Sitges Carnival Parade Schedule 2026: Dates, Times, and Routes

2026 Sitges Carnival Parade Schedule at a Glance

Sitges Carnival 2026 runs from Thursday, February 12 through Wednesday, February 18. Four days anchor the whole week: Dijous Gras, the Sunday parade, the Tuesday parade, and the Ash Wednesday burial. Roughly 2,500 costumed participants and 40 to 50 floats take part across the week's parades. Early planners already asking about next year can pencil in Sitges Carnival 2027, scheduled for February 20 through March 2, 2027. For other Spanish festival dates, check the Spain festival calendar.

Day-by-Day Schedule: From Dijous Gras to the Burial of the Sardine

Dijous Gras opens Carnival on Thursday evening. King Carnestoltes arrives at La Fragata around 19:15, then parades to the Town Hall through the old town center. Xatonada dinners fill local societies that same night, built around the cod salad that gives the tradition its name. Saturday belongs to the Costumed Bed Race, which starts at noon from the gates of Casino Prado. Teams push decorated beds through the streets and compete for prizes in both speed and costume creativity. Sunday's program splits in two. A children's parade runs at midday, and the Rua de la Disbauxa follows at 19:30 as the first of the two big adult processions. Tuesday repeats that pattern at a higher pitch. A children's parade runs again at noon, and the Rua de l'Extermini follows at 21:00 as Carnival's last and largest night before Lent. Wednesday closes the week with the Burial of the Sardine from 19:00. Mourners dressed as widows, many of them drag performers, carry King Carnestoltes through the old town, and a satirical will is read aloud at the end. For the fuller history behind these rituals, the Sitges Carnival guide traces the King Carnestoltes tradition back through the decades.

The Parade Route: From Avenida Sofia to Cap de la Vila

Both big Sunday and Tuesday parades follow the same course, as confirmed on the Visit Sitges event calendar. The route runs from the end of Avenida Sofia to Cap de la Vila:

• End of Avenida Sofia, near Pic Nic (start)
• Passeig de la Ribera, seaside side
• La Fragata
• Passeig de la Ribera, mountain side, then Bassa Rodona
• Plaça del Pou Vedre and Carrer Espalter
• Carrer Sant Francesc into Cap de la Vila (finish)

Barcelona to Sitges Carnival Transport: Train, Bus, or Drive

Three realistic options connect Barcelona to Sitges Carnival, and each trades time, cost, and vibe differently. Renfe's R2 Sud line runs from Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gràcia and works as the backbone of Carnival transport. Stoke Travel runs a private option that meets at a central Barcelona bar, then buses depart between 18:30 and 19:30 for the roughly 40-minute ride. Return buses leave Sitges between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning, with a fixed seat booked in advance. Driving is the least practical choice. Peripheral car parks around Sitges fill before 16:00 on parade days, and central streets close to traffic.

Where to Stand: Passeig de la Ribera vs Cap de la Vila

Passeig de la Ribera gives the clearest photos and a sea breeze that cuts the crowd density. Arrive by 17:00 to claim a spot ahead of the 19:30 Sunday start. Cap de la Vila works as the route's bottleneck, where energy peaks but crowds pack tightest. Some visitors book apartments directly on Passeig de la Ribera for a balcony view above the crowd, an option local rental agencies market specifically for Carnival week. Carrer Parellades and Carrer Bonaire close to vehicle traffic during parade hours, and both narrow old-town streets get too dense for strollers or wheelchairs once the crowds settle in.

The Return Trip: Avoiding the Overnight Train Crush

Getting back to Barcelona causes more stress than the parade itself for many visitors. Both big parades end by around 23:00, but the party inside Prado Theatre venues can run past 03:00 for members and ticket holders. Two strategies work. Leave right after the parade to catch one of the last direct trains. Or stay out and wait for Renfe's first morning departures once platforms thin out. Platforms get dangerously crowded between about 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning as thousands try to leave at once. Stoke Travel's private buses sidestep that scrum entirely, with a fixed return seat departing Sitges between 1:00 and 2:00 am.

Local Traditions and the LGBTQ+ Atmosphere

Sitges has been one of Spain's most visibly LGBTQ+ friendly destinations since the 1970s, and Carnival amplifies that identity. Bars along Las Drassanes and the nightlife strip known locally as Carrer del Pecat stay busy through all ten days of the festival, not only during the two big parades. Cádiz Carnival follows a different format entirely, covered in the Cádiz Carnival guide. Tenerife's Carnival runs on a similar Lent-linked calendar, with its own parade traditions covered in the Tenerife Carnival guide. Local societies also run a Xató cooking contest earlier in the week, and dinner seatings for the big Xatonada nights fill up quickly, so reserve well ahead.

Costs, Crowds, and Mistakes to Avoid

A few planning mistakes show up every year.

• Booking late: Sitges hotel rates rise 30 to 50 percent above a normal February week, so reserve before October for the main weekend.
• Driving in: peripheral car parks fill before 16:00 on parade days, and central streets close to traffic.
• Packing light: Carnival nights stay cold despite the coastal setting, so bring a warm layer that fits under a costume.
• Skipping dinner bookings: Xatonada seatings at local societies fill up well before Carnival week starts.
• Carrying valuables loosely: pickpocket risk rises in the packed bottleneck around Cap de la Vila.