The fiestas for Palma's patron saint, Sant Sebastià, start today (January 11). The saint's day is the twentieth, and the big party night is the nineteenth.
There have been alternative Sebastian fiestas over the years, and 2025 is no exception. But 'Santa Punxada' on January 19 has aroused more controversy than other alternatives. Organised by Podemos, it celebrates 'Sant SebastiàQ+'. Víctor Conejo who is in charge of organising the event, says: "Sebastian is the patron saint of the gay community and it seems incredible that the Revetla (the big party night) has never taken this into account."
A Sant Sebastià LGTBIQ+ fiesta isn't in itself controversial, albeit there are dissenting voices; it is the poster, designed by Lluisa Febrer, that has caused something of a storm.
Religious and artistic imagery depicts a naked Sebastian or a Sebastian with a loincloth. In Febrer's version he is covered only by a sobrassada. The poster has a female counterpart. Both are being lusted after by demons under the gaze of a DJ God and with a trans angel firing arrows.
Responding to initial criticism of the poster, Febrer said: "Nowadays everyone gets offended very quickly. In the 80s there were powerful images because the system had to be dismantled after so much repression. Now we find ourselves with an increase in censorship."
Vox have now added their criticisms. "A pathetic attempt to seek notoriety by a group (Podemos) who only have one councillor cannot be an excuse to offend the religious feelings of the majority of Palma residents."
In a post on X, Jorge Campos, the Vox deputy for the Balearics in Congress, described Febrer as the "satanic author". "This is the disgusting poster that Podemos use for the festivities of San Sebastián, the patron saint of Palma. These serious offences to religious feelings are what PSOE want to leave unpunished. Offending, insulting and mocking Christians is not freedom of expression, and should not go unpunished." The post was subsequently deleted.
Lourdes Roca of the Partido Popular, who is Palma's councillor for citizen participation, says: "It's all a matter of taste. Everyone can make up their own minds. They may like it or not. In the end it's a private issue and they have chosen it (the poster)."