How the Congrés Festival works
It is organised by the Comissió de Festes del Congrés, a group of volunteer residents, together with local associations. The heart of it all is Plaça del Congrés Eucarístic: that is where the stage, the festival bar and most events are. The other spot with a family programme is the small square at the Can Clariana civic centre (Felip II, 222), two minutes away. Almost everything is free and outdoors; on weekdays, plans for little ones start at 5 pm.
🎪 This year sees the debut of the Capgrossos Congrés Indians, big-headed figures made in a community workshop, and they still have no name: during the festival there is a box for suggestions, and you can also propose one via the QR code in the programme (ja.cat/proposanom).
See everything on at Plaça del CongrésThe first weekend: Elmer, painting and giants
Saturday the 3rd starts at 10 am with the quick-painting contest, open to all ages and with a children’s prize for ages 6 to 11 (sign up in the square until 12 noon, prizes at 5 pm). At 11 am, Pampallugues Teatre performs “Elmer, l’elefant de colors”, and at 12 noon there is a workshop to make bunting and decorate the square. Sunday the 4th begins with the giants set out at 10.30 am and the parade at 11 am, with the Sant Antoni giants, stick dancers, SomBatuka, the devils and the debut of the neighbourhood’s capgrossos; at 1 pm, the opening speech.
🎪 The opening speech on Sunday the 4th has Catalan Sign Language interpretation and live subtitles. For the parade, the programme recommends ear defenders for people sensitive to noise.
See “Elmer, l’elefant de colors”Weekdays: workshops, funfair and hot chocolate
On Monday the 5th and Thursday the 8th, from 5 to 7 pm, the Del Blau al Groc school (Alexandre Galí, 17) opens its doors to children aged 8 to 12: drawing and painting on Monday, comics and manga on Thursday. On Wednesday the 7th at 5 pm, in the Massana gardens, you can bring a yoghurt pot and turn it into a plant pot. On Thursday the 8th at 5.30 pm, the Congregació Diabòlica runs the family workshop “Serem diables per un dia” in the small square at Can Clariana (from age 5, free, booking at canclariana.cat or on 93 763 72 99). Friday the 9th brings the big family hot chocolate at 5 pm in the square, and at 7 pm circus and clowning by Cía. Memoria de Pez at Can Clariana, for all ages.
🎪 From Monday to Friday, the Cia. Soul Empire dance school (Riera d’Horta, 38) offers free trial classes with children’s slots, from babies aged 3 to 5 to K-pop for 9 to 13; book at cia.soulempire@gmail.com or on 620 52 19 05.
See the “Serem diables per un dia” workshopThe last weekend: puzzles, “Vintash!” and the Milla
On Saturday the 10th at 10.30 am Esplai el Drop runs a children’s activity in the square, and at 11 am the 1st children’s puzzle contest begins: pairs aged 5 to 11, a 200–300-piece puzzle in two hours, €6 per pair, sign up by email at concurspuzlecongres@gmail.com. In the afternoon, at 5 pm, the family show “Vintash!” by Lolly & Pop, and at 6 pm the vehicle display by the Mossos d’Esquadra and Barcelona Fire Brigade. On Sunday the 11th, the Milla Urbana has children’s races from 10.30 to 11.40 am along Carrer de Felip II, from 1,000 m for ages 12 and 13 to 50 m for ages 0 to 2.
🎪 The children’s races cost €3 (50, 150 and 300 m) or €4 (600 and 1,000 m), with registration at dsport.cat or millacongres.cat until Thursday the 8th at 10 pm. Bibs are collected on Friday the 9th from 6 to 7.30 pm in the square. Families wait for the children outside the finish area: volunteers walk them there.
See the Milla children’s racesQuiet funfair and accessible activities
The funfair has two special days: Tuesday the 6th is the “quiet afternoon”, designed for children with sensory sensitivities, and Wednesday the 7th is Children’s Day, with 2-for-1 rides. The programme does not say where it is set up or its hours; on the map we place it in Plaça del Congrés, the heart of the festival. The correfoc on Saturday the 3rd has a quiet, noise-free stretch on Carrer d’Alexandre Galí, and the opening speech on Sunday the 4th has sign language and subtitles. For the history walk on Saturday the 10th, a sign language interpreter can be requested 10 working days in advance.
See the funfair: quiet afternoon and Children’s DayAdult and children’s correfoc
The programme announces a single correfoc, “adult and children’s”, on Saturday the 3rd at 8.30 pm from Plaça del Congrés, with the neighbourhood’s Congregació Diabòlica. There is no correfoc just for little ones, but the stretch on Carrer d’Alexandre Galí is quiet, without noise, and is the best place to watch with children. If you want them to experience it from the inside, on Thursday the 8th the “Serem diables per un dia” workshop shows them the figures and ends with a mock correfoc using a sparkler. On Sunday the 11th at 9 pm, the fireworks display closes the festival in the square.
🎪 The programme asks for old long-sleeved cotton clothing and long trousers, a hat covering the head and neck, trainers, eye protection and covered ears; and ear defenders for noise-sensitive children.
See the correfocGetting around the Congrés Festival with kids
The festival fits into a few streets and is easy to walk with a buggy: Plaça del Congrés, the small square at Can Clariana, the Massana gardens and the schools on Alexandre Galí and Riera d’Horta are less than five minutes apart. With children you can go back and forth to the square several times in one afternoon.
By metro, L5 stops at Congrés, next to the square, and at Maragall (L4 and L5), a few minutes away. On festival days parking is banned on the route streets and cars are towed, so it is best not to drive. The festival bar funds next year’s events, and the reusable Festa Major cup also supports the committee.
Mum to mum: if you can only go one day, make it a Saturday. On the 3rd in the morning there is Elmer and the painting contest, and on the 10th the Esplai activity, the puzzles, “Vintash!” and the emergency vehicles. For the correfoc, head for the quiet stretch on Alexandre Galí, and if your children want to run the Milla, sign them up before Thursday the 8th.
