Is this popular in Barcelona? From what I've read so far this festival is most popular in Alicante...but I'll be in Barcelona. What's the best way to enjoy this festival in Barcelon? Take to the beach?

not exactly "hogeras" but everybody gets crazy and throw fireworks, mainly on the beaches. Some "correfocs" around too (people disguised as devils playing with fireworks). There are street concerts on the seafront and the beach bars get very busy. It's a great party (provided you're not afraid of fireworks and like noise!)

Belsaita: there are fogueres (hoguera in Catalan, that is, bonfires) in Barcelona too.

In the past children used to gather all sorts of old and useless furniture and wood and set bonfires on the street at that night. Now it is more restricted because of security measures and those bonfires must be allowed by the City Council.

Many locals organize a lot of privat parties at home and many other people do beach parties, as you wrote.

There are fireworks everywhere on that night. Here there are no fireworks on New Year's Eve, as in the rest of the world, but on 24th June.

Sant Joan in fact is a pagan festivity disguised with a Christian celebration (just like Xmas o Easter), as it represents the summer solscite, so it is celebrated in a lot of places, not only on the Mediterranean cost but also in Portugal.

You're right xinoxano. I wanted to say the big bonfires ("fogueres") were not a central part of the festival, as they are in Alicante or other towns. Neither here are the street parades, typical dresses etc. you can see in Alicante or other towns in the Valencian Community

As you said is a pagan festivity disguised as Christian. There are equivalents virtually all across Europe, midsummer or solstice festivals, around fire/light

haha..itīs already going on, as far as Iīm concerned! There is a store around the corner where the kids are buying their explosives and setting them off in the parking lot next to the apartment complex. The first few nights it sounded as if there were gunfights around the whole neighborhood! Hopefully I will able to get on someoneīs apartment rooftop for the night of the festival.