9 novelties of the Girona Fairs 2026

GironaThe Sant Narcís Fairs are a date marked on the calendar of the people of Girona, with rituals that are repeated year after year and with traditions that are already part of the collective memory of the city. But the festival also changes and, during the two weeks of celebrations, some activities adapt, new ones appear and others are recovered after years of absence. These are the 9 most attractive novelties of this year's edition.

Those who already had a tradition of going to see the Raluy circus with friends or family at the Devesa during the Fairs, will be in for a surprise this year. The dispute between a private individual and the City Council over the parking lot next to the river where it was located has been resolved in such a way that the circus can no longer be installed there, so the tents are moving far away, to the land and parking lot next to the Palau 2 pavilion and indoor pool. The show changes its headline acts: it will now be run by the Burgos company Arte y Circo, with the show El circo encantado, advertised in Spanish. Acrobats, jugglers, and trapeze artists share the spotlight with enigmatic characters who inhabit an enchanted mansion.

The Bicicrucis is already a complete alternative tradition of the Fairs: a bicycle pub crawl with hundreds of Girona residents in costume. Following this festive spirit, but without the drinking involved, the children's Bicicrucis is born, organized by Mou-te en bici and Tarlà Rebel. It will take place on the morning of Saturday, October 24th, just in time to inaugurate the festivities. It will depart at 10:30 AM from Plaça Josep Pla and will cover a route of about 4 km to claim, with different stops, that "getting around Girona cannot be a daily obstacle course". Families are invited to dress up as flies and the route will end at 12 PM at La Copa, to attend concerts designed for children.

To facilitate family reconciliation, the City Council is enabling a public childcare service during two days of the Fairs. The first, on October 31st, at La Copa, coinciding with the Rice Contest. And the second, on November 1st, at Parc del Migdia, during the Giants' Gathering. It will be a recreational space for children aged 3 to 12 in charge of La Gombola Itinerant. During the giants' gathering, a daytime purple point and a red point will also be installed, dedicated to informing and advising on menstrual cycles and methods for collecting blood.

The City Council recovers the history of the people who, from the neighborhoods, have contributed to transforming the city with the book Neighborhood associationism in Girona: between celebration and protest. Coordinated by Saida Palou, the work combines testimonies and documentation to trace claims and popular celebrations. The volume highlights the often quiet work of neighborhood associations in the conquest of democratic rights, the improvement of services and facilities, and the construction of collective bonds. It also invites reflection on the future of a movement that is losing strength but is essential for keeping neighborhoods alive and facing social challenges.

The various popular parades that kick off the Fairs will feature this year two giants recovered by Caixa de Trons. They are those of Xavier Cugat and his muse, who will come out on Friday, October 23rd, and will meet with the public at 5 p.m., with a gathering at the Plaça del Vi and then a route through the streets of the Old Town. The two figures left activity in 2006 and the recovery has been possible thanks to Magalí Pérez i Malagelada, who received them as an inheritance from Maria Carme Ribas and has donated them to the Caixa de Trons giant troupe of Girona.

Generalized changes this 2026 in the parades, with a greater presence of popular imagery. On the day of the proclamation, October 23rd in the afternoon, there will no longer be the four parades coming from the neighborhoods of Girona that used to meet at Plaça Catalunya, but instead at 5 PM there will be a gathering of the giants at Plaça del Vi and a route through the Old Town of Girona (traffic will not be cut off in other neighborhoods). There are also changes to the Giants' Meeting on November 1st. It will return to starting from Parc Migdia but will end at Plaça Poeta Marquina and not at the Mercat del Lleó, as was customary. The parade will go down Joan Maragall and turn onto Sant Antoni Maria Claret.

This year, just after the opening speech, Girona will premiere A Dream at the Fair, an aerial show with 300 drones that can be seen on Friday, October 23rd at ten o'clock at night, from La Copa. For twelve minutes, the devices will draw in the sky different shapes and images linked to Girona, its traditions, and the symbols of the festivities, accompanied by music and voice. The proposal, conceived as a visual journey through the imagery of the city's festivities, will be carried out by Flock Drone Art, the Girona-based company specialized in drone shows that became known with the spectacular face of Gaudí during the Pope's visit to Barcelona.

One of the novelties of this edition is the Siset 0.0, the new non-alcoholic cocktail, which is presented as a festive alternative to promote healthier consumption, especially among teenagers. The drink is the result of the collaboration between the City Council, the School of Hospitality and Tourism, and the Mooma cider house, and it will be offered at all the stalls. The drink combines apple juice, lemon juice, apple pie syrup, and ginger syrup, and is prepared with soda at the time of serving. The recipe is presented already bottled and unified for all the stalls, unlike the non-alcoholic cocktail –the Mosqueta– of recent years.

The Girona Trade Fair will bring together 284 exhibitors (from October 29th to November 1st), with proposals for decoration, automotive, food, health, and more leisure and culture than ever. The event debuts a virtual reality experience about Catalan heritage, expands the offer of food trucks and programs music and activities for all audiences. It also brings back the stand competition. The Chamber is promoting a space with a dozen cross-border craft companies distinguished with the ECO CAT+ sustainability seal.