Festivals in Esplugues: Sant Mateu y Santa Magdalena
Local festivals of Esplugues de Llobregat
Esplugues celebrates two major cycles: Sant Mateu, the main festival in September, and Santa Magdalena, the Festa Petita in July dedicated to the co-patron and local popular culture.
Usual celebration
The municipal cultural calendar places Sant Mateu on 21 September and Santa Magdalena around 22 July. Sant Mateu usually takes up several days and brings together a proclamation, Toc d'Inici, concerts, correfoc, castells, bastoners, meeting of giants and big heads, Esplugas City market and pyromusical. Santa Magdalena is concentrated in the Centre neighbourhood: the local dances surround the ginjoler in the courtyard of Casal Robert Brillas, the seguici takes the offerings to the parish of Santa Magdalena and the processó del ferro, the versots, the carretillada and the walking pillar of the Castellers along Montserrat street give the festival its specific character. The City Council organises both cycles with the Coordinator of Popular Culture Entities, colles de Diables, Castellers d'Esplugues, geganters, bastoners, musicians and neighbourhood associations.
2026 programme
The Santa Magdalena edition of 2026 It brought together nearly twenty activities from 17 July to 22. It began with running bars in the Parc Pou d’en Fèlix and concerts in the Parc de les Tres Esplugues; On the 18th it featured popular food, a train ride from the gardens of Casal Robert Brillas and a walking pillar on Montserrat Street. On the 19th, matinades, Seguici del Memorial, Diada Castellera Memorial David Carreras and children's correfoc were held. The 22nd culminated with the own dances and tribute to Ginjoler, the offerings in the parish, the verses and the wheelbarrow in the Plaza Pare Miquel. This annual programme lasted six days and does not automatically convert all days into non-working days.
Local public holidays in 2026
The official Esplugues calendar declared local holidays on Monday, 25 May, Second Easter, and Monday, 21 September, Sant Mateu. The feast of St. Magdalene on 22 July was not a local public holiday in 2026.
Otras citas culturales
The municipal festive cycle also includes the Arrela't roots music and dance festival in October and the Jazz & Tinturé Nights evenings in July, celebrations differentiated from the two major festivals and documented by the same cultural calendar of the City Council.