In this article
- What is the Festa Major of Escaldes-Engordany?
- Dates and duration in 2026
- The most traditional events: Sant Jaume and Santa Anna
- The Sant Jaume Mass (July 25)
- The Santa Anna Mass and the traditional dance (July 26)
- The trabucada and the cercavila
- The havaneres at Parc de la Mola
- El castillo de fuegos artificiales
- Programa típico: qué esperar de la Festa Major 2026
- Conciertos y música en vivo
- Confirmado: "Un viaje a los 90s" — noche del 25 de julio
- The rest of the 2026 lineup
- Activities for families and children
- Gastronomía de calle: food trucks y Summer Market
- Deporte y actividades en la calle
- The UPTEE: the volunteers who make the festival possible
- Beyond the festival: what to do in Escaldes-Engordany
- Where to stay during Festa Major 2026
- Frequently asked questions
The Festa Major of Escaldes-Engordany is, without a doubt, the most important celebration of the year in Andorra's second most populated parish. Every July, the streets of Carlemany Avenue, Prat del Roure, dels Veedors car park, and Santa Anna square transform into the festive epicenter of the Principality. If you are thinking of coming to Escaldes-Engordany in summer, these are the dates you need to mark on your calendar: July 25 and 26, 2026, Sant Jaume and Santa Anna. In this article, we tell you everything you need to know to experience it like a local.
What is the Festa Major of Escaldes-Engordany?
The Festa Major of Escaldes-Engordany is the annual celebration in honor of the parish's two co-patron saints: Sant Jaume (July 25) and Santa Anna (July 26). It is an event with over ninety years of documented history —the first known program dates back to 1933— and today it gathers more than 50 events and activities distributed throughout different points of the parish over four or five days.
It's not just any major festival. Here, the most solemn and the most festive coexist in perfect harmony: the Santa Anna mass with the presence of the Comú authorities, the traditional dance of the Esbart Santa Anna in the church square, and that same night a massive concert that lasts until four or five in the morning. It is the exact definition of what it means to celebrate in Andorra.
Dates and duration in 2026
The Comú of Escaldes-Engordany has set July 25 and 26, 2026, as mandatory parish holidays, corresponding respectively to the day of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna. In 2026, July 25 falls on a Saturday and July 26 on a Sunday.
The official program already starts on Saturday, July 18 with a Festa Major Festival by Esbart Santa Anna in Prat del Roure (free admission), and the main events extend from Wednesday, July 22 to Sunday, July 26. Thus, the complete celebration covers almost ten days, although the most intense and popular part is concentrated in the final five days.
Local tip: If you can, arrive in the parish on Wednesday afternoon. The moment of the trabucada and the inaugural cercavila (this year with the Ho Peta Street Band, the pubillatge and Disney characters) has a special energy that visitors who only come on Saturday or Sunday never get to experience.
The most traditional events: Sant Jaume and Santa Anna
The Sant Jaume Mass (July 25)
July 25 starts early. At 9:00 AM, the Sant Jaume chapel, in the historic district of Engordany, hosts the solemn mass in honor of the parish's patron saint. After the religious ceremony, the UPTEE offers a popular breakfast to all attendees. It is one of those moments when the parish pauses: lifelong residents, the parish's pubillatge, and visitors share a meal in the street.
The Santa Anna Mass and the traditional dance (July 26)
On July 26, the patron saint Santa Anna stars in the most emotional events of the Festa Major. At 12:00 PM, the Sant Pere Màrtir church —the largest and most iconic in Escaldes— hosts the solemn mass with the attendance of the Comú authorities, the pubillatge, and the Esbart Santa Anna. The Esbart Santa Anna is the oldest traditional dance group in the country, and their performance at the end of the mass in Santa Anna Square is one of the most anticipated and applauded moments of the entire celebration.
