This Friday, 29th November, the Christmas Festivities in Sant Antoni kick off with the Christmas tree and lights switch-on at Passeig de ses Fonts.
The official welcome to the Christmas season starts at 6:30 PM, featuring the performance ‘Sant Antoni per Nadal‘, starring the elves Mirtel and Triste, accompanied by the Adrián Pineda Dance Studio. Following this, the traditional carol singing will be performed by students from local schools, culminating in a Villanrock concert at 9 PM, where classic Christmas carols will be reimagined with rock’n’roll, swing, and reggae rhythms.
Friday also marks the opening of the Mercat de Nadal (Christmas Market), which has become a key meeting point during the festive season and one of the main attractions of the Sant Antoni festivities. “This is the fifth consecutive year of the Christmas market, a major success for these festivities, attracting visitors and helping local businesses and restaurants see an increase in customers during these weeks”, says Marcos Serra, mayor of the town. Serra described the programme as highly popular, catering to all ages, and extended an invitation to the entire island to visit Sant Antoni and enjoy the town’s festive spirit.
Carlos Baute concert in Sant Antoni
Councillor for Festivities, Miguel Tur, emphasised that this year’s celebrations include over 40 diverse performances featuring both local and international groups. The highlight is a concert on 14th December by Carlos Baute, a Venezuelan singer-songwriter, actor, and presenter renowned since the 2000s.
“The programme has been designed by the Festivities Department in collaboration with Culture, Sports, and Social Services, providing over a month of festivities, primarily focused on children,” Tur explained. He also noted that the market has been centralised into one area to make it “more expansive and dynamic, complemented by additional games and activities for children.” He added, “We’ll also have interactive theatre, animations, and new performances featuring elves from the North Pole in Santa’s hut.”
The Mercat de Nadal will feature 20 stalls offering food, crafts, and goods, set around the large fountain, near the stage and Christmas tree. The market will host musical performances from various groups.
Local bands such as La Calle, Ibossim Flamenco, Esta me la sé, Niños Raros, Dr Trapero, and La Movida will perform at Passeig de ses Fonts. Additionally, Nereida, a finalist of La Voz, will bring a blend of pop and flamenco.
Santa’s House remains one of the main attractions, opening on Saturday, 30th November, at 12 PM with a visit from Santa Claus himself, who will return on 24th December.
The Fireta de Nadal returns as a magical space for children, featuring decorations, artists, festive characters, games, a carousel, and a sleigh train as new additions this year. The children’s area also includes the popular Piruleto Train, a festive ride with music, snow, and fun through the town streets.
A new family-friendly, interactive theatre production, ‘Vincles‘, will be hosted at Far de ses Coves Blanques, where visitors can explore the maze from the book ‘Les Històries Vinculants’. This exhibit, presented by the Almavisible company and directed by Celia Ruiz, will be open on 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 27th, 28th, and 29th December, with sessions at 4 PM, 5:30 PM, and 6:15 PM.
The traditional seniors’ celebration will take place on Thursday, 12th December, at 6 PM at the Clot Marès seniors’ club. On Friday, 20th December, the Colla Brisa de Portmany will host the Xacota de Nadal, featuring dancing, traditional games, and fritters.
Performances and events
The festivities include numerous events, such as the ‘Eivissa per la Pau – No a la guerra‘ days, with exhibitions, recitals, concerts, and dances at Far de ses Coves Blanques from 28th November to 7th December.
The Espai Jove will host Christmas and anime workshops during the celebrations.
On Thursday, 19th December, a new family Christmas trivia contest, ‘Ho saps tot de Nadal?‘, will be held at 6 PM at the Cervantes Cultural Centre Auditorium. This will be followed by a dramatic reading of ‘Christopher Columbus: The Last Voyage‘ at Molí d’en Simó at 7:30 PM.
On Saturday, 21st December, magician Albert will present a children’s magic show, teaching all the essentials for Santa Claus’s arrival.
As a new addition, on 27th December, Cine Regio will host a candlelit concert by Eivissa Daurada, featuring magical performances of the Harry Potter soundtrack.
Charitable initiatives
Charity events play a prominent role in the programme. On 14th December, the Passeig de ses Fonts will host an exhibition of work by associations supporting people with disabilities from 10 AM to 2 PM.
On Sunday, 15th December, at 8:30 AM, the traditional ‘Papanoelada Motera Solidària‘ will be led by the Pitiús Team Motoclub Eivissa, welcoming all motorcyclists dressed in festive attire and carrying food or toys to donate to those in need. From 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, the ‘Pel somriure d’un nen‘ solidarity festival by the Are-T Flamenco and Dance School will take place.
New Year and the Three Kings
Key events include the PatiNadal roller-skating outing on 21st December, the Copa de Nadal Illa d’Eivissa swimming event on 25th December, and the presentation of the Fibwi Illes Balears Football Trophy on 27th December.
The municipal nativity scene, created by Jesús González, will be located at Carrer Sant Mateu, 6, and will be inaugurated on 14th December at 7 PM.
New Year’s Eve celebrations include a children’s party with midday chimes at 12:30 PM, and a New Year’s celebration at Tokyo time (2 PM), featuring music from DJ Kevin Lion and Nells & Friends.
In 2025, the Royal Hut will open on 2nd January, with a special inauguration event on 3rd January at 12 PM. The Royal Page will collect letters for the Three Kings on 4th January.
Finally, the Three Kings Parade will take place on 5th January at 6:30 PM. The programme concludes on Monday, 6th January, with the closure of the Fireta de Nadal and a final Christmas concert by Crossroad, delivering a mix of blues and pop-rock.
