You can see some political statements at the carnival in Sitges. Here you can see a group of people holding up signs with F*uck Trump, American flags and a yellow sign with the US president's name crossed out.

Carnival in Spain: Lots of confetti, good vibes and sangria

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All Around The World

What could be better than celebrating carnival on a beach under palm trees? You don't even have to fly for hours to Brazil, because good things are literally so close: in Sitges, Spain.

The carnival took place from February 27 to March 5, 2025. More than 40 floats ensured that the 2,500 parade participants sang and danced their way into the right mood. A good start, but things only really got going in the evening. The Catalan city had plenty to offer the 300,000 or so visitors, some of whom had traveled to the city especially for this event.

There is something for everyone.

All age groups get their money's worth at the week-long event: the costumed partygoers come to the retirement home especially for the elderly. There, music and confetti are used to bring a little fun into the everyday lives of the residents. Of course, the niños, the little ones, don't miss out either. There were two events for them: Children's parades took place on both Sunday and Tuesday lunchtime.

The processions are accompanied by a king (Sa Majestat Carnestoltes) and two queens (Cansina Fardo is this year's queen. She reigns together with the queen of the children's parades). "Because in Sitges we like queens", says the official website as an allusion to the openness towards the LGTBQIA+ community.

You see a man dressed as a woman throwing a kissing hand. He is wearing a fruit hat on his head, just like in the 70s. The dress is off the shoulder and has vertical stripes that turn black and white at the top and red and white further down. He is also wearing a colorful necklace, which looks a little overloaded. You can see lots of other people in costume in the background.
A kiss in the carnival hustle and bustle.
Two men in bunny costumes. They are wearing black masks that half cover their faces and have two ears. The black latex top is very tight, as are the black leather shorts. One of them also has a small, gray fanny pack, the other an Adidas bag hanging on the side. Other revelers can be seen in the background.
The two are looking forward to the party.

There are some similarities with the Rio Carnival.

It has happened before that the queen also crosses moral boundaries. For example, the 2022 Carnival Queen, Lidia Egea, stood on the float covered only in paint (body painting). A few years earlier, Queen Piku wanted to appear topless, but at least had to cover her nipples.

Apart from moral guidelines, the committee also has to comply with other regulations. According to a European Union regulation, one of the most characteristic elements of carnival has been banned for several years: glitter. Since October 2023, its use has been banned for environmental reasons. However, this restriction is made up for with huge amounts of confetti.

The highlight.

Don't miss the legendary bed race. That's right, you can compete for victory in various categories in self-built beds. The race is opened by the queens in the center of the village. Every year between 12:00 and 13:30, the strangest vehicles race around the streets of Sitges. Among others, there was a Flintstone family car, the sinking Titanic (including iceberg) and the Ghostbusters mobile. Some of the elaborately designed vehicles were handcrafted by teams of 20 people over a two-week period.

You see a red-haired woman with a dinosaur, a man whose hair blends seamlessly with his beard, wearing an orange outfit. The two of them are standing in front of a car with two large white rollers at the front. The roof of the vehicle is made of white fabric with many spikes at the front. Another man with an orange outfit can be seen in the background.
The Feuerstein family also took part in the bed race.
You can see a woman in a Ghostbusters T-shirt and beige pants. She is standing at the side of the Ghostbuster car. Next to her, behind the vehicle, is a green ghost with a red tongue and yellow eyes. The figure appears to be made of cardboard. She is standing next to a vehicle inspired by the Ghostbusters.
Slimer has nothing to laugh about here - the Ghostbustersmobile.

At the end of the competition, the cars were somewhat repurposed and fitted with loudspeakers. Modified in this way, they were pushed along the streets of the Spanish city by their proud owners as a mobile disco. Much to the delight of passers-by, who danced to the loud beats.

The Willi Wonka vehicle is equipped with large lollies and chocolate bars. It is on starting position 1.
There is even a fog machine built into the Willi Wonka bed!
President Trump and one of the Capitol strikers were popular motifs. You can see Trump in his suit with the red tie and next to him one of his radical supporters who stormed the Capitol two years ago. In the background you can see a man in a Mexican outfit
There was no getting around global politics in Sitges either.

Not only is the bed race a highlight, the costumes themselves are worth seeing. If you look around on the street, you will spot Vikings, dinosaurs and unicorns. These costumes still fall under the category of simpler disguises. Running around as a mop all evening or sweating behind Anonymous masks was certainly no fun. But it is precisely this diversity that makes this carnival so special.

The carnival in Sitges has a lot more to offer!

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Sources:

https://barcelonasecreta.com/de/sitges-karnival-2025

https://www.sitgesanytime.com

Interviews with residents, tourists and parade participants (28.02.2025)

Image rights: Ingrid Müller

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