The trabucada and the cercavila
The official kick-off of the Festa Major is the ringing of bells and the proclamation by the pubillatge, followed at 5:20 PM by the grand trabucada by the UPTEE trabucaires. At 5:30 PM, the cercavila begins with the Ho Peta Street Band, the pubillatge, the trabucaires and Disney characters, departing from Church Square, going along Carlemany Ave., Valira St., Arnaldeta de Caboet Promenade and finishing at Veedors St.
The havaneres at Parc de la Mola
Another unmissable classic is the havaneres session at sunset in Parc de la Mola, with rom cremat distribution included. This year the group Mar i Vent performs on Saturday, July 25 at 8:00 PM, with the backdrop of the mountains surrounding the parish. A unique moment, especially ideal for those who want something more tranquil and authentic before the concert night.
El castillo de fuegos artificiales
El remate de la Festa Major es el gran castillo de fuegos artificiales que ilumina el cielo de Escaldes-Engordany la noche del domingo 26 de julio a las 22:30 horas. Un espectáculo al que asisten miles de personas desde todos los puntos de la parroquia y que marca, con un estruendo de colores, el final de la fiesta grande.
Programa típico: qué esperar de la Festa Major 2026
El programa definitivo de la Festa Major 2026 lo publicará la UPTEE en su web oficial (unioproturisme.com) en las semanas previas al evento. A falta de la programación confirmada, la estructura que se repite año tras año ofrece una guía muy fiable de lo que encontrarás:
Día | Actos principales |
|---|---|
Sáb 18 julio | Festival Festa Major con el Esbart Santa Anna al Prat del Roure (21:30 h, entrada gratuita) |
Mié 22 julio | Trabucada (17:20 h), cercavila con Ho Peta Street Band y personajes Disney (17:30 h), inauguración del Mercat (18:15 h), food trucks (19 h), rumba con El Rumbo i Decantera (19:30 h), hamburguesada popular (21 h, 8 €), Grup 31 Fam (23 h), Mon DJ (01 h) |
Jue 23 julio | Mercat y food trucks (desde 12 h), talleres artísticos infantiles (18-20:30 h), personajes Disney (19 h), Ivan Lira & Miki Legendario (21 h), Pas en Fals (21:30 h), Tribut Canet Rock (23 h), DJ Tite (00:30 h), DJ Montalvo (02 h) |
Vie 24 julio | Torneo de pádel en Caldea (10 h), futbolín humano y tobogán acuático (10-13 h y 16-20 h), fiesta de la espuma (18 h), Festa Jove La Calderada (18 h), Banda Neon (23 h), DJ Montalvo (00:30 h), Xavi Metralla (03:30 h) |
Sáb 25 julio | Misa Sant Jaume + desayuno (9 h), Dia del Turista a la Pl. Coprínceps (12 h), orquesta Xarop de Nit tarde y noche (18 h / 23 h), havaneres Mar i Vent (20 h), Zumba Fluor (21:45 h), Un Viatge als 90s (23 h) |
Dom 26 julio | Misa Santa Anna (12 h), Ball de Santa Anna (13 h), sardanes Cobla Ciutat de Manresa (13:30 h), aperitivo UPTEE (13:30 h), orquesta Maravella tarde y noche (18 h / 23 h), animación familiar Rikus Nens (18 h), tast de cervesa Estrella Galicia (19-21 h), castells de focs (22:30 h), Mejores Tributos (23 h) |
Nota: En 2026 la fiesta oficial cae en fin de semana (sábado-domingo).
Conciertos y música en vivo
La música es el alma de la Festa Major de Escaldes-Engordany, y para 2026 el programa cubre todos los gustos: rumba, rock, tributos, orquesta y la gran noche de los 90s.
