Christmas lights up Mallorca: See photo gallery

Tens of thousands of people shrugged off the cold and gathered in the centre of Palma for the big Christmas lights switch-on.

The main event was in Plaza de la Reina at 8pm when more than 400 kilometres of lights were lit up; 400 km is the distance between Mallorca and Zaragoza.

There was a real festive party atmosphere with acrobats, jugglers, contortionists, gymnasts, dancers and many more. Motionless figures mingled with the crowds and were transformed into magical beings such as light fairies on stilts.
With music in the background, they juggled and performed spectacular acrobatics to entertain the crowds.

Palma City Council has presented the programme for the Christmas festivities in the city, which includes the markets, the Christmas and Epiphany Fair and the ‘El comerç canta Nadal’ initiative with choral performances in emblematic spaces.

This was explained by the councillor for Economy, Commerce, Markets and Fairs, Lupe Ferrer, during the presentation of the new features of the markets and the Christmas Fair, as well as the calendar of activities that will be held over the festive season to boost Palma’s commercial activity.

The Christmas and Epiphany Fair will take place between this Thursday and the 6th of January, with opening hours from 10 am to 9 pm, and will be held on the Rambla, Plaza Mayor and Ses Estacions park.
This last location is the main novelty this year, as the stalls have been moved to this space due to the remodelling work being carried out in the Plaça d’Espanya.

The Consistory, according to the councillor, has chosen this alternative because of its proximity to the previous location, its visibility, connectivity with public transport and its accessibility.

As in previous editions, the children’s attractions will be kept outside Ses Estacions park, and the Consistory has guaranteed the security of the three markets, with 24-hour surveillance by the local police and private security personnel.

In Ses Estacions, 110 stall modules have been installed with 73 stallholders, 17 more than last year’s stallholders in Plaça d’Espanya. They will offer products such as Christmas gifts, beads, candles, textile accessories, paintings and graphic works.

There will also be different food stalls, sweets and sausages, among other food products, as well as 13 installations, including food trucks and stalls offering pastries and hot drinks.

For their part, the 47 modules installed in the Plaza Mayor, where 13 traders will be located, will focus on the sale of decorative objects typical of the festivities, such as nativity scenes, cribs and decorative candles, among others. This space will also have various children’s attractions.

On the other hand, the Rambla, with 49 modules for 30 traders, will continue to be the location assigned to crafts and members of the craftsmen’s association, and the offer will also include four churrerías and sweet stalls.

Ferrer stressed that the intention of his department is to “recover the spirit” of the Christmas and Epiphany Fair and to invite the people of Palma to stroll around and enjoy the festivities.
“We want these spaces to be a point of reference for their atmosphere, decoration, craftsmanship and originality,” he added.

For her part, the director general of Markets and Fairs, María del Carmen Esparza, thanked “the involvement of all the sectors that have wanted to collaborate in the organisation and programming of the markets in order to recover their traditional character”.

As for the activities that will be carried out with the aim of boosting Christmas shopping and supporting small businesses, the director general of Commerce, Toni Fuster, highlighted the initiative ‘El comerç canta Nadal’.

This initiative consists of 11 performances by several choirs in emblematic places in Palma, such as Plaça de Santa Eulalia, Porta Pintada, Plaça del Mercat, Plaça de Cort and El Borne.

“We think that with these choirs we manage to combine tradition and, at the same time, create a festive atmosphere in our streets, encouraging people to shop at local businesses,” said Fuster.

Likewise, they have reported that after four years the department has recovered the distribution of bags with images of Palma’s emblematic shops. It is planned that 9,000 bags will be distributed among the 114 listed establishments and the PalmaActiva kiosk in the Olivar market.

Finally, the visibility of local shops will be reinforced with a poster campaign that will run from 5th December to 5th January with the slogan ‘El comerç felicita el Nadal’ (Christmas greetings from the shops) with the aim of inviting the public to buy local produce.

This campaign includes a QR code that redirects to the PalmaActiva website, which lists the different activities that will be held during the festivities.