While many towns and cities across Spain are gearing up for their annual carnivals during February and March, the island of Mallorca steals a march on them with its Fiesta of San Sebastian during January.

San Sebastian is the capital city Palma's patron saint and the whole town uses Saint Sebastian's birthday as an excuse to come out and party. Almost every public space in the city becomes a party zone, with street performers and live music everywhere and open barbeques all around for people to cook up their favourite food. Its very relaxed and often you just bring along whatever you want and cook it yourself on the barbeques. This year the whole thing started on the evening of 19th January, with barbeques being lit at around 8pm and many of the music concerts kicking off a little later at 10pm. That would seem to be very late in the UK, but in Spain it's usual for cultural events in the evening to start as late as this. The Plaza Espana was one location with a particularly large concert and the full list of artists performing was very impressive.

The big party continued the next day on 20th January with more celebrations and various sporting events. One of these was a mass participation cycle ride for all the family called the Diada Ciclista de Sant Sebastian. The ride attracts hundreds of riders of all ages, some in fancy dress and usually sets off from the Placa de Cort at midday. It typically follows a route through Antoni Maura, La Rambla, to the Palau Municipal d'Esports de Son Moix stadium.

There were also activities in the city's hilltop Bellver Castle. The festivities were rounded off with a final firework display centred in the Parc de la Mar, an open space on the sea front below the city's La Seu Cathedral.