Reina Belluga surprises at Barcelona Carnival with a historic change of look

Barcelona Carnival gets under way with Reina Belluga unveiling a new costume after 14 years. A 30-minute show and 24 artists mark the start of the festivities. Casa del Mig turns into a workshop of fantasy. The Taronjada once again dyes the city orange.

Barcelona is preparing to experience one of the most eagerly anticipated Carnival openings of recent years. Reina Belluga, the central figure of the festivities, breaks with tradition and leaves behind her iconic costume after fourteen years. This change of image, unprecedented until now, sets the tone for a celebration that promises to surprise and spread the irreverent spirit of Carnival throughout the city.

This year Casa del Mig becomes the epicentre of the transformation. Its façade is transformed into a great hall of mirrors, evoking the atmosphere of an old tailoring shop. There, tailors and dressmakers work live among mannequins and fabrics to make Reina Belluga's new outfit before the public's eyes. The climactic moment comes when the Queen performs a small striptease, taking off her old costume and dressing again, in a gesture as symbolic as it is provocative that fires the starting gun for Carnival.

The central Arribo show, lasting half an hour, brings together 24 artists on stage. The staging opts for spectacle: circus acts with trampoline, wire, spinning tops and dragon staff, accompanied by live music and the energy of two clowns. The Carnival giants, faithful to tradition, dance to welcome the Queen and celebrate the start of the great popular festival.

The day begins at 17:00 h at Cotxeres de Sants, where the Carnestoltes de Sants warms up. At 18:00 h, a lively procession, led by the giants and the protagonists of the Arribo, takes the public to Casa del Mig to the rhythm of Ganxets de Reus. At 18:30 h the central show begins, culminating at 19:00 h with the eagerly awaited Taronjada: a shower of orange confetti that floods the space, with the participation of the urban dance group Black Bubbles, winners of Eufòria Dance Kids. This tradition, recalling the taronjada of 1714, symbolises the definitive explosion of the festivities.

Barcelona Carnival does not stop there. From Shrove Thursday onwards, the city fills with unrestrained activities: tastings of coca de llardons, omelette competitions and parades through the neighbourhoods. Civic centres and community centres become venues for fancy-dress competitions, masked balls and workshops for all ages. The festivities continue until Ash Wednesday, when the burial of the sardine puts the finishing touch to one of the celebrations most widely attended and loved by Barcelona residents.

Reina Belluga is far more than a festive character. She embodies the transgressive and popular spirit of Barcelona Carnival, renewing every year the link between tradition and contemporary creativity. Her presence at the Arribo not only marks the start of the festivities, but also symbolises the city's ability to reinvent itself and celebrate diversity. Casa del Mig, the setting for her transformation, has established itself as a key space for popular culture, hosting each year proposals that connect with the pulse of the neighbourhoods and the energy of those who make Carnival possible.