Fairs and festivals in Montuïri

Montuïri keeps alive a deeply rooted festive calendar in which religious tradition, folk culture and the farming life of the Pla de Mallorca come together. These are the main events of the year:

At Easter, the Festes d'es Puig: on Easter Sunday the Encounter procession takes place and, on the following Tuesday, the village walks up in pilgrimage to the hermitage of the Mare de Déu de la Bona Pau on Puig de Sant Miquel.

In August, the festival of the patron saint, Sant Bartomeu (24 August), with a full programme of cultural, sporting and musical events. The highlight is the dance of the Cossiers of Montuïri, who dance only three times a year: on 15, 23 and 24 August.

In December, on the first Sunday of the month, the Partridge Fair (Fira de sa Perdiu), with stalls of traditional, craft and organic products, native animal breeds and the traditional call-partridge contest.

All year round, the weekly market every Monday from 8 am to 1 pm on Plaça Major, and the PAM a PAM Saturday market on the third Saturday of each month.

The Cossiers of Montuïri

The Cossiers of Montuïri are the village's most emblematic folk tradition. The group is made up of six cossiers (dancers), the Lady (Dama) and the Devil (Dimoni); the dancers wear coloured ribbons and carry a sprig of basil, while the Dimoni entertains the crowd. They dance only three times a year, during the Sant Bartomeu festival: on 15 August, on 23 August (the eve) and on 24 August, the patron saint's day, parading through the village and dancing in front of the church and on Plaça Major, with dances such as the Ball de l'Oferta (Offering Dance).

They are considered the only cossiers group in Mallorca to have kept the tradition going without interruption, and in 2012 they received the Ramon Llull Award from the Balearic Government. The dances draw hundreds of people, so arrive early and check the official festival programme published each year by the Town Council. More information (in Catalan).

The Partridge Fair (Fira de sa Perdiu)

Montuïri's fair is held on the first Sunday of December. It was revived in the early 1980s and has always had a feature that sets it apart from other fairs on the island: the call-partridge contest, which draws great interest from locals and attracts partridge breeders and hunting enthusiasts from all over Mallorca.

On the day, Plaça Major and the surrounding streets fill with stalls selling traditional food and craft, organic and fair-trade products, along with displays of native animal breeds (dogs, sheep, etc.) and farm and industrial produce. The programme starts a few days earlier with cultural, civic and sporting activities, and on the eve there is a big popular barbecue with live music. More information (in Catalan).

Festes d'es Puig

The Festes d'es Puig have two key days. On Easter Sunday the Encounter procession ("s'Encuentro") leaves the parish church carrying the risen Christ; on Carrer Major it meets the statue of the Virgin, who expresses her joy at the resurrection with a series of rhythmic leaps while the Town Band and Parish Choir perform the Alleluia by the Montuïri-born musician Gabriel Miralles Pocoví, popularly known as the "nya, nyo, nya, xim, xim, xim".

The following Tuesday is the Dia d'es Puig: after the staff of office is handed to the honorary "mayor of the Puig", the villagers walk up from Plaça Major, accompanied by the Town Band, to the hermitage of the Mare de Déu de la Bona Pau. At the top they eat the last Easter pastries (panades and robiols) and dance jotas and boleros. More information (in Catalan).

Frequently asked questions

When do the Cossiers of Montuïri dance?

Three times a year, during the Sant Bartomeu festival: on 15 August, 23 August (the eve) and 24 August, the patron saint's day.

When is the Partridge Fair in Montuïri?

On the first Sunday of December, on Plaça Major and the surrounding streets.

What day is the Dia d'es Puig?

The Tuesday after Easter, with the pilgrimage up to the hermitage of the Mare de Déu de la Bona Pau on Puig de Sant Miquel.