Confirmado: "Un viaje a los 90s" — noche del 25 de julio
La noche del sábado 25 de julio regresa al aparcamiento dels Veedors el espectáculo "Un viaje a los 90s", que ya triunfó en la edición de 2025 y repite con cartel renovado. El concepto es una fiesta en directo con artistas que marcaron los charts de la radio-fórmula y las discotecas de los noventa. El line-up confirmado para 2026 incluye:
- Whigfield — Saturday Night
- New Limit — who already performed at Andorra Mountain Music 2024
- Rebeca — Duro de pelar (one of the three repeating from 2025)
- Selena — Yo quiero bailar
- Raúl — Sueño tu boca
- Marian Dacal — Fly on the wings of love
- Ku Minerva — Estoy llorando por ti (repeating from 2025)
- Eva Martí, Sofia Cristo, David Álvarez
- DJ Sergio Blázquez (repeating from 2025)
This is the second time this show visits Escaldes-Engordany, and the success of the first edition was the reason to repeat it. If you are between 35 and 55 years old, tonight is going to be yours.
The rest of the 2026 lineup
Beyond "Un Viatge als 90s", the 2026 music program already includes several confirmed names:
- El Rumbo i Decantera (Wednesday 22, rumba) and Grup 31 Fam (Wednesday 22, night)
- Pas en Fals and Tribut Canet Rock (Thursday 23)
- Banda Neon (Friday 24)
- Orquesta Xarop de Nit — afternoon and evening dance on Saturday 25
- Mar i Vent — havaneres with burnt rum on Saturday 25
- Orquesta Maravella — afternoon and evening dance on Sunday 26, an unmovable classic of the Festa Major
- Best Tributes — closing of the festival on Sunday 26 night
To this must be added the concerts of Joves Promeses (Friday and Saturday at noon in Plaça de l'Església) and the performance of Ivan Lira & Miki Legendario (Thursday 23 in Sala del Prat del Roure).
Activities for families and children
The Festa Major of Escaldes-Engordany is a celebration designed for all audiences. El Prat del Roure and the aparcament dels Veedors host specific activities for the little ones almost every day:
- Tobogán acuático gigante (imprescindible llevar bañador) — jueves, viernes, sábado y domingo de 10 a 13 h y de 16 a 20 h
- Futbolín humano y fútbol diana en el Prat del Roure
- Talleres artísticos infantiles (18-20:30 h jueves, viernes y sábado) a cargo de La Musa-Espai Creatiu
- Personajes Disney todos los días a las 19 h en el aparcament dels Veedors
- Fiesta de la espuma el viernes 24 a las 18 h
- Repartiment de coca per la mainada todos los días a las 18:30 h
- Animación familiar con Rikus Nens el domingo 26 a las 18 h
Es también una buena excusa para aprovechar y acercarse a Caldea, con el torneo de pádel para padres e hijos, madres e hijas, tíos y sobrinos el viernes y el sábado a las 10 h, con inscripción previa en unioproturisme.com.
Gastronomía de calle: food trucks y Summer Market
La dimensión gastronómica de la Festa Major ha crecido notablemente en los últimos años. En 2026, los food trucks en el Prat del Roure abren el miércoles 22 y permanecen abiertos hasta el domingo 26, con horario de 12 h a 3 h de la madrugada. El Mercat a l'Av. Nacions Unides abre a las 18:15 h del miércoles y tiene horario partido (12-14 h y 17-24 h) los días siguientes, con artesanía, productos locales y moda.
Otros momentos gastronómicos destacados del programa 2026:
- Hamburguesada popular la noche inaugural del miércoles 22 a las 21 h en el aparcament dels Veedors (8 €, incluye hamburguesa, refresco y patatas)
- Repartiment de rom cremat durante las havaneres del sábado 25 en el Parc de la Mola
- Tast de vins i formatges artesans a cargo de Sibaryum Distribució el sábado 25 de 19 a 21 h en la Plaça de l'Església
- Tast de cervesa Estrella Galicia el domingo 26 de 19 a 21 h en la Plaça de l'Església
Si quieres explorar la escena gastronómica de la parroquia más allá de la fiesta, descubre los restaurantes de Escaldes-Engordany para reservar mesa con antelación, especialmente si planeas ir durante la semana de la Festa Major, cuando la demanda se dispara.
