Cathedral of Mallorca hosts Festival of Light on 11 November

Cathedral of Mallorca (La Seu) in Palma hosted the Festival of Light on 11 November 2026, but cloud cover prevented the sunlight projection that normally creates a figure of eight inside the Gothic church.

The event was the latest dated opportunity to see one of the building's best-known interactions between architecture and the sun. It fell within the annual pattern associated with Saint Martin's Day, while the next listed occurrence is on 2 February 2027, Candlemas Day.

Festival of Light at Cathedral of Mallorca meets cloud

The Cathedral of Mallorca had announced the 2026 Festival of Light as a morning event in which sunlight would pass through the great rose window and appear beneath the rose window on the opposite interior facade. The effect would have aligned the two circular forms as a vertical figure of eight.

The cathedral opened for the occasion on 11 November 2026. Festival of Light details published before the event also described a religious programme with a Mass. A later report said clouds blocked the sunlight, leaving people who had gathered inside without the projected image. The 11 November outcome was reported from Palma after the morning event.

Two rose windows define the Palma spectacle

The light effect depends on the alignment of the cathedral's great rose window with the rose window on the main facade. When direct sunlight reaches the interior at the appropriate point in the year, the projected colours appear below the second window rather than on an outside wall.

This relationship makes the Festival of Light especially dependent on the building itself: the event is not a separate stage installation, but a brief alignment of sunlight, glass and Gothic space. The 2026 cloud cover therefore changed what visitors could see without changing the structure or the published date.

The phenomenon is associated with two calendar dates. The November occurrence falls on Saint Martin's Day, while the February occurrence falls on Candlemas Day. The next listed date is 2 February 2027, after the current reporting window.

What the 2026 event means for visitors

Visitors in Palma after 11 November 2026 will not find a further Festival of Light morning during the remaining weeks of this reporting period. The specific event has passed, and the next announced occurrence is in February 2027.

The result also provides a practical distinction between visiting the cathedral and attending the light event. The ordinary interior remains the architectural setting, but the projected figure of eight depends on direct sunlight reaching the rose-window alignment on the specified calendar date.

Visiting Cathedral of Mallorca: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Festival of Light took place at Cathedral of Mallorca in Palma on 11 November 2026.
• Cloud cover prevented the sunlight projection during the 2026 event, so visitors after that date will not see that year's figure of eight.
• The next listed occurrence is on 2 February 2027, when the phenomenon is associated with Candlemas Day.
• The event takes place inside a Gothic cathedral and depends on sunlight passing through the great rose window towards the opposite facade.

Searching for Cathedral of Mallorca on social platforms

These links open searches for Cathedral of Mallorca on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Cathedral of Mallorca

When did the Festival of Light take place at Cathedral of Mallorca?

The 2026 Festival of Light took place on 11 November 2026 in Palma.

What happened during the 2026 Festival of Light?

Cloud cover prevented the sunlight projection from forming the expected figure of eight inside the cathedral.

When is the next Festival of Light at Cathedral of Mallorca?

The next listed occurrence is on 2 February 2027, associated with Candlemas Day.