Terrassa City Council has changed parts of this year’s Festa Major programme because of expected extreme heat, affecting some of the festival’s busiest public events and forcing schedule changes that residents and visitors will need to check before heading into the centre.

The festival runs from Friday 4 July to Wednesday 9 July, with 350 events planned across six days, according to the city’s published programme. The biggest heat-related change is on Sunday morning, when core acts were moved forward by 30 minutes to cut time spent in the sun and help the castellers event finish before 3pm in early July conditions.

Sunday morning events brought forward by 30 minutes

According to Canal Terrassa reporter Quico Simó, the central Sunday Festa Major events were advanced by half an hour to reduce exposure to the heat. He reported that the Seguici, the civic procession linked to the solemn church service, left the Ajuntament, the town hall, even earlier than scheduled.

Carme Contreras Francés also reported that Sunday morning’s programme was moved forward by 30 minutes so that the Diada Castellera, the main human towers display, could end earlier. Diari de Terrassa likewise said the timetable was changed to avoid events running beyond 3pm in the middle of July.

  • Sunday morning core acts were advanced by 30 minutes.
  • The authority procession was reordered and held without figures.
  • The route of the later procession was changed to improve visibility and avoid the bottleneck in Gavatxons.

For people attending in person, that means arriving earlier than in previous years for the main Sunday ceremonies and castellers events in the centre of Terrassa.

"Everything was moved forward by half an hour to reduce exposure to the heat," Quico Simó reported of the Sunday programme changes.

Protocol changes are being tested during this year’s festival

The heat changes come alongside a wider pilot of revised Festa Major protocols, led by a review commission working with city council staff and local cultural groups. According to Canal Terrassa, the commission was created in April last year and had held 22 meetings, every two weeks, by the time this year’s festival began.

These changes are provisional. Contreras reported that the results will be assessed in September, with the aim of submitting a final document for approval by the municipal plenary session so it can apply from the 2026 festival.

Diari de Terrassa said this year is the first time in 15 years that several of the festival’s core acts have been adjusted. The changes affect moments including the Cercavila parade, the Sortida d’Ofici, the solemn service, and the Sunday castellers event.

What changed in the centre of the city

For Saturday’s Cercavila, the order of participating groups was changed, several display points were added along the route, and entry into Plaça Vella was reorganised by groups. Canal Terrassa reported that Plaça Vella also hosted a Ball de Completes for the first time, with all protocol groups dancing L’Estapera at the same time.

Diari de Terrassa said the final performance in Plaça Vella was reformulated so that the protocol groups performed first and the rest appeared in blocks of four, with the stated aim of making the event more fluid and easier for the public to follow without removing any participating group.

Transport and access changes for residents

Terrassa Digital reported that this year’s Festa Major includes changes to bus routes and road closures, especially during the athletic race, the Castell de Focs fireworks display and other major events. Special night bus services and parking areas for people with reduced mobility are also being provided.

The city’s festival programme is published on the official Festa Major Terrassa website. Residents planning to travel into the centre, attend Sunday morning events or move around during the largest acts should check the latest timetable there before setting out.

This year’s Festa Major began on Friday 4 July with the Baixada del Drac and is due to end on Wednesday 9 July with the Castell de Focs, according to Terrassa Digital’s published programme overview.

Reported by Source Text Link, Quico Simó, Carme Contreras Francés, diarideterrassa.com, Marta Gil, Josep Maria Codina, Lluïsa Tarrida, festamajorterrassa.cat, Diari Catalunya.