Events & Festivals

Catalonia is a region renowned for its gastronomy, each January the Gran festa de la Calçotada sees the streets and squares of the town of Valls filled with calçots (a type of spring onion), colours and sounds.

Currently (20 December 2021) the festival is due to go ahead in January 2022. The most current update can be found here.

A Catalan tradition, the calçotada consists of meeting friends and family to eat calçots grilled on the barbecue and dipped in a romesco sauce, and eaten wearing a bib to avoid any unwanted messiness.

The festival includes contests for the finest calçots and also for the best sauce, both are held in the Plaça del Blat, which is in front of the town hall. You might even join in the calçot eating competition where you consume as many onions in 45 minutes as you can. The record is some 4kg.

Alternatively, watch the calçot grilling demonstrations, where the onions are cooked over a fire. There are also many shops and restaurants where you can pause and try out the many calçot creations.

By the end of the day you’re sure to be an expert in everything there is to know, about calçots. You can also discover the secret to the calçot salsa sauce.

Things To Do in Catalonia

Catalonia is a wonderful region full of the most remarkable festivals, stunning beaches and in Barcelona, one of the most vibrant cities in mainland Europe. If you would like some ideas as to what to do when in the region, why not visit the official visit Catalonia website.

When is the Gran Festa de la Calçotada

This year the festival is scheduled to be held on 23 January, 2022.

Where is Gran Festa de la Calçotada

The festival is held in the town of Valls in the province of Catalonia, Spain.

Accommodation in Catalonia

If you are looking for accommodation for the festival, please fill in the form below. It will cost you nothing extra but the small commission we make helps us with covering the cost of running this website.

Further information

Click here for the official festival website.