CATCH CARNIVAL IN MALLORCA

FEB 6th, 2023

Even if you’re not giving up any of life’s pleasures for the forty days of Lent, you can still celebrate carnival – when practising Christians traditionally feast and enjoy themselves as much as possible before the period of abstinence starts that leads to Easter.

For many of us, carnival in Mallorca is another excuse for a fiesta, with street parades, decorated floats, elaborate costumes, music, and general fun. Feel free to wear fancy dress, even if you’re not taking part in a parade – plenty of people do!

Towns and villages across the island host carnival celebrations, also known as ‘els Darrers Dies’ (the last days) or ‘Sa Rua’. Children have their own cute version of the carnival parade, ‘Sa Rueta’.

Palma, of course, hosts the largest parades, and this year the main event is on Sunday, February 19th from 17:00 h. The children’s Sa Rueta in Palma is the Sunday before, February 12th, from 10:30 h.

Carnival ends on the eve of Lent with an event known as the Burial of the Sardine, which is a parody of a funeral for a large figure of a sardine. The funeral represents a farewell to indulgences for the next forty days. The streets are always lined with spectators for these events so it’s worth arriving early to secure a good spot for viewing. The route for the Palma parades is usually publicised in the local papers.

These are only some of the locations for Sa Rua/Sa Rueta parades. In the event of bad weather, dates/times could change.

Alcúdia – Rua 19th February from 16:00 h

Capdepera – Rua 12th February from 16:00 h

Inca – Rueta 16th February from 15:30 h

Inca – Rua 18th February from 17:00 h

Lloseta – Rua 19th February from 15:00 h

Marratxí – Rua 11th February from 17:00 h

Port de Pollença – Rua 16th February from 17:00 h

Pollença – Rua 18th February from 17:00 h

Ses Salines – Rua 19th February (time not available at time of writing)

Sóller – Sa Rueta 17th February from 15:30 h

Sóller – Rua 18th February from 15:15 h