human towers, most commonly known as Castells. The celebrations were attended by crowds of people, not only from Barcelona itself and the surrounding area, but also many tourists from all over the world. The prepared atractions were very popular amongst the people who attended.
Friday mainly featured concerts by local bands and musicians from the neighbourhood. It was also the deciding day for the football tournament. The teams were mixed, including teams made up of tourists and locals, and the competition was intense and evenly matched. The day was rounded off with a 60th award ceremony for those who have contributed to the development of the district. However, on Saturday, it was possible to go on a guided walk through the extremely atmospheric Roman quarter. It was a great idea to put the dogs up for adoption so that they could find a new home. This allowed the audience to support the dogs and hear some facts about their daily lives.
Sports Galore
As on Friday, sport was not forgotten. A table tennis tournament was also held, with the Spanish pair being named the winners. People enjoyed the rhythms of percussion music as part of the festival Perkufest and there was also a lot of dancing along the streets. And for all the alcohol connoisseurs, the star of the show was the Vermut products workshop. Saturday was also full of excitement for the children, who took part in numerous games and activities. The highlight of the day for many was, of course, the human towers, which bring the audience to its feet every time. Two groups presented themselves – Castellers de Barcelona and Esquerdats de l’Eixample. It is full of admiration that the towers were formed by as many as over 50 castellers! This is how the Saturday celebrations ended.
Esquerdats de l’Eixample build the human tower during the Festa Major I Paulina Figura
Sunday started very musically, with local musicians present almost everywhere. As on previous days, people were in good mood right from the start. As it turned out, a „Party on wheels” event awaited the guests that day, which contributed to the considerable integration of the people gathered. It was really fun time especially for children. The festival ended on a high note as a music and dance event was prepared in the Sant Marti auditori. Variety was provided by performances that were not only local but international, featuring elements of each culture. Many artists presented themselves on stage.
Festa Major not only in Verneda de Sant Marti
Festa Major is one of the many festivals and celebrations in Barcelona throughout the year. As every year, the celebrations started at the beginning of the year in Sant Antoni. Gracia and Sants are the most popular, and are also the ones that vistors seek the most. The Festa Major celebrations are slowly returning to their former glory. The celebrations were attended by people of all ages. After the tough years associated with Covid-19, more and more people are taking part in the event again. Compared to last year, where the celebrations were not so lavish, this year certainly surprised everyone positively. Lots of people attended the festival, which gives hope for a return to normal times. Let’s hope that each year, there will be more and more people willing to celebrate. The neighbourhood awaits ecstatically for next year’s celebrations.
Paulina Figura and Alvaro Dominguez
