Every September, somewhere in the region of ten thousand bears, cubs, otters, chasers and admirers take over a small Catalan seaside town, and Sitges stops being a gay beach resort and becomes something closer to a very large, very hairy family reunion. It is one of the biggest bear gatherings on earth and, in our view, the single best week in the Sitges calendar.
Contents
Here is everything you need: the confirmed dates, where the Bear Village actually is, which streets matter, and the honest difference between the September and May editions.
Bears Sitges Week Dates
- September 2026 (the big one): Friday 4 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
- Bear Village 2026: Monday 7 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
- May edition 2026: 30 April to 3 May 2026. Now passed.
- May edition 2027: Thursday 29 April to Monday 3 May 2027.
The September edition always straddles two weekends, which is why it runs ten days rather than seven. If you can only take a few days off, the second weekend is the busier one.
What Bears Sitges Week Actually Is
It started as a group of friends who wanted a party and has grown into an international event that fills the entire town. That history matters, because it explains the atmosphere. This is not a corporate circuit event with a wristband hierarchy. It is closer to a village festival that happens to involve a lot of body hair.
The practical effect is that Sitges is simply full. Not busy: full. Every terrace on the gay strip is three deep from early evening, the beach has a different crowd on it, and restaurants that normally turn tables casually will want you to book. If you have been to Sitges in quiet season and are expecting the same town, adjust your expectations upward.
The Bear Village
- Where: the seafront on Passeig de la Ribera, at the bottom of Carrer Bonaire.
- When: 7 to 13 September 2026.
- Hours: roughly 9pm to 3am, running later to about 3:30am on Friday and Saturday.
The Village is the open-air heart of the September edition: an outdoor bar and stage complex right on the seafront, with themed nights running through the week. It is free to walk into and it is where everyone ends up between dinner and the clubs.
Two things worth knowing. It does not open until the Monday, so the first weekend of the ten days is bars-and-beach only. And it is outdoors on the seafront, so September evenings can get breezier than you expect. Bring a layer you do not mind carrying.
Bear Alley: Where the Bars Are
The daily centre of gravity is Carrer de Joan Tarrida, widely known during the week as Bear Alley. Bears Bar, Parrots Pub, Runway and La Villa are the anchor venues, and in practice the street itself becomes the venue as the terraces spill into it.
This is also the difference between the two editions in one sentence: in September the night splits between Bear Alley and the seafront Village, while in May it all stays on Bear Alley. Sitges’ main gay nightlife strip around Judgement Square is a two-minute walk away and stays busy throughout.
The Parties
The programme shifts a little each year, but the fixtures that come round reliably are:
- White Night: the dress-code night, and the one people plan outfits around.
- Mr Bear Sitges: the competition, and a genuinely good-natured evening.
- Bear pool parties: daytime events at villas outside the centre. These need tickets in advance and they sell out.
- Sunset tea dance: the civilised one, and our pick if you are pacing yourself.
- Drag brunch and the PopAIR BBQ: the daytime social anchors.
- Late afterparties: the club nights that pick up when the Village closes.
Individual dates, venues and ticket links move year to year, so check the official Bears Sitges Week programme close to your trip rather than trusting any blog’s day-by-day schedule, including ours. What does not change is the shape of the week: daytime beach and pool, early evening on Bear Alley, late night at the Village.
September or May: Which Should You Book?
These are genuinely different events and people pick the wrong one all the time.
- September: around 10,000 people, ten days, the full seafront Bear Village, warm sea, and the town at maximum capacity. Book accommodation months ahead. This is the one people mean when they say Bear Week.
- May: roughly 2,500 people over a long bank holiday weekend, no Bear Village, everything concentrated on Bear Alley. Cooler sea, cheaper beds, far easier to get a table, and much more of a community feel.
Our honest take: if it is your first time, go in September, because the scale is the point and you should see it. If you have done September and found it overwhelming, or you want to actually talk to people rather than shout at them, May is the better week and it is not close.
Where to Stay
The single most important piece of advice on this page: book early. Sitges is a small town with a finite number of beds, and September Bear Week sells the good ones out months in advance. Prices roughly double against shoulder season and the late bookings are the bad rooms at the worst prices.
- Around Carrer de Joan Tarrida and the old town: you walk everywhere and roll home. You also hear everything until 4am. Worth it during Bear Week, in our opinion.
- Along the seafront: a short walk from the Village, quieter, generally pricier.
- Out towards Vinyet or Aiguadolç: considerably cheaper and calmer, but you will be walking 20 minutes or taxiing each way.
- Staying in Barcelona and commuting: possible, and a lot of people do it, but the last train back is earlier than you want it to be and taxis at 3am during Bear Week are a competitive sport. We would not.
Practical Notes
- Getting there: Sitges is about 40 minutes from Barcelona on the R2 Sud train from Passeig de Gràcia or Sants, and roughly 25 minutes by taxi from Barcelona airport. The station is a ten-minute walk from the gay strip.
- The beach: daytime life happens on the sand. Playa de la Bassa Rodona is the central gay beach, with Balmins for the nudist crowd. Our Sitges gay beach guide has maps for both.
- Weather: early September is still properly hot and the sea is at its warmest all year. Late April and early May are pleasant but the water is bracing.
- Pace yourself: ten days is a long time. Nobody does all of it. The people still standing on the final Sunday are the ones who took afternoons off.
Bears Sitges Week: Your Questions Answered
When is Bear Week Sitges 2026?
The September edition runs from Friday 4 September to Sunday 13 September 2026. The Bear Village on the seafront opens later in that window, from Monday 7 September to Sunday 13 September.
When is the May edition of Bears Sitges Week?
The 2026 May edition ran from 30 April to 3 May 2026. The 2027 edition is scheduled for Thursday 29 April to Monday 3 May 2027, over the May bank holiday weekend.
Where is the Bear Village in Sitges?
On the seafront at Passeig de la Ribera, at the bottom of Carrer Bonaire. It runs roughly 9pm to 3am, later at weekends, and only during the September edition. There is no Bear Village in May.
Is there a schedule for Bears Sitges Week?
Yes, and it is published by the organisers a few weeks beforehand. The recurring fixtures are White Night, Mr Bear Sitges, the pool parties, the sunset tea dance and the drag brunch, but exact days and venues move year to year. Ticketed pool parties sell out, so buy those as soon as the programme drops.
Do you have to be a bear to go?
No. Cubs, otters, chasers, admirers and the merely curious are all part of it, and nobody is checking. It is one of the more relaxed and body-positive weeks on the European gay calendar, which is a large part of why it has grown the way it has.
How far in advance should I book?
For September, months. Six is not excessive and the best-located places go earlier than that. For May you can be more relaxed, but a few weeks ahead is still sensible over a bank holiday.
Is Bear Week the same as Sitges Pride?
No, they are separate events at different times of year. Sitges Pride happens in June. Our Sitges 2026 events calendar lays out the full year, and there is a 2027 version too.
Planning the rest of your trip? Start with our gay Sitges guide for the bars, Judgement Square and the beaches, then check the 2026 events calendar to see what else lands while you are there.
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