Flower Power: where does it come from?

Summer is approaching, and with it comes the most eagerly awaited event of the year: Flower Power! This year, the event will take place on two magical nights – June 15 in La Mola and July 20 in Sant Francesc Xavier.
But what is the origin of this wonderful celebration that brings locals and tourists together each year in a spirit of pure joy?

To answer that, we need to travel back in time: the hippie movement began as an active protest against the Vietnam War, led by then U.S. president Lyndon Johnson.
Those who advocated for peace gave birth to a new lifestyle that soon spread beyond America. They wore colorful clothing and flowers in their hair as a symbol of opposition to the conservative and traditional culture that criticized them so harshly.
It was in 1965 that poet Allen Ginsberg coined the term Flower Power to express the belief that flowers held hidden powers—sometimes hallucinogenic, sometimes enlightening.

In this context, the roots of Formentera’s Flower Power were born.
In the mid-1960s, the first hippies arrived on the island, bringing about a radical change in the lives of the locals.
Until then, the inhabitants were quite closed off from the outside world, and trade relations were limited to Ibiza and Mallorca.
The hippies who came were mostly young Americans fleeing military service in Vietnam, “flower children” of the Californian movement, or travelers who, once they discovered Formentera, simply couldn’t leave.
A commune formed in Es Molí, in La Mola, where hippies and young islanders lived together, drawn by music, art, free love, and joints.
The locals embraced this wind of change and learned to coexist with a completely different way of life.

Even today, that relaxed and natural spirit still defines the island’s unique atmosphere.
Formentera quickly became a must-stop on the hippie summer route. It is said that Bob Dylan lived for a while in the Es Molí commune, and that Pink Floyd often visited the island.
Today, you can relive that spirit at the hippie market of La Mola, held every Wednesday and Sunday, or by strolling through the charming streets of Sant Francesc, where you’ll find hippie clothing stores in pure ‘60s style.

And that brings us to the iconic Flower Power parties:
For the occasion, Formentera bursts with color, adorned with flowers and peace symbols, and the island vibrates with energy in every corner!
The party begins at sunset with a version for the little ones and continues into the night to the rhythm of music from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The dress code is almost mandatory: psychedelic sunglasses, wigs, flower headbands, and any accessory that evokes the hippie spirit.
It’s one of the few occasions when locals and tourists celebrate together, and with the help of a few mojitos... we all become a little more cheerful and open!
Stay tuned! #casayentorno