O’zapft is in Santa Ponça: Traditional Costume, Sea Air and a Smile after the Mishap

Festive mood by the sea: Wiesn atmosphere in Son Bugadelles

The evening arrived with a light breeze from the sea, seagull cries mixed with the band’s stomping — and shortly after 6 p.m. the festival grounds in front of the old mill in Son Bugadelles were suddenly full of life. Traditional costume, flip‑flops, chestnut‑brown wooden floorboards creaking under dancing feet: the Oktoberfest in Santa Ponça once again showed what Mallorca’s autumn evenings can sound like. Mayor Juan Antonio Armengual took over the symbolic tap — and after a little technical hiccup the first beer finally started to flow.

A rubber gasket and a collective smile

Anyone who thought a broken rubber gasket could spoil the evening underestimated the mood in the tent. Two helpers set to work with a few targeted moves, there was fiddling, screwing, laughing — and when the first stein rang out, a big “cheers” followed. Instead of irritation there was laughter, encouragement and a tangible wave of togetherness. Almost as if the small mishap had become a shared opening act, not just a keg tapping.

The band played traditional marches and a few schlager hits, with holidaymakers singing along at the top of their lungs while Mallorcan conversations drifted through the tent at the long tables. Between the scent of roast chicken, mustard and hot charcoal, you met town councillors as well as local families and guests who had only arrived the day before. The benches were full; now and then someone broke into a joyful dance on the wood, and the clinking of beer steins provided rhythmic accents.

More than just a beer festival

The event is no longer purely a tourist spectacle but a meeting place where locals and newcomers come together. Vendors from the region offered food, local service providers earned extra income on the evenings, and nearby restaurants felt the increase in guests. At a time when the island transitions from summer tourism into the shoulder season, events like this are an important stimulus: they extend the season, create reasons to linger and strengthen the local economy. More information can be found in the article about autumn festivals on Mallorca.

Practical tips remained realistic: cash is often faster than the card terminal, don’t forget a warm jacket for the evening, and if you’re looking for peace sit at the edge — though you might then miss the rousing chaos that makes Santa Ponça so charming.

Between heart and organisation: small lessons for the future

The small mishap also contained a quiet prompt: a well‑stocked spare parts box including a replacement gasket and a plan B for payments would make future openings run even more smoothly. These little things are quick to fix and shouldn’t dampen the mood. Much more important is that the festival strengthens contacts between residents, clubs and local businesses — a real gain for Calvià. Other nearby events include the Pirate Storms and the Medieval Market in Santa Ponça.

And so the image many people took home remained: creaking wood, a jumble of voices, the salty hint of the sea in the air and a mayor handing out interviews with hands full of beer mats. An Oktoberfest like a meeting of old friends, except that many of those friends had only just arrived. Loud, warm — and with a small technical incident that was later laughed about.

Location: Santa Ponça festival grounds, in front of the mill in Son Bugadelles.
Opening hours: Fridays & Saturdays from 18:00, Sundays (19 October) from 12:00; each until around 22:00.

What to bring: Bring good spirits, pack a warm jacket for the evening and preferably some cash. Then nothing stands in the way of a convivial evening with sea views.