Fête de la Saint-Jean de Collioure

Nit de la Sant Joan 2026 in Collioure

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Collioure celebrates the Nit de la Sant Joan, a festival of fraternity and peace in pure Catalan tradition. The Canigou flame, rekindled each year at the summit of the Pic, descends from the mountain to light the bonfires of Catalan villages, on both sides of the border. In Collioure, the event is one of the most spectacular on the Côte Vermeille: between the illuminated bell tower, the beaches of Faubourg and Boramar, and the Catalan boats parading in the bay, the night of Saint John offers a unique spectacle of fire, music, and tradition.

A festival rooted in Catalan tradition

The Sant Joan festival symbolizes light, renewal, and sharing. The Canigou flame, which has been burning continuously since 1964 at the summit of Mont Canigou (then watched over at the Castillet de Perpignan until June 23), is carried by relay runners to each Catalan village where it is used to light the traditional bonfires. In Collioure, its arrival is welcomed by the traditional songs of the Campanar Sardanista choir on Place du 18 Juin.

A magical evening between sea and mountain

The evening truly comes alive at nightfall, when the two bonfires are lit on the plages de Faubourg and de Boramar, separated by Collioure's emblematic bell tower. The parade of illuminated Catalan boats in the bay, the reflections of the flames on the water, and the sardanes danced on the quay create an atmosphere that locals and visitors come to experience every year. The correfoc, a fire run animated by fire-breathing devils and dragons, concludes the most spectacular part of the evening before the second bonfire is lit.