St John's Eve Bonfire Night (Revetlla de Sant Joan)
Amposta's midsummer fire celebration: a parade of traditional pipers and drummers leads to the park, where the flame from Mt Canigó arrives to light the bonfire, with a human-tower display, a photo exhibition of traditional bonfires, and the main bonfire lit at 10pm alongside open-air dancing to a live orchestra.
The shortest night of the year gets a proper send-off in Amposta. It starts gently around half six, when the Sanfaina pipers and drummers and the Lo Minotaure devils gather at Valletes Park and lead everyone across to Parc dels Xiribecs. There, the Flama del Canigó arrives, a flame carried down from the Pyrenees, and lights a first ceremonial fire. Stick around for the castellers: the Xiqüelos i Xiqüeles del Delta team building their human towers, a tense, brilliant thing to watch up close.
The big bonfire goes up at 10pm. At the same moment over in Plaça Ramon Berenguer IV, a live orchestra strikes up and people dance in the warm night air. There's also a photo exhibition of old town bonfires if you fancy a wander. It's free, local, and runs to no schedule once the music starts.