Ripoll, in central Catalonia, will host the 59th edition of its traditional Wool and Rural Wedding Festival on Sunday, 15 May 2026. This year's event will particularly celebrate traditional wool-related crafts and rural life, including the 20th Catalan sheep-shearing championship.

The sheep-shearing competition will crown the Catalan champion based on speed and technique, with the winner announced around midday in Plaça de l'Ajuntament. The square will be a hub for traditional trades throughout the morning, focusing on sheep farming and wool processing. A herd of Ripollesa sheep, a native Catalan breed, will parade from the Sant Joan road to Plaça de l'Ajuntament at 9am. Visitors can watch demonstrations of spinning with a spindle and distaff, and traditional shearing with scissors. Meanwhile, Plaça de l'Abat Oliba will host an artisan fair, offering local and regional products for tasting and purchase.

Rural Wedding Reenactment

A central attraction will be the Rural Wedding, a reenactment of an 18th-century Ripoll wedding. Mariana Castañeda and Adrià Ubach will be the couple, with chef Ada Parellada and pilot Jordi Tarrés serving as honorary godparents. The groom's procession will start at 10:30am from Plaça de la Sardana, joined by over a hundred representatives of Catalonia's 'pubillatge' (youth cultural representatives), including Guillem Blancas from Ripoll, the heir for the Girona regions. The giants of Ripoll, Guifré and Guinedell, along with giants from Canovelles and 'capgrossos' (big-heads) from Vilafranca del Penedès, will also take part.

The procession will wind through the town's main streets to the ancestral home of Can Vaquer in Plaça Gran for the formal request. Ripoll dancers will perform the 'Ball de Tonedors', a tribute to the shepherds' pre-transhumance celebration, and the 'Ball de l'Eudald i la Maria', before the bride appears on the balcony. The wedding party will then proceed to the Monastery for the religious ceremony. Inside the Monastery, the 'Ball de l'Espunyolet' will be danced, while outside, the giants will perform their dance and the 'Contrapàs' will be danced.

Community Engagement and Souvenirs

After the ceremony, the 'Ball del Roser' will be danced, and the newlyweds will share a traditional wedding feast of 'coca' (Catalan flatbread), 'llangonissa' (sausage), and wine with attendees. Throughout the morning, festival-themed items such as sashes, 'barretines' (traditional Catalan caps), and lamb-shaped bottles will be available for purchase, helping to support the event's organisation.

To encourage participation, the Centre d'Iniciatives i Turisme, which organises the festival, will raffle a meal for two. To enter, participants must upload a photo to Instagram, tag @festadelallana, and follow the account. The organisation has also launched a campaign for people to become supporting members of the CIT for an annual fee of €20. This initiative aims to strengthen the festival's connection with residents of Ripoll, the surrounding region, and wider Catalonia, preserving traditions and boosting local cultural life.

Festival Programme Highlights

Wool Festival (Plaça Abat Oliba)

  • 8am: Shepherd's breakfast (until 11am)
  • 9am: Sheep herd departs from Sant Joan road

Wool Festival (Plaça de l'Ajuntament)

  • 9:45am: Sheep herd arrives
  • 10am: Traditional shearing and spinning demonstrations
  • 10:45am: 20th National Sheep Shearing Competition begins
  • 12pm: Competition final
  • 12:45pm: Sheep herd departs on foot
  • 1:30pm: Awards ceremony

Rural Wedding (Plaça de la Sardana)

  • 10:30am: Groom's procession departs

Rural Wedding (Plaça Gran – Can Vaquer)

  • 11:10am: Groom's procession arrives and Giants' Dance
  • 11:20am: 'Ball de Tonedors' and 'Ball de l'Eudald i la Maria'
  • 11:45am: Bride appears on balcony
  • 12:05pm: Procession departs for the Monastery

Rural Wedding (Plaça del Monestir)

  • 12:15pm: Couple arrives
  • 12:30pm: Religious ceremony and wedding; 'Ball de l'Espunyolet' inside the Monastery; Giants' Dance and 'Contrapàs' outside
  • 1:15pm: Couple departs; 'Ball del Roser' with the couple

Morning Activities

  • Artisan fair in Plaça Abat Oliba

Further details are available on the official website, www.festadelallana.cat/.