People will be dancing in the streets of Palma

NO sooner are the New Year's and Three Kings festivities over than Palma starts two weeks of celebrations in honour of its patron saint, St Sebastian, starting on January 13 and ending on the 26th. The Palma city council has just announced the programme of events, which kick off on January 13 with a concert by Fito & Fitipaldis at the Son Moix sports stadium. The band was formed in 1998 by Fito Cabrales, who wanted to promote songs which did not fit in with the style of his other band, Platero y Tu. Their music is varied, ranging from rock to blues, soul and swing. They are the first band to have all their studio recordings in the top 100 best selling discs in Spain, and this includes their latest, Por la Boca vive el Pez, which they will be promoting at Son Moix and which sold more than 100'000 copies in less than two weeks. The main event is the night of music on January 19, where the squares of the city centre are taken over by top Spanish groups and soloists, a different style of music for each square. Jazz will be very much to the fore in Plaza Santa Eulalia, with the Omar Sosa Trio, Santa Aina Latin Jazz and Serguei Sapricheff.
Modern flamenco will take over Plaza Sant Francesc, with Niña Pastori and Valderrama.
Plaza Cort will welcome Los Secretos, Nuria Fergó from the Spanish version of Pop Idol and El Frenillo de Gauguin.
The featured acts in Plaza Mayor will be Dr Hum, Fangoria and Nena Daconte, while Red Kross, Neon, Micah P Hinson and L A will perform in the Plaza Juan Carlos.
Holding sway in the Plaza España will be Cris Juanico, Nua, Oxalis and Marga Pocovi, while traditional Majorcan music can be found in the Plaza Olivar, with the likes of Música Nostra, Herbes Dolces, Tracalada and Calium.
The concerts are free and the streets are packed with people who wander from one square to the next to enjoy the music.
The fiestas end on January 26 with an alternative rock concert in the Plaza España, featuring The Meteors, Radio 4, Men and The Zinedines.
The fiestas also include the traditional parade and blessing of animals in honour of St Anthony, which is held on January 17, and the announcement of the winners of the City of Palma prizes for art and literature on the 20th, which is a bank holiday in Palma.