The Winter Ball of Sant Sebastià reaches its tenth edition, established as a key event in Reus's festive calendar. The celebration will take place on January 24, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the central Plaça del Castell. This festival originated as a popular initiative to recover the city's ancient Winter Major Festival (Festa Major d'hivern).
Historically, Sant Sebastià (Saint Sebastian) served as Reus's Winter Major Festival until the 17th century, when the celebration honoring the Mare de Déu de Misericòrdia gradually took over due to various socioeconomic reasons. The initiative to rescue this tradition emerged in 2014, driven by popular dance enthusiasts and the entity Carrutxa, culminating in the first ball in 2015 and the creation of the organizing body, the Associació La Relliscada.
The recovery of the Winter Ball aims to rediscover the spirit of the square and the street, advocating for a festival model based on the collaboration of neighbors and local businesses.
The event, which involves the collaboration of about twenty local businesses and entities, will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with the Cercavila de capta (collection parade), touring the streets with musicians from Aula de Sons and singers from Los del camp improvisat. The program includes a Popular Dinner (Sopar popular) at 9:00 p.m. (tickets available at Gaudí bookstore starting January 10), and the night will conclude with dancing led by the group Quin folk que fa.
