Feux de la Saint-Jean - Flamme du Canigou

The Feux de la Saint-Jean: the Catalan solstice celebration

Every June 23rd, the eve of Saint John's Day, Perpignan and all of Catalan country celebrate the summer solstice with the traditional Feux de la Saint-Jean. This festival, one of the most important in Catalan culture, culminates in the descent of the Flamme du Canigou, a luminous symbol of fraternity between Catalans on both sides of the border.

The Flamme du Canigou: a living symbol

Since 1964, at the initiative of Joseph Deloncle and Jean Iglésis, the Saint-Jean flame is lit each year at the summit of the Pic du Canigou (2,784 m), the sacred mountain of the Catalans. This flame is then passed from relay to relay to the villages and towns of the Pyrénées-Orientales and Catalonia.

Throughout the year, the flame is kept at the Castillet in Perpignan in an oil lamp, never going out, a perpetual symbol of Catalan identity and fraternity.

The festival in Perpignan

The Saint-Jean Village

From 6 PM, the Allées Maillol host the Saint-Jean Village with:

• Tasting of snails and Catalan cakes (coques catalanes)
• Traditional sardanes dances animated by a cobla
• Catalan crafts and local products

The « Catalanissimo » concert

At 8:45 PM, the Place de la Victoire hosts the classical concert « Catalanissimo » performed by the Orchestre Perpignan Catalogne, a musical highlight of the evening.

The arrival of the Flame

From 10 PM, the solemn entry of the Flamme du Canigou is marked by a parade of the Cercle de la Flamme. The climax is the lighting of the braziers by the Mayor of Perpignan, followed by the spectacular ascent of the Castillet by climbers from the Entente Spéléologique du Roussillon.

The morning of Saint John's Day

On the morning of June 24th, residents gather the traditional Saint John's Day herbs. Throughout the day, they receive the « ramellet Sant Joanenc », a small bouquet of herbs believed to protect homes. A mass is celebrated at the cathedral, followed by sardanes and contrepàs in the Place Gambetta.