San Antonio is the most important festival of Sa Pobla, declared Fiesta de Interés Cultural (Festival of Cultural Interest) (FIC) in October 2015 by the Consell de Mallorca. It is also one of the most ancient in Mallorca, linked to ancient pagan fertility rites.
On the night of the 16th, the streets and squares are filled with bonfires where the neighbors roast sobrasada and other typical sausages and where the dimonis (demons) with their characteristic dances are not lacking.
But the program of events takes about twenty days, from January 7 to 28, in which Sa Pobla lives with fervor this holiday that the poblers wear in their DNA and which is characterized by the colors black, red and blue - the costumes of Sant Antoni and the dimonis, the smoke, the smell of gunpowder and the songs full of irony of the glossos with their ximbombas.
On the day of the feast of the saint are celebrated the traditional beneïdes, with their parade of floats and the blessing of domestic animals.
Below, we highlight some events of the complete program.
Saturday 7:
7:30 p.m. Carrer Ric, 53: Inauguration of the exhibition of sculptures of Dimonis and Sant Antoni by Andreu Quetglas. Until 20th of January. H: from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to
20:00 h. Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00 h.
Sunday 8:
17:00 h. Museu de Can Planes: Children's Contest of Ximbomba, by the school Festa de sa Ximbomba.
7:00 p.m. Museu de Can Planes: Exhibition of paintings related to the story of Andreu Companny Pol and Catalina Valls Alcover. Photographic exhibition of the caparrots minyons de Sa Pobla. Until the 25th of January.
8:00 p.m. Penya Gourmet: Exhibition Dimonis i Caparrots by Pep Amengual. Until 31 January.
Monday 9:
8:00 p.m. Sa Congregació: Solidary theater: El millor dependent del mon. For the benefit of the association Per Ells, dedicated to organize temporary stays in Mallorca of children from the area affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. From € 3
Tuesday 10:
17:30 p.m. Cultural Center Es Rafal. Presentation of the book Dimonis de Mallorca, by Mayte Crespo. With dimonier workshop for children.
Wednesday 11:
8:00 p.m. Sa Congregació. Conference on the patronaje i titulatge of Sant Antoni Abat a Sa Pobla, by Joan Campaner i Thomàs.
Thursday 12:
5:15 a.m. Cultural Center Es Rafal. Storytelling El dimoni curell i altres dimoniades. For children from 5 to 10 years.
8:00 p.m. Sa Congregació. Sant Antoni Conference. Apunts sobre la cançonistica del Sant Pagès, by Miquel Sbert.
Thursday 13:
17:00 h. Rotonda del Pagès. Fest de Sa Tau. Parade through the village.
7:00 p.m. Can Planes. Inauguration of the exhibition Mil dimonnis. Un recorregut per la devoció dimoniera a Mallorca. Until 31 January.
8:00 p.m. Plaça Major. Nit buixa infantil. With the performance of the Escola Batukada d'Albopàs Juvenil.
8:15 p.m. Carrer Major. Can Comas. Inauguration of the exhibition Els nostres balls, by Cati Mari Alorda.
9:30 p.m. Església de Sant Antoni Abat. Concert by Amancio Prada La voz de los poetas (The voice of the poets). With Rafael Domínguez on the cello. Anticipated purchase: 15 €. Box office: € 17.
Saturday 14:
11:00 a.m. Museu Can Planes. Departure of the parade of the cabezudos of the children's workshop accompanied by the Xeremiers Els Xirois.
11:45 a.m. Plaça Major. Presentation of the Gran Diada de cultura popular (Big Day of Popular Culture). Plantada from the figures of: Gegants de Gràcia, Gegants de sa Pobla, Atzeries de la Vella, Drac Gaudiamus, Es Grif and En Janot.
12:00 h. Entrance of the town hall. Inauguration of the exhibition Sant Antoni, la festa major de l'hivern, by the regent of Gràcia Eloi Badia and presented by Pep Fornés, director of the Museu Etnogràfic of Barcelona.
From 14:45 h. II Cursa Sa Llego Minyona.
4:15 a.m. Road to Pollença. Departure of the popular race XXXV Sa Llego
5:30 p.m. Plaça Major. Diada Castellera with the Castellers de Gràcia and the Castellers of Mallorca.
6:30 p.m. Parade of the colles de Cultura Popular. Tour through the center of the village.
8:00 p.m. Plaça Major. Nit buixa infantil with Malsons de la Vella and Escuats de la Malèfica del Coll.
10:00 p.m. Plaça Major. Concert by Orquestrina Trama.
24:00 h. Plaça Major. Correfoc.
Sunday 15:
18:00 h. Plaça Alexandre Ballester. Ballada Sant Antoni 2017 with the group Marjal en Festa y Ballugall.
7:15 p.m. Sa Congregació. Audición de Arrels II. Històries de Marjaleres.
8:00 p.m. Església. Traditional concert of sa Coral de Sa Pobla and rehearsals of the Goigs de Sant Antoni with the Cor de Sant Antoni.
Monday 16: activities from 09:00 h.
2:30 p.m. Departure of the Dimonis and Sant Antoni accompanied by the glossadors. Parade through streets and squares.
6:45 p.m. In front of the Ajuntament. Ceremonial of the historical sanction, in charge of Arrels Teatre.
8:00 p.m. Solemn celebrations with the presence of Mons. With the intervention of the Cor of Sant Antoni accompanied by the organist Miquel Bennàssar i Bibiloni.
9:15 p.m. Plaça Major. Traditional dances of the dimonis de la Omberia, with the singers and the dancing of the collas de caparrots and caparrots minyons (cabezudos).
21:30 - 00:30 h. Plaça Major. XX Pyromusical Spectacle. XXX Meeting of cantadors i ximbombers. Ximbombada i Glosada collectiva.
Tuesday 17. Festivities of Sant Antoni
10:00 a.m. Parade by colla de xeremiers Germans Aloy.
11:00 a.m. Solemn Mass. Offering of rural products and dancing by Marjal
In Festa.
12:30 a.m. Plaça Major. Dance of caparrots and caparrots minyons.
3:30 p.m. Placeta de l'Església. Traditional beneïdes, with the presence of the colla de xeremiers Germans Aloy and plantada of the giants Antoni and Margalida, of the colla de geganters de sa Pobla, accompanied by the group of xeremiers
Xerebiols.
16:00 h. Parade of floats and processions.
18:00 h. Reading of the awards of the parade of floats.
Thursday 19:
8:00 p.m. Behind the town hall. Ignition of fogerons de Sant Sebastià and children witch night, with the performance of Escoleta Batukada d'Albopàs.
Sunday 22:
7:00 p.m. Sa Congregació. Concert Sentim by Pep Siset
