Sant Joan in Salou: the night of fire by the sea

There is one night in the Catalan calendar unlike any other. The night of 23 to 24 June, the shortest of the year, has been celebrated long before it took a saint's name: it is the summer solstice, the moment when the sun reaches its highest point and tradition chooses to send it off with fire.

Across Catalonia, the Sant Joan revetlla brings together the same ancient elements: the fire of the bonfires, the water of the season's first swim, the medicinal herbs gathered the evening before, the coca on the table and a glass of cava to toast with. And above all, the Flama del Canigó, the flame that comes down from the summit of the Pyrenean mountain and is passed on, relay by relay, until it lights a bonfire in every town. One single fire, one single night, a whole country welcoming the summer.

The Sant Joan celebration in Salou: 2026 programme

In Salou the celebration has a seafaring accent. The Flama del Canigó arrives at passeig Jaume I, right by the Espigó del Moll, at around a quarter to eight in the evening, and half an hour later the correfoc sets the same promenade alight. At nine, the fire makes its way to plaça de les Comunitats Autònomes, where the Sant Joan brazier is lit amid fireworks. The night moves on to plaça de la Pau, with a family celebration at half past ten and the lighting of the bonfire, and peaks at eleven with the great popular revetlla that the band La Fania keeps going well into the small hours. Many bring a written wish to the fire: the brazier as a symbol of what we leave behind and what we hope for from the summer ahead.

Dinner steps from the fire

We spend this night close to the fire. Carbònic is on carrer Major, the street that runs parallel to passeig Jaume I, a short walk from the route of the Flama del Canigó and the buzz of the celebration. It is the night of fire, and fire is our craft: the same holm-oak charcoal embers that set the rhythm of every dish. A good dinner before heading down to the bonfire, a glass of cava to toast the summer that's beginning. The streets of Salou light the celebration; the table is just steps away.

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