Blanes Fireworks Competition 2026 — 54th Edition

2026: 54th Anniversary of the Blanes International Fireworks Competition

Blanes Festa Major and Fireworks Competition 2026 Dates

The Festa Major — also known as Festa de Santa Anna and Sant Joaquim — always falls in the last full week of July. It lasts 8 days. The most important day of the festival is July 26, when Blanes celebrates Saint Anne (Santa Ana), the town’s patron saint.

The 5-day fireworks festival takes place during the Festa Major.

In 2026, the Festa Major starts on July 22, and lasts until and including July 28.

The Fireworks competition takes place from July 23 to July 27.

Each night the show starts at 22:30 (10:30 p.m.)

Mind you, the beaches and boulevards will be packed by that time. Arrive in plenty of time. [See the Best Places to Watch the Fireworks From]

Blanes Festa Major and Fireworks Competition 2027

Did you miss the opportunity to visit Blanes during this year’s celebrations?

Your next change is coming up.

In 2027, the Festa Major in Blanes takes place from July 26 to July 30.

Subscribe to Visit Blanes (free) to receive an email alert whenever this website is updated:

This is a hugely popular event during the Costa Brava high season.

Therefore, Book Your Hotel In Blanes early! [See hotels on a map]

Participants 2026 competition

This year’s participants in the Blanes Fireworks Competition were announced on June 12.

As is the custom, the winner of last year’s competition, Pirotècnia Valenciana, had already been assured a spot in this year’s event.

The competition is open to pyrotechnics companies from Spain and abroad. This year’s foreign entries come from China and Portugal

Each night, the fireworks show starts at 22:30 (10:30 p.m)

*** Winner 2026 – 54th Blanes International Fireworks Competition ***

Anyone who has seen all five of this year’s fireworks shows will not be at all surprised to learn to this year’s winner – for the sixth time in a row – is Pyrotechnics Valencia. No other company in the festival’s history even comes close to winning that often.

The crowd was especially enthusiastic about a special feature at the end of Valencia’s show. The company used high rise lifting equipment to achieve an effect never seen before: unfurling a gigantic Blanes flag with its white and red colors towards the end of the fireworks display, in the middle of the final stretch.

What the Winning Company gets in 2026 (Plus: Do not miss this!)

Each company receives €30.000 just for participating.

In addition, the first prize winner receives €6.000. The second prize winner receives €2.000.

Last year’s winning company – Pyrotechnics Valencia – has also been invited to provide the Mascletà Nocturna fireworks on the opening night of the Festa Major, Wednesday July 22, at ± 21:30 (9:30 p.m.). This brief fireworks presentation, for which the company is paid €8.000, takes place near Sa Palomera.

The Mascletà Nocturna is followed by Batucade and the Correfoc. (Do not miss this!)

As per tradition the winner of this year’s competition is secured a place in next year’s fireworks event.

Finally, the winner also gets to close the Festa Major de Santa Cristina, in the neighboring municipality of Lloret de Mar.

Videos Blanes Fireworks Competition 2026

Thursday, July 23, 2026: Josman Santa Bárbara Pyrotechnics

Friday, July 24, 2026 – Pyrotechnics Duarte

Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Pyrotechnics Xaravia

Sunday, July 26, 2026 – Pyrotechnics Valencia (Winner 2026 – 6 x winner!)

Monday, July 27, 2026 – Pyrotechnics Yinli

Note: The information below covers last year’s event

See also: Details about the history of the fireworks festival

Below this line is information about the 2025 event. Details about the 2026 fireworks festival are added above .

Winner 2025: 53rd Blanes International Fireworks Competition

As many people who watched this year’s nightly firework shows already expected: Pirotècnia Valenciana has won first place, with a total of 1,061 points. This marks the fifth consecutive time the family business, founded in 1965, has won this competition. Mind you, the company also won first place in 2008, and therefore Pirotècnia Valenciana [company website] is currently the six-time champion. (Watch the show).

Pirotècnia Pibierzo won second place with its Saturday show, which garnered 974 jury points.

Third place went to Alpujarreña Pyrotechnics, whose well-received opening show on Wednesday received 940 points.

With 924 points Zaragoza Pyrotechnics – Etienne Lacroix Group, Sunday’s entry came fourth.

Finally, Pirotècnia Pablo – Friday’s entry – gained 887 points.

So here is the 2025 winning entry, by Pirotecnia Valenciana (Valencia):

Thursday July 24, 2025: Pirotecnia Valenciana (Valencia)

Everyone in town looked forward to see how Pirotècnia Valenciana would defend its 4-times winning streak. The company won in 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 (there was no festival in the Covid years 2020 and 2021). As expected, they did not disappoint. The crowd was wildly enthusiastic about the innovative show, which included many beautiful shapes and patterns. Of special note was the use of sounds created by the fireworks – ‘screams,’ whistles, crackling, and satisfyingly loud booms. Fantastic!

Below you will find details about the festival’s history, and about how the event is organized.

History and More Information about the Blanes Fireworks Competition

In addition to the up-to-date information posted above, we provide details about the festival’s history, its current format, and the general rules of the contest.

This will give you a good idea of what to expect when you attend this year’s festival.

After Covid: 2022 – 50th Anniversary

There were no competitions in the Corona/Covid years 2020 and 2021.

Therefore, the 50th anniversary of the Concurs Internacional de Focs d’Artifici took place in 2022 (July 22 through July 26).

