The Sitges town festival kicks off its official programme on Saturday 19 August with the opening speech, at 8 p.m. in the Town Hall square. This year, the town crier will be Marc Hill Gumà, in an event that invites you to get to know the festival through the words of the town crier. To make the festival inclusive for everyone, there will be a simultaneous translation service in Catalan sign language.

The Sitges Festival 2023 concentrates its events between 19 and 26 August. Therefore, once all the previous events have been completed, this Saturday is the start of the Sant Bartomeu 2023 festival. In addition to the 8 p.m. Proclamation, from this Saturday you can also visit the Sant Bartomeu Flag, which is on display in the parish church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla during the liturgical celebrations.

The Festa Major photo contest on Instagram reaches its eleventh edition and starts this Saturday and will close on 26 August. To participate, it is necessary to post the desired image on Instagram with the hashtag #fmsitgesabps.

Before the official opening speech, the Agrupació de Bailes Populares is organising its satirical opening speech, in front of the Palacio del Rei Moro, at 6pm. This year, Josep Carbonell Gallego and Dani Martínez Berdala will be the protagonists of this event, which will give way to the presentation of the heir and the Pubilla of 2023 of the Association and the act of recognition to a person linked to the entity.

As part of the events prior to the main part of the Festa Major, on Friday 18 August at 7 pm in the gardens of the Casino Prado, the book 'Els Gegants Vells de Sitges. Evolució gràfica i històrica 1897-1955', a work by Eduard Tomàs Sanahuja, who with this work won the Jofre Vila Folklore Award 2022 and is now published by the Casino Prado.

This Saturday's music and concerts will be performed by the Barraques de Sitges, located on La Fragata beach. At 18:30h the concert by Lali Begood will start and then the concerts will resume at 21:30h with Fescat Goes Punk, Xavi Sarrià, La Fúmiga, Las que Faltaband and DJs Brendv Blu B2B and Sannti Aranya.

Security arrangements

Sitges Town Council will have a special security and prevention plan for the Festa Major. From 19 to 26 August, Local Police, Mossos d'Esquadra, Red Cross and Sitges Volunteer firefighters will coordinate during the parades, processions and concerts.

On the night of 23 August, on the occasion of the Fireworks, the operation is extended with the Emergency Medical Service (SEM) and the Fire Brigade of the Generalitat. For the Fireworks, the Self-Protection Plan (PAU) is activated, which establishes the safety protocols to be implemented, the emergency levels and the response to be given in case of need.

Punt Lila

The Town Council has set up the Punt Lila service during the Festa Major, to offer advice and support to anyone who suffers or witnesses a macho and/or lgtbiphobic aggression (harassment, insults or humiliation). Punt Lila will be at La Fragata Beach during the Barraques de Sitges concerts, it will change to the Paseo de la Ribera for the Festa Major concerts on 23 and 24 August and finally it will also be operational on 22 and 23 September, for Santa Tecla, also at the Paseo de la Ribera concert venue.