Muro Festes 2026: Sant Joan Baptist and the Horse Parade
Sandor Farkas
Founder and editor of Mallorca Plus
Helps expats and residents navigate authorities, housing and everyday life on Mallorca.
The Muro Festes in honour of Sant Joan Baptist are among the most tradition-rich patron saint festivals of Mallorca's rural interior. If you really want to get to know the island, this multi-day festival in the heart of Muro is one not to skip. The Muro Festes 2026 take place around the name day of the town's patron, Sant Joan Baptist, on 24 June. Our guide to culture and traditions on Mallorca explains the role patron saints play in everyday Mallorcan life.
At a glance
The Muro Festes celebrate the town's patron Sant Joan Baptist every year in late June. The programme includes a traditional horse parade, the historic bull run, fireworks, concerts and folklore. Muro lies in the northeast of the island and is easy to reach from Palma by car or bus.
What are the Muro Festes?
The Muro Festes are the annual patron saint festivities of the municipality of Muro (around 7,000 inhabitants) in honour of its patron Sant Joan Baptist. They count among the most authentic village festivals on Mallorca - no tourist infrastructure, but plenty of real community life.
The festival blends religious tradition with Mallorcan folk culture: processions, riders, music and gathering on the village square are at its heart. The Festes typically last five to seven days, with the main programme centred around 24 June.
Dates of the Muro Festes 2026
Sant Joan Baptist is celebrated on 24 June - that is the actual feast day. The full programme of the Muro Festes 2026 usually starts around a week earlier and includes:
- Warm-up celebrations from 18 June
- Main programme from 20 to 24 June 2026
- Closing events until 27 June
The Ajuntament de Muro usually publishes the exact programme four to six weeks before the Festes on its official website www.ajmuro.net. That is also where you will find the current times for individual events.
The horse parade: heart of the Festes
The highlight of the Muro Festes is the traditional Cavalcada, the horse parade through the village streets. Local riders in historical costume ride through the town centre, accompanied by horses in festive decoration.
This tradition goes back centuries on the island. The horses and riders show off their skill while people watch and celebrate along the roadside. The atmosphere is festive, loud and unmistakably Mallorcan.
Tip: be there early
The horse parade draws a big crowd. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to secure a good spot at the roadside - the area near the Ajuntament fills up fast.
Bull run and other traditions
Muro has one of the oldest bullrings on Mallorca, built in 1910, and the bull played a central role in the history of the Festes. Today the folkloric element takes centre stage in the bull run: the traditional Correguda de Brau is a spectacle that fascinates residents and locals alike, but has little in common with a classic bullfight.
Alongside the horse parade and the bull run, a typical festival programme includes:
- Concerts on the Placa Major with local and national bands
- Sardanes and Ball Mallorqui (traditional dances)
- Fireworks on the main evening of 24 June
- Dimoni performances (devil figures) with fire at the Correfoc
- Gegants and Cabezuts (giant figures) in the parade
- Mass in the parish church of Sant Joan Baptist
According to the Govern de les Illes Balears, patron saint festivals like the Muro Festes are officially recognised as cultural heritage of the Balearics - you can read more about the cultural significance of this tradition at www.illesbalears.travel.
When does the horse parade start? The Cavalcada usually sets off in the late afternoon of 24 June around 6 pm and lasts up to two hours. Exact times are always in the Ajuntament's official festival programme.
Getting to Muro
Muro lies in the northeast of the island, about 40 kilometres from Palma. For residents in the north it is often even closer. Getting there works like this:
By car: Take the Ma-13 motorway towards Alcudia, then the Muro exit. Parking in the village is limited; on festival days it is best to park on the edge of town and walk the short distance to the centre.
By bus: Line 340 (Palma - Muro - Ca'n Picafort) runs daily, and extra services are often added on festival days. Current timetables are on the TIB - Transport de les Illes Balears website.
Watch out: road closures
On the main festival days several streets in the town centre are closed. Allow extra time and park on the edge of the village.
Muro beyond the Festes
Muro is more than its festival. The village has a lovely historic core with the 14th-century Gothic church of Sant Joan Baptist, a small ethnological museum and the market square, which hosts the weekly market every Sunday.
If you stay in the area around the Festes, you can also visit the Albufera nature reserve (Parc Natural de S'Albufera) - one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the Balearics, just a few kilometres away. Or combine your visit with the Mallorca events calendar 2026, which lists more festes and events across the island.
For context on why patron saint festivals mean so much on Mallorca, the post on the Fiestas Patronales on Mallorca is also worth a read.
Conclusion
The Muro Festes 2026 are a real insider tip for anyone who wants to experience the authentic Mallorca. The horse parade, the bull run and the evening fireworks offer a spectacle you will not find in the tourist resorts. Best of all: the Festes are free to attend and take place right in the middle of village life. If you are on Mallorca in late June, the roughly 40-minute drive to Muro is well worth planning in.