Santa Eulàlia 2018

The city commemorates Santa Eulàlia, who met her end at the hands of the Romans after enduring terrible tortures at the age of only 13. Barcelona’s co-patron saint, along with La Mercè, Santa Eulàlia is a special favourite of children. This year, from Friday, February 9 to Monday the 12th, the festival also pays tribute to Maria Aurèlia Capmany, one of those who promoted bringing the festival back some 35 years ago, as 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of Capmany's birth.

The party kicks off with ceremony of the Barcelona Eagle (Fri 9, 8pm), a parade that sets out from Plaça Sant Jaume and ends with the traditional dance of the Eagle at the altar in the Santa María del Mar church. To celebrate 450 years of the Mulassa de Barcelona (a Donkey figure that joins others, such as the Eagle, in important city parades and celebrations), the Palau de la Virreina hosts an exhibition of these figures from all over Catalonia to show the important role they play among the oldest such festival creatures.

As with many local festivals there will also be 'correfocs' (fire runs), on Saturday the 10th – one for kids, which starts in Plaça Sant Jaume at 6.15pm, and one for grown-ups starting at 8.15pm in Plaça Nova. Another big draw is the Diada Castellera (human tower building day) with the 'castellers' groups from Barcelona (Sun 11, 11am).

The festival comes to a close Monday the 12th at 6.30pm with the parade and dance of the Laia figures (Laia is short for Eulàlia), which starts in Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol and ends in Plaça Sant Jaume.

A complement to the Santa Eulàlia festivities once again this year is the Festival Llum BCN, on from February 16 to 18, where tradition mixes with new forms of expression that transform the city with the language of light.