Discover Authentic Catalonia in May!
The month of May is filled with local festivals, traditional celebrations, and cultural events that showcase the vitality and richness of Catalan culture. With the good weather and longer days, street life flourishes, and the calendar fills with activities that invite you to experience and experience the region.
From Lleida's Festival of the Year to the celebrations of Sant Ponç and Sant Isidre, and not forgetting International Museum Day, May is an unbeatable time to discover the most authentic Catalonia.
Lleida Major Festival: Sant Anastasi
Lleida's May Festival is held in honor of Sant Anastasi, the city's patron saint, and is one of the most important festive events in the Lands of Poniente. From May 9 to 12, the capital of Segrià experiences days of intense celebration with activities for all ages: concerts, parades, fireworks displays, and the traditional flower battle.
One of the most iconic moments is the descent of the giants and big-heads, which fills the streets with rhythm and color. There's also a solemn mass and other religious services in honor of the saint. The popular atmosphere, revived traditions, and citizen participation make this festival a unique experience that combines devotion and fun.
Sant Ponç celebrations
The day of Sant Ponç, patron saint of herbalists and beekeepers , becomes a celebration full of colors, scents, and flavors. During this day, which falls on or around May 11th, many municipalities organize fairs selling medicinal herbs, honey, syrups, preserves, and natural products.
One of the most notable celebrations takes place in Barcelona's Raval neighborhood, where the Sant Ponç fair transforms Hospital Street into a traditional market with stalls selling natural products, flowers, and sweets. This festival highlights natural medicine, folk wisdom, and our connection with nature. It is also celebrated with particular intensity in towns like Corbera de Llobregat and Tossa de Mar, where workshops, demonstrations, and activities for all ages are also held.
Sant Isidre Labrador: Patron Saint of Farmers
On May 15, many Catalan towns celebrate the day of Sant Isidre Labrador, patron saint of farmers and the rural world. The festival, which honors the hardworking peasant, keeps alive Catalonia's agrarian culture and rural roots.
Celebrations include blessings of fields and animals, antique tractor gatherings, farm produce fairs, and communal lunches. In places like Cardedeu, Viladecans, and Solsona, the festival is experienced with a special connection to the land.
Sant Isidre is not only a religious holiday, but also a community celebration that expresses respect for the peasantry, sustainability, and a life connected to the cycle of nature.
May 18: International Museum Day
On May 18, Catalonia joins the global celebration of International Museum Day, a day that highlights the role of these spaces as centers of knowledge, dialogue and collective memory.
Throughout the weekend, hundreds of museums across the country offer open doors, guided tours, workshops, shows, and family activities. The day culminates with Museum Night, an initiative that allows you to visit museums at night and enjoy special cultural programming: concerts, dance, mapping, gastronomy, and much more.
Cities like Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida, and many other municipalities are turning their museums into living spaces that bring culture to everyone.
Image: Picasso Center of Gósol
Flower Time
Girona, Temps de Flors is an annual festival that transforms the city into a spectacular floral spectacle. Streets, courtyards, and monuments are adorned with artistic creations made from flowers, attracting thousands of visitors. It is a celebration of spring and ephemeral art, combining nature and heritage.
Inspired by this spirit,Santpedor en Flor fills the town with color and life, with floral decorations born from the involvement of the residents. Every corner becomes a collective work that demonstrates the love for the town.
May is a month to experience Catalonia with your senses fully awakened. From the local festivals filled with music and tradition, to the Sant Ponç fairs with the aromas of herbs and honey, to the rural culture of Sant Isidre and the celebration of knowledge in the museums, everything speaks to a vibrant, creative land with a strong identity.
Discovering authentic Catalonia in May means exploring a territory that throbs between tradition and modernity, nature and culture, and that invites everyone to join in its celebration.
