The Festa dels Tres Tombs arrives this 2026 at the centenary of its celebration in Sant Joan Despí, becoming one of the oldest and most emblematic celebrations in the city. The festival will take place next Sunday, February 8, but the Colla dels Tres Tombs has already begun to celebrate the 100 years of activity with the presentation of a new flag and with the inauguration of an exhibition at the Centre Cultural Mercè Rodoreda.
The tradition of the Three Turns
The Festa dels Tres Tombs is a tradition celebrated in many places in Catalonia on the occasion of the festivities of Sant Antoni Abat, protector of animals. Precisely for this reason, the celebration takes the animals themselves as protagonists. The main rite of this consists of making three laps with horses and carriages through the main streets of the municipality. Although in its beginnings three laps were made around a large bonfire, the arrival of Christianity dictated that they should be made around the church of Sant Antoni or, if there is none, from where the blessing of the animals can be performed. This is why, in the case of Sant Joan Despí, a stop will be made in front of the church of Sant Joan.
Preparation for the centenary
The Colla dels Tres Tombs kicked off the celebration early for the centenary of the tradition in Sant Joan Despí. On the one hand, on Friday, January 30, the photographic exhibition "100 years of the Tres Tombs" was inaugurated, an exhibition on how the festival has evolved in the last century, adapting to social changes, going through different organizing entities and maintaining an essence rooted in agriculture and the animal world. The exhibition can be seen at the Centre Cultural Mercè Rodoreda until February 13.
The next day, January 31, the mayor of the municipality, Belén García, participated in the event of presentation of a new flag, replacing the current one which is already 75 years old. The new proposal features Saint Anthony Abbot, accompanied by a piglet, a symbol of tradition and the rural world. The event was attended by the president of the Federació Catalana dels Tres Tombs, Andreu Bernadàs, and the secretary of the federation, Sílvia Barea. Furthermore, the occasion was used to hand over the flag to the flag bearer, who this year will be Cor de la Flora, the oldest entity in Sant Joan Despí.
The centenary
Finally, this Saturday, February 7, the Ball de Tres Tombs will be held, an event where the title of Traginer d’Or will also be awarded, and on Sunday, February 8, the traditional parade of the Tres Tombs will be held, which will include more than a hundred carts, carriages, and horses. For all those who wish to join the celebration, the starting point is at the fairgrounds on Mare de Déu de Montserrat avenue
