Aplec del Caragol in Lleida

The Aplec del Caragol is Lleida's great social and food festival. Over one weekend, the colles take over Camps Elisis to cook and share snails, parade with their standards and enjoy communal meals, music and activities open to the public.

Celebration date

It takes place over a weekend in May, after Lleida's Festa Major. The exact dates vary each year and Fecoll publishes the programme for each edition.

View the Aplec del Caragol 2026 programme.

Venue

The principal site is Camps Elisis in Lleida, beside the River Segre. The colles' plots, pavilions, Glorieta, amphitheatre, Central Square and central avenue host meals, performances and activities. The major Sunday cercavila starts around Avinguda Tarradellas and Avinguda Alacant.

Origins and history

The first edition began in 1980 as an informal gathering beside the Segre. About twelve colles and 300 people took part, prompted by food-related initiatives and Manolo Calpe's proposal for a collective meal. The first colla was the Ordre del Cargol.

The event grew to bring together about one hundred colles, 12,000 collistes and hundreds of thousands of visitors. The Federació de Colles de l'Aplec del Caragol de Lleida (Fecoll) organises the festival and coordinates the site and programme.

Events and traditions

  • Lo Caragolasso, the gathering of colles and standards and the official opening.
  • Communal lunches and dinners on the plots, with snails at the heart of the meal.
  • The colles' cercavila and parade of standards through the site.
  • A floral tribute in memory of deceased members and events by the statue of Manolo Calpe.
  • Concerts, brass bands, orchestras, sardanes, castellers and children's activities.
  • Food contests and events organised by the colles themselves.

Food and participation

Snails are prepared in several ways, especially a la llauna, and shared at collective meals. The colles are the organisational and social heart of the Aplec, while the site also offers restaurants and activities for visitors who do not belong to a group.

Honours

The Aplec is recognised as a Spanish Festival of National Tourist Interest and as a Festa Tradicional d'Interès Nacional in Catalonia. These honours reflect both its visitor appeal and its deep roots in Lleida's festive culture.

Sources

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