Festa de la Beata (Santa Margalida)

Festa de la Beata (Santa Margalida) is one of Mallorca’s most distinctive late-summer traditions, when the town streets fill with xeremiers (traditional musicians), demons, folk costumes, and a joyful religious procession honoring Santa Catalina Tomàs. If you want an authentic island festival far from the beach-club circuit, Festa de la Beata in Santa Margalida offers a raw, local Mallorca experience that feels like stepping into living heritage.

What is Festa de la Beata (Santa Margalida) Mallorca?

Festa de la Beata is a weekend of celebrations in Santa Margalida dedicated to Santa Catalina Tomàs, described as the town’s patron saint and marked with events commemorating her beatification by Pope Pius VI. The best-known moment is the procession, where “La Beata” leads on foot, accompanied by authorities, xeremiers, peasants, demons, and floats recreating episodes from Catalina Tomàs’ life.

The festival is famous on Mallorca for its noise, color, and participatory spirit. See Mallorca describes the town transforming into a “noisy, colourful mass of people,” with children dressed as devils and a few chosen girls dressing as Santa Catalina herself and walking behind the floats through the narrow streets.

When Does it Happen: The Typical Time of Year

Festa de la Beata in Santa Margalida is typically held around the first Sunday in September. The official 2025 festival program PDF from Ajuntament de Santa Margalida also reinforces this timing, stating that “the first Sunday of September” Santa Margalida celebrates the “most typical procession of Mallorca.”

Because the festival is tied to a “first Sunday” pattern, the exact dates shift each year. If you are planning travel, the safest approach is to target early September and then confirm the year’s detailed timetable closer to your trip using the town’s published program, which See Mallorca notes is usually available about a week before the festival.

The Main Highlight: The Processó de la Beata

The procession is the heart of the celebration and the reason many visitors travel to Santa Margalida specifically. See Mallorca describes it as starting on Saturday evening from the local parish church, led by La Beata, with xeremiers, peasants, demons, and floats portraying notable scenes from Catalina Tomàs’ life.

On Sunday, the festival continues with another procession and a recreation of the life of Santa Catalina Tomàs by the inhabitants of Santa Margalida. This two-day structure makes it ideal for travelers who want both the big spectacle and the more community-focused continuation that follows.

Sound, Rhythm, and the “Devils” of Santa Margalida

Part of what makes Festa de la Beata feel so Mallorca-specific is how folk tradition and religious devotion blend into one street-level performance. The 2025 official program describes signature sensory elements like the smell of myrtle in the streets, the bells of the “Dimonis” (demons), and the vivid image of the Beata raising the cross while a demon dances in front of her holding a clay jug.

This is not a quiet, museum-like event. It is a loud, kinetic, island festival where the audience is close to the action and the town itself becomes the stage.

Cultural Background: Who is “La Beata”?

The festival honors Santa Catalina Tomàs (Catalina Tomás), a Mallorcan religious figure whose life is celebrated through scenes and symbols carried in the procession. The town’s festival is explicitly connected to her beatification, which is why the celebration is commonly referred to as “La Beata” in local festival language.

The community aspect is central. See Mallorca explains that local girls may be chosen to dress as Santa Catalina and walk behind the floats, and that the celebration is followed by food, wine, music, and dancing that extends the festive atmosphere well beyond the formal procession.

Where it Happens: Santa Margalida and Nearby Island Areas

The festival takes place in the town of Santa Margalida in northern Mallorca. If you are staying on the coast, Santa Margalida is near popular beach areas like Can Picafort, making it feasible to combine a beach holiday with a deep-dive cultural evening inland.

The setting matters because Santa Margalida’s narrow streets intensify the atmosphere. When the procession moves through the town center, the compact layout turns music, chanting, and crowd energy into something immersive rather than distant.

Practical Tips for Visitors: How to Enjoy the Festival

Festa de la Beata is joyful and welcoming, but it helps to arrive prepared so you can enjoy it comfortably and respectfully. Here are practical island travel tips aligned with what is confirmed by official and local sources.

Plan for Peak Crowds

See Mallorca warns that Santa Margalida becomes a “noisy, colourful mass of people” during the festival weekend. Arrive early, choose a viewing spot where you have space to step back, and keep a meet-up point in mind if you’re traveling with friends, since mobile signal and crowd movement can make it easy to get separated.

Dress for an Authentic Mallorca Experience

The official 2025 program includes guidance on “basic clothing” for participating in the procession, encouraging traditional Mallorcan-style attire. Even if you are not dressing fully in folk costume, comfortable closed footwear and breathable clothes help, since you will likely be standing and walking for long stretches in late-summer warmth.

Bring the Right Mindset

This is both devotional and festive. Treat churches and religious imagery respectfully, avoid obstructing participants, and remember that many locals are not “performing for tourists,” they are living an annual tradition rooted in community identity.

Pricing: What it Costs to Attend

The core Festa de la Beata procession is described as a public town event, and no general admission ticket price is listed in the sources used here. That typically means visitors can watch the procession and experience the street atmosphere without paying an entry fee.

However, the official 2025 program shows that some associated activities during the festival period can have costs, such as a “donation” price for items like festival pennants and separate fees for specific activities like races or dinners. In other words, the festival itself can be free to experience, while optional side-events and food or drink spending are where budgets vary.

Verified Information at a Glance

• Event name: Festes de La Beata Santa Catalina Tomàs (Festa de la Beata)
• Event category: Cultural and religious patron-saint festival featuring processions, music, folk costumes, and community celebrations
• Typically held: Early September, centered on the first Sunday of September
• Location/venue: The town of Santa Margalida, Mallorca
• Main highlights (confirmed):
• Saturday evening procession led by La Beata on foot, departing from the local parish church and accompanied by authorities, xeremiers, peasants, demons, and floats recreating episodes of Catalina Tomàs’ life
• Sunday marked by another procession and a recreation of the life of Santa Catalina Tomàs by local inhabitants
• Pricing (confirmed): No standard ticket price is stated for the main procession; it is described as a public town event, while optional side-events can have separate fees depending on the activity.

To experience Festa de la Beata (Santa Margalida) Mallorca at its best, plan a September island trip that puts you in Santa Margalida for the first-Sunday festival weekend, arrive early to soak in the street atmosphere, and let the music, costumes, and living tradition show you a side of Mallorca that most visitors never discover.