What is being celebrated
On 31 December 1229 the troops of Jaume I, King of Aragon, entered the city then known as Madina Mayurqa. That day ended Muslim rule over the island, and it became Mallorca's oldest civic festival: the Festa de l'Estendard, the Festival of the Banner. It has been held since the 13th century, is considered one of the oldest civil celebrations still observed in Europe, and served as the model for similar festivals on Menorca and Ibiza. The Consell de Mallorca lists it as part of the island's intangible cultural heritage.
What makes it unusual is that it was a festival of the city from the start, not of the church. The leading role belongs not to a saint but to a banner: the Estendard, the royal standard, which is displayed on Plaça de Cort on this day. That is why 31 December is also the Diada de Mallorca, the island's official day. Until 2016 the Consell de Mallorca celebrated the Diada on 12 September; since then it has coincided with the Estendard, which is why older calendars still list the festival under September.
One point of context belongs here: what is commemorated is a conquest. How it should be remembered, and what the day ought to mean today, is still debated publicly on the island. This page describes the programme and the history; it does not take sides.
Programme
All times follow the pattern of previous years. The city of Palma usually publishes the programme for the current year in early December on palma.cat; until then, treat the times here as approximate.
- Around 10:15, Plaça de Cort: The Estendard is raised in front of the town hall, next to it the crown of King Martí is put on display. The city council attends in ceremonial dress, accompanied by the Policia Local in gala uniform.
- Around 10:30, La Seu Cathedral: Festive mass, in previous years with the Sermó de la Conquesta, a sermon on the conquest with a tradition going back centuries.
- Around 12:00: Horseback procession of the Confraria Balear de Cavallers de Sant Jordi through the old town. In previous years this was joined by a floral tribute at the equestrian statue of Jaume I on Plaça d'Espanya and dances by the Cossiers and Cavallets in front of the town hall.
- Midday: The banner is lowered. By the afternoon Plaça de Cort is clear again, and in the evening it is set up anew.
Between the stations the procession walks through the old town on foot, accompanied by drummers and xeremiers, the island's bagpipers.
Practical notes
- Where to stand: Plaça de Cort is small. If you want to see the banner being raised, be there by 10:00. The mass is open to everyone, but the cathedral fills quickly. The horseback procession is best watched along the route between Cort and Plaça d'Espanya, where there is more room.
- Getting there: Parts of the old town are closed off in the morning. Take the bus to Plaça d'Espanya or Passeig del Born and walk from there. The EMT runs a weekday service on 31 December, with diversions around Cort.
- Duration: The whole morning, from 10:00 to about 13:00. None of it clashes with evening plans.
- Admission: free.
The evening after
The same square where the banner hangs in the morning is the place of the midnight bells: Palma's town hall clock rings in the new year, and below it thousands of people stand with twelve grapes in hand. If you come to the Festa de l'Estendard, you can see both sides of the day by returning in the evening. What applies then, from the midnight bells at Plaça de Cort to the question of how you get home at night, is in our guide to New Year's Eve in Mallorca.
How the Estendard fits into the island's festive year, from Sant Antoni to the patron saint festivals, is described in our article on culture and traditions on Mallorca.