The mayors of Blanes, Lloret de Mar and Tossa, accompanied by the councillors in charge of the three town councils, today presented the poster and programme of the Costa Brava South Carnival in the Plenary Hall of Lloret Town Hall.
The Costa Brava South Carnival will celebrate its tenth edition from 17th February to 4th March and, as the mayors emphasised during the presentation, “this tenth edition of the South Costa Brava Carnival is back stronger than ever after the 2021 and 2022 editions were limited by current health regulations due to the post-pandemic context”. It is estimated that, adding together the spectators of the three parades, the South Costa Brava Carnival brings together more than 120,000 people and involves around 2,000 participants.
The big Carnival Parade will begin in Lloret de Mar on Saturday 18 February at 4:00 pm. It will continue on Sunday 19 February in Lloret de Mar at 12:00 noon and then at 5:00 p.m. in Blanes; and in Tossa it will take place on Saturday 4 March at 4:30 p.m., closing the grand parade in all three towns.
The Costa Brava South Carnival was born in 2012 from the desire of these three coastal towns to jointly promote their Carnival Parades.
Blanes, the Carnival for the whole family and where everyone is welcome
This year, the Blanes Carnival will last three days: from Friday 17 February to Sunday 19. On Friday morning, different schools will stage parades through the streets of the town, especially the one made up of students from the three secondary schools. In the evening, the Youth Carnival will be held in dels Dies Feiners Square from 10:00 pm.
First up will be the cover band Free Kiss, followed at 23:30 by DJ Pau Murner. Both ingredients will be sure to provide the music and the good vibes. For their part, everyone who goes will add to the revelry, and the bar service will be provided by the Blanes Local Youth Council, in the style of the ‘Derrama’t’ music festival at the Festa Major.
On Saturday the protagonists of the activities will be the children and young people: from 17:30 h a Children’s Party will start in the Plaza dels Dies Feiners with Creative Workshops and the Bety & DJ Mario Show, a show of animation and dance. During the show, registrations for the second ingredient of the Saturday afternoon will start to take place: the Children’s Costume Contest.
Registration will begin at 17:30 h until 18:45 h. Then, from 19:15 h, the parade of the participants will take place, culminating one hour later, at 20:15 h. The prizes will then be awarded in the different categories of the competition.
The following day, Sunday, will see the most important activity of the whole carnival: the Carnival Parade with floats and troupes from 5 p.m. onwards, with hundreds of participants. The route will be the same as in the years prior to the pandemic: starting from Rambla Joaquim Ruyra and Riera Alta, continuing along the same Rambla to Plaça Catalunya, Passeig de la Marina and Països Catalans Square, where it will end.
Lloret de Mar brings back the workplace competition, the school procession and the street costume competition
Lloret kicks off the carnival activities on Friday 17 February with the competition at the work station and the schools’ parade. In the evening, at 7 p.m., the Carnival King will be welcomed and will set off from the Puntet and arrive at de la Vila Square, where the Xino Xano organisation will offer beans with sausage to everyone in costume.
On Saturday 18 February the events continue with the street costume competition in the town centre, from 11:00 am to 11:30 am; the great Rúa de Carnaval and, from 10:30 pm, in the Plaza Germinal Ros, concert with the Flaixbac Live and Loud party.
The following day, Sunday 19 February, you can once again enjoy the spectacle of the great Rúa de Carnaval, at 12:00 noon. In the evening, at 21:00 h, the Plaza Germinal Ros will host the prize-giving ceremony.
The Carnival programme in Lloret closes with the burial of the sardine on 22 February, when the procession departs from Germans Maristes square and arrives at Plaça de la Vila, followed by the reading of the will and the popular dance. The Xino Xano organisation will offer chickpeas and fish to everyone who takes part.
This year Lloret is the Capital of Catalan Culture 2023 and Carnival has been included as one of the main activities.
Tossa de Mar: The Carnival Hangover
In Tossa, the events begin tomorrow, Friday 10 February at 17:00 h. at the “Casal de Joves” with a carnival make-up workshop by the group Els Guapus. They will continue on Thursday 16th February at 16:00 h. in the Francesc Colomer Space with the traditional omelette competition. The following day, Friday, from 15:00 h, the children’s parade will be held through various streets of the town, organised by the municipal school.
On Saturday 18 February, throughout the day, there will be a fancy dress competition at the workstation. At 11:00 h. from Can Paset there will be the Carnival proclamation, followed by the 23th parade in memory of “Xoxa”, the first winner of the race. And at night, from 19:00 h. from Concòrdia Square (Library) to the church square, the 2nd Carnival night-time parade will be held, a parade open to everyone who wants to take part and to anyone who wants to follow it.
And to close the week, on Sunday 19 February, from 11:30 am, children’s fancy dress party on the Platja Gran.
On Wednesday 22nd February, at 11:00 h. in the Parish Church, the Ash Wednesday mass will be held, and from 16:30 h. the burial of the sardine will take place, leaving from Catalunya Avenue to Concòrdia Square, where at 18:00 h. there will be the carnival awards ceremony with chocolate for everyone.
And it will be on the first weekend of March, the 3rd and 4th, that the now popular “Ressaca del Carnaval” (Carnival Hangover) will take place. On Friday 3 at 20:00 the Carnival dinner will be held in the sports pavilion with all the groups taking part in the parade and all those who wish to attend. And on Saturday 4th, from 16:30 h onwards, the Grand Carnival Hangover Parade will take place, with surprises along the usual route along Ferran Agulló Ave. and Catalunya Ave., ending with the “Sambadrome” choreography competition in the sports pavilion, where the best dances and the best carnival costumes from the province of Girona will be on display. The end of the party will take place in the pavilion until well into the early hours of the morning, and will include the prize-giving ceremony for the grand parade and the choreography competition.
It should also be noted that Tossa is organising the tenth year of the gastronomic campaign “La Cuina del Bacallà” (Codfish Cuisine), which will be held from 1 March to 10 April; and that the Town Council wants to bring back the summer edition of the Rúa de Carnaval (Carnival Parade).
For more information, please visit:
www.blanes.cat/docweb/festes.carnaval