Deporte y actividades en la calle
El deporte también forma parte del ADN de la Festa Major. El programa deportivo 2026 arranca incluso antes que la propia fiesta:
- 10 de julio (viernes): 25è Campionat de Botifarra, 20è de Brisca, 13è de Rummikub y 7è de Dòmino, todos organizados por la Associació de la Gent Gran en la Llar de Jubilats (15 h)
- 22 de julio (miércoles): Torneig d'Escacs Nocturn Festa Major con partidas rápidas 3+2 en el Hotel Panorama (22 h) — inscripciones en escacsandorra.com
- 25 de julio (sábado): Concurs de Petanca en el Pavelló del Prat Gran (9 h, modalidad tripletes a la mêlée) y 27è Campionat de Dards Electrònics en La Gruta (16:30 h)
- Exhibición de taekwondo a cargo del Gimnàs Seung Yong en la plaça Coprínceps el sábado 25 a las 19:30 h
- Zumba Fluor el sábado 25 de 21:45 a 22:45 h en el aparcament dels Veedors
La parroquia es también punto de partida de rutas de senderismo y bicicleta hacia el lago de Engolasters o el Valle del Madriu-Perafita-Claror, Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO, lo que convierte los días de Festa Major en una excusa perfecta para combinar fiesta y naturaleza.
The UPTEE: the volunteers who make the festival possible
Behind the more than 50 events of the Festa Major there is an army of volunteers. The Unió Pro-Turisme d'Escaldes-Engordany (UPTEE) is the entity that organizes the main festivals of the parish since February 10, 1955, when a group of local entrepreneurs founded it to promote tourism in an Escaldes that was not even a parish yet —that wouldn't happen until June 14, 1978.
Today, seventy years later, the UPTEE continues to be a volunteer association that works under the patronage of the Comú de Escaldes-Engordany. It organizes the Cavalcada de Reis, the pubillatge, the Festa de Sant Miquel d'Engolasters, the Nit de Sant Joan and, of course, the Festa Major. Their work is, to a large extent, what gives cohesion and identity to the parish.
Beyond the festival: what to do in Escaldes-Engordany
The Festa Major days are an excellent opportunity to discover everything that Andorra's most thermal parish has to offer. Escaldes-Engordany is much more than Carlemany Avenue:
- Caldea: The largest thermal leisure center in Southern Europe. A must-visit, especially if you arrive a little before or after the busiest days.
- Escaldes-Engordany Art Center (CAAM): Permanently exhibits the work of sculptor Josep Viladomat and models of Andorran Romanesque art.
- Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley: UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hiking trails with spectacular high mountain landscapes just minutes from the center.
- Engolasters Lake: At about 1,600 meters of altitude, perfectly accessible by car. Ideal for a quiet morning before the night festivities.
- Vivand and Carlemany Avenue: More than 200 shops, restaurants, and hotels on the parish's main commercial axis. VAT-free shopping in all its splendor.
Where to stay during Festa Major 2026
If you are coming to the Festa Major, book accommodation weeks in advance. Escaldes-Engordany offers an excellent range of hotels within walking distance of the festival stages, but places sell out quickly during the last week of July.
The advantage of staying in the parish itself is enormous: you can walk back to the hotel after the night concerts, avoid using the car, and have immediate access to the entire program of activities from early morning.
From Andorra.com you can check and book hotel offers in Escaldes-Engordany with updated availability for the Festa Major 2026 dates.
Last-minute tip: If you don't find availability in Escaldes, Andorra la Vella is literally next door. It's less than a ten-minute walk between Plaça Coprínceps and the center of Escaldes. Also check the offers for accommodation in Andorra la Vella here.
And if you want to take advantage of your visit to discover everything Andorra has to offer beyond the festival, don't miss our complete guide to What to do nor the available experiences and activities in the country.
Frequently asked questions
Anna
Article written and updated by the local team of Andorra.com
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