Fiestas

Weather puts a damper on Sant Sebastià

Humphrey CarterPalma20/01/2017 00:00

The Sant Sebastià celebrations went ahead as planned on Thursday night, but the cold and the constant threat of rain put a downer on the atmosphere and also convinced a large number of people to stay at home and give the annual party in honour of Palma’s patron saint a miss.

Those who did venture out spent much of the night close to the 200-plus torradoras (BBQs) dotted about the centre of Palma. The wind did nothing to improve conditions and the Plaça Mayor proved to be the most popular location because of the relative protection the square gives against the elements.

Lots of families gathered in the square while not far away, Plaça de Cort, in front of the city hall, was virtually empty. Security was also extremely tight, with large blocks of concrete carefully positioned along Jaume III with a police car positioned behind each one. There were also more police than usual on the beat.

However, those who did turn out made the most of what was on offer: the U2 and Rolling Stones tribute bands proved popular for example.

The weather claimed today's Sant Sebastià cycle gymkhana. It was cancelled because of the weather, and the town hall is keeping an eye on the weather with regard to other events which are scheduled to take place this weekend as part of the celebrations.