The winner was Pirotecnia Valenciana, from Spain. That company also won the previous (2019) competition.

Here is their award-winning show.

What You Can Expect in the Blanes Fireworks Competition

Let’s be brutally honest. There have plenty of fireworks presentations at the Blanes festival that were, to put it kindly, not all that special.

But there are also lots of shows that make it totally worth it to be there in person.

Take a look at the spectacular winning entry from the 2016 competition, by the pyrotechnics firm of the Brothers Ferrández:

And here’s how Accitana Ma Angustias easily won first place in 2015:

5 Nights of Firework Displays

In 2016 the fireworks competition returned to its original run of 5 days.

From 2012 through 2015 the festival lasted just four days — as a result of Spain’s financial crisis and its aftermath.

Dropping a day saved Blanes a lot of money normally spent on crowd control, safety measures and other police duties.

Last year the event attracted enough sponsors to enable the city to bring back the fifth night.

Record Crowds

This high season event — the Festa Major plus the fireworks festival — always sees record crowds.

In 2016, some 100.000 people — more than twice the town’s population of 44.000 — watched the fireworks display on the opening night.

Saturday night — traditionally the busiest day of the event — saw a record crowd of 250.000 spectators.

If you’d like to spend the entire week in Blanes, make sure you book your hotel early.

Practical Information El Focs de Blanes

The fireworks show starts at 22:30 (10:30 pm), and prime watching spots start filling up about an hour before the spectacle.

If you attend the festival from outside Blanes, do not come by car unless you’re prepared to park far away.

Best Places to Watch the Blanes Fireworks Shows

The fireworks show centers around Sa Palomera, the rocky promontory (‘the rock’ to most tourists) that separates the old town center of Blanes from the newer part (El Pins, where most of the town’s hotels and campgrounds are located).

Just about anywhere you plan to watch will be crowded — super crowded. And yes, plenty of people have the same ideas you’ve got: to watch from spots on the hill of St. Juan, for instance.

However, you will be able to see the fireworks from anywhere along the coast. The tourist ferries usually have special deals available, in which you can view the fireworks from a boat — one of the best places to watch.

Keep an eye out for posters or fliers announcing such opportunities, often written only in Catalan and/or Spanish.

Other great spots: along S’Abanell beach. The closer you get to the campgrounds, the lighter the crowd.

Of course, if you prefer to be shoulder to shoulder, head on over to Platja de Blanes. That’s the beach along the boulevard in the old part of town. It tends to fill up quickly.

The raised ‘jetty’ walkway north of Platja de Blanes (between the yachting harbor and the beach) is great place that provides you with a direct view of the show.

Blanes Fireworks Competition: Rules and Penalties

The companies must agree to a detailed set of requirements, including details covering the type of fireworks to be used, the length of the show, and safety measures to be observed.

The conditions call for the displays to be both aerial and aquatic. That means each show must include rockets and other fireworks shooting upwards and outwards, as well as fireworks that make use of the water surrounding the rock.

The idea is that the show must highlight the natural setting of Sa Palomera.

Oh, and participating companies must certify that all products used in their displays are completely biodegradable.

The company that opens the series of shows must prepare an illuminated, 8 meter wide and 1.5-meter-high sign with the inscription: “Glòria a Santa Anna.”

Each company must also display a similar sign that reads “Blanes 2026.”

Participating companies agree to make sure their shows last a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 24 minutes, and that the fireworks are launched uninterruptedly with absolute continuity between the luminous effect of one launch and the one immediately following. (Yes, this makes for a truly awesome sight).

If a company fails to appear on the day of the contest, the City can impose a maximum fine of € 40,000. There are also various penalties for displays that are too short or displays that start as little as a fraction of 1 minute too late.

The Judging

The shows are judged by both a technical- and a popular jury.

The technical jury looks at such things as the type and variety of products used, the quality of the launches, and whether all of the firework products match the specifications set out in the contract.

The popular jury — which consists of up to 40 residents of Blanes — evaluates the offerings on color, rhythm, difficulty, originality, water fireworks, the effective use of the setting and the general artistic effect of the display.

In case of a tie, the opinion of the technical committee prevails.

The winner is usually announced within a week after the event.

History of El Focs de Blanes

The oldest reference to fireworks shows in Blanes dates to 1891, but it is not clear when it became a yearly tradition.

What is known is that the event stopped when the Civil War broke out in 1936. It started up again in 1944, and in 1970 the event became a yearly competition that was meant to promote tourism in Blanes.

At first the competition lasted three days. In the mid-eighties it was expanded to four days, and from 1996 it lasted five days.

As a cost-saving measure brought on by Spain’s financial crisis, from 2012 through 2015 the event covered only four days.

2016 marked a return to the full, five-day festival.

The official website for El Focs de Blanes is in Catalan, Spanish, English, and French. But it generally is updated only just a few days before the competition starts.

And Finally: Cleaning up after the show

As you may know, all all of the beaches of Blanes are blue flag certified. From the Blue Flag website:

The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

So it comes as no surprise that the Blanes City Council organizes a seabed cleaning day following the final evening of the Costa Brava Fireworks Festival.

This year with the coordination of the Blanes-Sub Diving Center with professional divers, and also with the support of the FEAM Christian Center.

As reported by Blanes’ popular Radio Marina, a total of 200 kilograms of pyrotechnic waste was collected. And not only that, but also soft drink- and beer cans, cleaning wipes, and even a beach chair.

See also this video report of the event, by Televisió laSelva.