
Did you know that Barcelona has two patron saints? La Mercè is the best known and most celebrated, but there is also Santa Eulàlia, who some claim as the true patron saint of the city . We do not come to resolve this popular dispute, but we must recognize that Santa Eulalia was the first until in the seventeenth century was included as co-patron saint to the Virgin of La Mercè.
That is why around February 11 the festivities of Santa Eulalia are celebrated, the main winter festival of Barcelona, and the streets of the center of Barcelona are filled with popular culture and celebration.
When is Santa Eulàlia 2025?
In 2024 the Santa Eulàlia festival, the main winter festival, falls from February 7 to 12, so it will be this weekend, coinciding with Carnival, when the city will be full of festivities.
The story of Santa Eulàlia, the second first patron saint of the city

Anyone who lives in Barcelona has partied and gone out at night for La Mercè to celebrate the city’s patron saint as she deserves. But we often forget that Santa Eulàlia is centuries ahead of La Mercè and (in fact, here we explain why the latter passed before the former) and why, although today the main festival in September, the city lived much of its history under the protection Eulàlia and celebrated its big days in February, honoring the name of one of the most curious characters in the history of Barcelona. But who was Eulàlia?
To know her we have to go back to the end of the 3rd century. At that time, when the Roman cult coexisted with the Christian cult, there lived in what today is Sarrià a girl, Eulàlia, who, with only 13 years old, had a fervent faith in Christ. So strong was her faith that, to protest against the persecutions of the emperor Diocletian against Christians, the girl stood up before the governor of Barcino to ask him to put an end to them.

The governor not only ignored her, but demanded that Eulàlia renounce her Christian faith. Faced with the girl’s refusal, the governor imposed on her as punishment to suffer 13 martyrdoms, as many as Eulàlia was years old. Of all the horrible torments she endured, the most famous took place in the Baixada de Santa Eulàlia in the Gothic Quarter, where there is still today an altar that recalls how Eulàlia was placed naked inside a barrel filled with glass and nails, and thrown down the street.
The legend that explains the miracle that canonized her explains that, after the 13 tortures, Eulàlia was crucified naked, and that, at that moment, there was a snowfall that covered the purity of her body. When she died, the people saw a white dove come out of her mouth.
Thanks to this miracle Eulàlia was canonized in 633, becoming the patron saint of the Catalan capital. Her remains were found in 878 in the church before Santa Maria del Mar, and were transferred to the Cathedral of Barcelona, dedicated to Santa Eulàlia, where they have rested ever since. If you want to know more about the legend of Eulàlia, you can consult the same website of the City Council.
The program of Santa Eulàlia’s festivities
The festivities of the winter patron saint usually have less focus on concerts and night celebrations, and have usually been dedicated to the most popular traditions (gegants, castellers…), paying special attention to the activities aimed at children in Barcelona.
That does not mean that there are no activities for all tastes and ages. We bring you a selection of the best activities, but if you want to know the full program of the festival, you can check it on the website of the festival.
Les gegantes, the queens of the festival

So, if you want to go for a walk and enjoy the festival, we recommend you to attend the traditional Passejada de les Laies on Monday 12 from 18:30, where the gegantes, gegantones and gegantes infantils of Ciutat Vella parade, and they are all renamed Laia for a day in honor of the patron saint.
And if you want to enjoy more calmly this sample of popular culture, as is tradition, the week before the Winter Festival, will be exhibited at the Palau de la Virreina all the gegantes Laia of the city.
Open doors in museums, buildings and viewpoints

Another tradition of the Eulàlia festivities is that several museums and buildings open their doors to the public for free, such as the Ajuntament de Barcelona, the Palau Güell, the MACBA or the Caixa Forum. So, if you do not want to miss any of them you can check the complete list at this link.
This year have been added almost 40 buildings and facilities that also offer special activities, so you do not have much to choose from.
La Sagrada Familia will raffle 8,500 free tickets

On the occasion of this major holiday, the most emblematic building of our city will hold a raffle of 8,500 tickets to visit it totally free on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February between 15h. and 18h.
To participate you only have to register for the draw through a form available on the website of the Sagrada Familia and its social networks between 10 am on January 29 and 21 pm on February 4. The draw will take place on Sunday 4 from 9 p.m. onwards, and the list of winners will be available on the website on Monday 5.
Free concerts at the Moll de la Fusta (and with a feminist look) at the Lali Jove, the city’s biggest young festival
Barcelona’s youngest can also enjoy the Lali Jove, which will be held at the Moll de la Fusta on Saturday 10. There will be activities throughout the afternoon and, at night, concerts where the protagonists on stage will be Catalan women.
This commitment to promote women’s music and give voice to local artists comes from several youth organizations in the city, which for years claimed a space managed directly by the young associative fabric of the city.
Detailed information about the Lali Jove can be found on its official website.
Santa Eulàlia, the festival of fire
Popular culture

Throughout the weekend, the streets of the city center will be filled, not only with gegants, but also with castells, correfocs and traditional dances.
The more detailed program with schedules and locations can be found on the website of Santa Eulalia.
Special exhibitions for Santa Eulàlia
Exhibition of the children’s bestiary of Barcelona in El Born CCM.
The children’s bestiary of Barcelona is installed in El Born CCM for Santa Eulàlia. Dragons, dinosaurs, snakes, horses, pigs and figures of all colors will be exhibited to make everyone enjoy the festive images of the city.
📅 F rom February 1 to 13, from 10 am to 8 pm. Monday, closed
The Laias are exhibited at the Palacio de la Virreina From 1 to 12 February, from 10 am to 8 pm.
In this exhibition we will be able to see all the giantesses of Ciutat Vella that traditionally take part in the Laias parade on the day of the patron saint, February 12. The gigantona Laia, Laia del Pi and Eulàlia de la Plaza Nova will be present, as well as the other gigantas of Pi, Raval, Barceloneta, Old Town, Santa Maria del Mar, San Pedro de las Puellas, Santiago Apostol and Casa de la Caridad.
📅 From February 1 to 12, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
At the Casa dels Entremesos
Permanent exhibition Festive imagery from Barcelona: giants, dwarfs, bestiary and puppets at the Casa dels Entremesos.
📅FromTuesday to Saturday, from 10 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm. Sunday and Monday closed