The correfocs

The correfoc is a popular Catalan manifestation where a group of people parade through the streets of a town running, jumping and dancing between flames and fireworks to the rhythm of the drums. It is a very colorful and noisy show spread also in the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Roussillon region. There is no Major Festival of a neighborhood, town or a Catalan city without the presence of this extravagant celebration.

This tradition has its roots in Devils' Dances (Ball de diables), documented since the 12th century in Catalonia, but it was only in the seventies of the 20th century that it took its present form, in which pyrotechnics is very important. The term "correfoc" appears for the first time in 1977, during the Festa Major of the Clot neighborhood in Barcelona.

The members of correfocs gangs (colles) are dressed in fireproof costumes. Some are disguised as demons, dragons, beasts or other mythological creatures.
It is advisable for spectators not to get too close or wear appropriate clothing to protect against burns.