Tom Ewart Smith
ON Sunday 26, the traditional Correfoc celebration rounded off Mallorca’s 2025 Saint Sebastian festivities.
The festival, which is held in the Balearic Islands but focused in Palma, is an annual celebration held in mid-January to honour the city’s patron saint, Saint Sebastian.
This year, the festivities kicked off on Saturday 11, and ended on Sunday with the iconic ‘Correfoc’ custom.
Over the two weeks, the festival featured a mix of live concerts across different squares in Palma, community gatherings around bonfires in the streets, and cultural events (traditional dances, exhibitions) showcasing Mallorcan culture.
The fortnight’s highlight, however, was the pyrotechnic display on Sunday.
Known as a corrrefoc (translated as “fire run”), this event is a thrilling and symbolic spectacle rooted in Catalan and Mallorcan traditions.
Starting in Plaza de la Reina, performers dress as dimonis (demons) who parade through the streets along with mythical creatures, such as dragons.
While walking through the streets and squares of Palma the event transforms into a fiery playground, with participants running or dancing under showers of sparks while accompanied to the background sound of drums.
Unsurprisingly, the use of pyrotechnics called for the 112 emergency services to issue advice to ensure public safety.
Among the recommendations were: refraining from burning plastic objects, wearing long-sleeved clothing made of cotton, and advising children to watch from a safe distance.
Over 300 people, split into eleven groups, dressed as demons.
They reportedly used 161 kilograms of black powder when they performed the opening of Hell’s gates.
The Correfoc represents the battle between good and evil, drawing inspiration from medieval traditions and local folklore.
The fire, music, and general chaos symbolizes malevolent forces, while the act of dancing and running around the display represents the effort to overcome challenges.
While Sunday’s celebration seems to have run smoothly, this year’s edition of Saint Sebastian Festival has faced criticism for a lack of preparation.
Unlike previous years, there was no big concert and the programme was only presented to the public just a day before festivities began.
The Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, has claimed that the quality of this year’s festival surpasses that of previous administrations, and he has pointed to the diversity of the event when combating complaints.
