A set of beloved traditions will take centre stage at the Sitges Carnival

The stars of the show at the presentation of the Sitges Carnival 2025 were the festival’s poster and programme, thanks to a design by Sitges’ own Víctor Bregante that, true to the spirit of transformation and duality at the heart of the Sitges Carnival, shows one image during the day and another at night. The presentation took place on Thursday afternoon at L’Escorxador, which was packed with people eager for Carnival news.

The poster, created by designer and illustrator Víctor Bregante, represents Carnival while also embracing interactive elements and cutting-edge visual techniques to give the festival a new dimension.

Bregante, who was born in 1986 and studied at the Escola Elisava, is passionate about fonts and illustration. He took on the challenge of capturing the festival’s essence by asking himself ‘What does Carnival mean to me?’ His answer: ‘It’s a break from everyday life, a chaos that disrupts our routine, a festival of contrasts covering everything from music and dance to pleasure and death.’ Building on this reflection, Bregante decided to create a series of six posters. Five of them represent what he sees as the core concepts of Carnival, and the sixth, the main poster for the Sitges Carnival 2025, brings together elements from the other five. The different fonts and colours were chosen to reflect each theme, with designs that are clean and simple, yet evocative of the festival’s chaotic spirit. The five festival posters represent what Bregante sees as the focal points of Carnival, and each illustration is accompanied by a poem.

In addition to the series of posters, Bregante has incorporated an anaglyph-based technique to create images that offer a dual, transformative experience through cardboard 3D glasses. The images look different depending on the colour filter of the glasses, engaging viewers through an interactive transformation. And for those who don’t have a physical copy of the programme or the 3D glasses, Sitges programmer Albert Verdú has also created a digital filter that makes it possible to have fun with the programme online. The web app can be downloaded at the following link: 

https://carnaval-sitges-2025.vercel.app/.

The images in the programme designed by Víctor Bregante bring together graphic design and artificial intelligence. Bregante used this resource to perfect his illustrations, creating a symbiosis between manual art and cutting-edge technology. ‘It’s a collaborative process between human and machine,’ he explains.

The end result is a creation that not only reflects the chaotic and transformative nature of Carnival, but also incorporates unusual digital and manual techniques, such as screen printing with glow-in-the-dark ink. This is more than a new look, then: it’s also a new way of experiencing the Sitges Carnival, one that invites viewers to interact with the art in unique and surprising ways.

A familiar programme of events 

The Carnival 2025 events that were presented reflect the essence of the festival, in a programme where beloved traditions are the stars of the show. From Fat Thursday with the Arribo arrival ceremony to Ash Wednesday with the Enterro burial, Carnival Week will feature the Disbauxa parade on Sunday and Extermini parade on Tuesday as two of the highlights of the celebration, without overlooking the rest of events.

That means there will be spaces for little ones, with children’s parades and visits to primary and secondary schools by the entourages of Their Majesties King Carnestoltes and the Queen, who will also be stopping by nursing homes for the elderly. And then Saturday will be the grand dia del fardo, known for the midday cursa de llits, or race of beds on wheels, and afternoon dances.

The colles, or groups, for His Majesty Carnestoltes (Paperets) and Queen Carnival (Enigma) also participated in the Carnival presentation, with the characters that the two groups have been promoting on social media making their first public appearance at the event. Mr Enigma reminded those present that the Queen’s identity will be revealed on Saturday 22 February in the afternoon, in an event that will end up at the Prado with the Còctel Reial, or royal cocktail. Meanwhile, the members of the Totxana i Fusible (Paperets) Carnival company showed off a sense of humour that they’re sure to bring to the character of King Carnival as well, and announced that they’ll be playing a key role in the decoration of the City Hall façade on Saturday 22 February in the morning. 

More information at www.sitgescarnaval.cat.