Municipalities across the Terres de l'Ebre region are finalising preparations for extensive Sant Jordi celebrations on 23 April, with streets, squares, and civic centres set to host a wide array of cultural activities. The annual festival, which combines the celebration of books and roses, is a cornerstone of Catalan culture, bringing communities together through literature, art, and tradition.
Residents of all ages can look forward to a diverse programme. Children will enjoy workshops, storytelling sessions, popular snacks, and theatrical performances. For adults, there are literary competitions, book presentations, signing sessions with local authors, poetry recitals, and concerts, according to local municipal programmes.
Across the Baix Ebre and Montsià sub-regions, towns are organising unique events to mark the day. The celebrations underscore the region's commitment to promoting reading and local literary talent, alongside the traditional exchange of books and roses.
Tortosa Leads with Diverse Cultural Programme
Tortosa, the capital of Baix Ebre, has organised a particularly rich programme of events spanning several days around Sant Jordi. On Monday, the Marcel·lí Domingo Library will host a presentation by Pere Estupiñà Ginés, who will discuss his book What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? (¿Qué quieres ser de mayor?) at 7pm.
Wednesday will see the library award prizes to its best readers at 6pm, followed by the 14th Sant Jordi Eve in the Libraries at 7pm. On Thursday, the Teodor González Park will be the site of a floral offering at the monument to Gerard Vergés, marking the 12th anniversary of his death. The Plaça de l'Àngel will host book signings by local authors from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm, alongside a collective reading session of fragments by Manuel Pérez Bonfill at 10:30am.
Children can enjoy storytelling at the library at 11am. In the evening, a musical route by the Rondalla dels Ports will travel through the Remolins neighbourhood and Tortosa centre at 6pm, followed by the circus show Nüshu by Cia. Capicua at 7pm. The Plaça de Carrilet will welcome the Flame of the Twin Correllengua at 7:30pm, initiating the 'Sant Jordi for the Language' demonstration, accompanied by traditional Catalan songs from the Tortosa Municipal Music Band. The flame and demonstration will reach the Plaça de l'Ajuntament at 10pm for the reading of the Twin Correllengua manifesto.
Literary Tributes and Community Events
The day after Sant Jordi, the library will honour Zoraida Burgos with a poetry recital. Saturday's activities include an art workshop, 'Story and Paint Sant Jordi', at the library at 11am, followed by dance activities and performances in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament at 11:30am and 7pm respectively. On Sunday, the same square will host the Sant Jordi human towers day, featuring the Castellers de Tortosa and the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls.
Other Baix Ebre towns are also actively participating. Aldover will display creations from its literary and artistic competition at Casal d'Aldover at 10am, alongside book and rose stalls in the Plaça de l'Església. A mass in honour of Sant Jordi and a commemoration of Golden Wedding Anniversaries will take place at 12pm, followed by inflatables for children and a popular snack in the afternoon. Emma Cortijos Fabra will present her book The Sun Rises Again (Torna a sortir el sol) at 5:30pm.
Alfara de Carles will celebrate on Sunday in the Plaça Major with books, roses, and poetry, including presentations and a poetry competition from 12pm, featuring authors such as Sílvia Puvill and Ramón Masdeu. L'Ampolla will host 'Art in the Street' (Art al Carrer) all day in Plaça González Isla, and a 'Literary Tasting' (Tastet literari) at the Civic Centre at 6pm, organised by the L'Ampolla Theatre Association.
Montsià Towns Embrace Sant Jordi
In the Montsià region, Alcanar begins its Sant Jordi festivities on Wednesday with a bookmark workshop at the Trinitat Fabregat Library at 5pm, followed by the presentation of Joan-Josep Sancho i Estelles' book Two Spans of Seasoning: A Shower of Memories (Dos pams de saó. Un ruixat de records) at 7pm. The Cases d'Alcanar library will host a storytelling hour at 5:30pm.
On Thursday, stalls will open at 9am in Plaça Major in Alcanar and Plaça Sant Pere in Les Cases. Alcanar will feature local author signings from 12:30pm to 7:30pm, performances by the Alcanar Municipal Music School's String Orchestra at 6:30pm, the EMMA Youth Band at 7pm, and the Cor Lúbilo at 8pm. Children can enjoy the show Josefina the Hen (La Gallina Josefina) at Verger de la Mestra Gual at 10:30am.
In Les Cases, the same children's show will be performed at 11:45am in Plaça Sant Pere. Local literature will be presented at 11:30am, including Aroa Rovira Roig's Nine New Stories (Nou contes nous) and Lo Chordi's The Bull in Love with the Moon (El toro enamorado de la luna). An open mic poetry session will take place outside the municipal library at 6:30pm.
Amposta will have book and rose stalls in Carrer Major and Plaça de l'Ajuntament from 9:30am to 8:30pm. Throughout the morning, various authors will sign their books, starting at 9:30am with Llui.
These widespread celebrations across Terres de l'Ebre highlight the enduring appeal of Sant Jordi as a cherished cultural event, reinforcing community bonds and celebrating the rich literary heritage of Catalonia.
