The Foguerons de Sa Pobla tradition in the Gràcia neighbourhood, a measure of the bond between Majorcan and local popular culture, draws to an end on Saturday with the traditional fogueres, or bonfires. This year’s festival commemorates the 700th anniversary of the death of Ramon Llull, and the usual festival acts held at various spots around the neighbourhood also feature an exhibition and a music and poetry show to profile the work and the figure of Llull.

The bonfire festival brings the essence of the Sant Antoni celebrations in the Majorcan town of Sa Pobla to the Barcelona neighbourhood, culminating with the fireside feast on Saturday evening. The day gets underway with Balearic folk performances at the neighbourhood markets in the morning, followed by a puppet show at the La Violeta cultural centre, inspired by Majorcan fables.

Evening festivities kick off at 7.30 pm in Pl. de la Vila, with displays of popular culture from Sa Pobla and Gràcia and a procession to follow. The displays will include xeremia pipe players, firecrackers from the Dimonis d’Albopàs devils group, and representatives from all the popular culture groups in Gràcia, with giants, devils, trabucaires [blunderbuss groups] and more.

Around 9.30 pm the first bonfires will be lit and feasts will get underway with the roasting of meat, simbomba friction drums, Majorcan singing and herbs. Eleven bonfires will be lit around the neighbourhood this year, with most activity at the fires in Pl. Virreina and Pl. Diamant. At 11.30 pm in Pl. Virreina there will be Majorcan singing and dancing with the groups Tramudança, from Sant Llorenç, xeremia pipe players and dancers from the Raiguer county in Majorca. Following the supper in Pl. Diamant, there will be glosa folk singing with the groups Festa de Sa Ximbomba, Glosadors de Mallorca and Cor de Carxofa.