Events in Spain
The following is a selection of events in Spain, chosen for their popularity or cultural value.
National and Regional Public holidays are set by the Spanish Parliament during the last term of the preceding year. Local events calendars and programmes are established by the cultural departments of the relevant councils and are not usually published until quite near the time of the celebrations.
| Location | Name of Event | Other Information | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALICANTE | Hogueras de San Juan | Mid summer day bonfires | Always around June 24 |
| ALCOY, (Alicante) | Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) | Traditional festival (further details Tel: 0034 96 520 0000) | 23 April -10 May |
| BARCELONA | La Merced | Popular festival Concert Season Sept-May (Palau de la Musica, Tel: 0034 93 2957200; www.palaumusica.org). Opera season Oct-Jun (Gran Teatro del Liceu, Tel: 0034 93 417 0060; www.liceubarcelona.com). | Week to include the 24th September (always on the same dates) |
| BENALMADENA | Fair | 24-31st June | |
| BENALMADENA | Feast of the True Cross | 16th August | |
| BENIDORM | Las Fallas | 15-19th Mar | |
| BENIDORM | Moors and Christians Festival | Last weekend in Sept/1st weekend in Oct | |
| BENIDORM | November Festival | From the Saturday before the 2nd Sunday in Nov. to the following Wednesday (always ). | |
| BENIDORM | Marathon | 26th Nov | |
| BILBAO | Aste Nagusia | Popular festival | starting on the Saturday after the 15th of August and lasting for 8 days |
| BILBAO | Opera season | ( Organisers: ABAO Tel: 0034 94 415 5490; www.abao.org) | September - March |
| BOCAIRENTE (Valencia) | Moors and Christians festival | 2-4 Feb (always same dates) | |
| BUÑOL (Valencia) | La Tomatina | Popular festival (Further information from the local authorities Tel.: 0034 96 250 0151) | Normally celebrated on the last Wednesday of August. |
| CAMBADOS (Pontevedra) | Albariño Festival | 1st Sunday in Aug (always). | |
| CASTRO URDIALES (Cantabria) | El Coso Blanco | floral festival | 1st Friday of July (every year) |
| CONSUEGRA (Toledo) | The Saffron Festival | 26-28 Oct(usually on the last weekend of October) | |
| CORDOBA | Festival de los Patios Cordobeses (Festival of the courtyards) | 4-16 May | |
| CORDOBA | May Fair | 20-28 May | |
| CORDOBA | Guitar Festival | (Organisers: Gran Teatro Fundación Pública Municipal. Tel: 0034 957 480 644) | normally held during the first two weeks of July |
| CUENCA | Religious Music Week | normally held during the Holly week: 8-16th April | |
| ELCHE (Alicante) | Traditional Palm Procession | 8th April (always on Palm Sunday) | |
| ELCHE (Alicante) | Traditional Festival | 11-15 Aug (same dates every year) | |
| FUENGIROLA (Malaga) | Sea Festival | 16th July | |
| FUENGIROLA (Malaga) | Fair | 6-12th October | |
| FUERTEVENTURA | Carnival Puerto Rosario | 23rd Feb- 4 March approx (main day of carnival: 28 Feb) | |
| GANDIA (Valencia) | Fallas | 16-19 March | |
| GANDIA (Valencia) | Local traditional Festival | 29th Sept | |
| GRAN CANARIA Las Palmas | Carnival | Feb 17- 3 March | |
| GRAN CANARIA Playa del Inglés | Maspalomas | 8-18 March | |
| GRAN CANARIA | Music Festival | Tel 0034 922 286801 | Jan & Feb |
| GRANADA | "Cruces de Mayo" | (Popular festival) | May 2nd & 3rd (always on the same date) |
| GRANADA | The international Music Festival | (Info Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza, Tel 01034 958 276200 Fax 286868 www.granadafestival.org) | 18th June-4th July 99 |
| GRANADA | Summer Fair/Corpus Christi celebrations | (Usually starting on the Monday of Corpus Christi week: June 14). | |
| JAVEA (Alicante) | San Juan | 14-24 June (always on the same dates) | |
| JAVEA (Alicante) | The Harbour´s festival | Traditional festival | 1-8 Sept. (Same dates every year) |
| JAVEA (Alicante) | Moors and Christians | No fixed date. Takes place in August | |
| JEREZ | Feria del Caballo | Horse fair | 13-20 May |
| JEREZ | Autumn festival | Includes flamenco festival, wine harvest festival, horse jumping events, etc; (Further info from local council Tel 0034 956 318829) | Approx 10 Sept.-12 Oct. |
| LA ESTRADA(Pontevedra) | A rapa das bestas | Traditional festival | 3 days starting on the 1st Saturday in July always |
| LANZAROTE Arrecife | Carnival (Mardi Gras) | 20 Feb-1 March | |
| LANZAROTE Puerto del Carmen | Carnival (Mardi Gras) | 20-28 February | |
| LLORET DE MAR (Gerona) | Traditional Festival | 24th July (same date every year) | |
| MADRID | Fiestas de San Isidro | Popular festival | two weeks from 15th May (every year) |
| MADRID | Opera, concert and ballet season | Organisers: Teatro Real. Plaza de Oriente. Tel 0034 9155 887; www.teatro-real.com Teatro de la Zarzuela, Jovellanos , 4 Tel 034 91 524 5400 Fax 429 7157 | |
| MALAGA | The Verdiales | Popular music festival | 28th Dec. (always on the same date) |
| MALAGA | Summer fair | Aug | |
| MARBELLA (Malaga) | San Bernabe fair | always around 11th June | |
| NAVA (Asturias) | The cider festival | second Saturday of July (always) | |
| NERJA (Malaga) | Fair | 9-12 October (always on the same dates) | |
| PONTEVEDRA San Beneitiño de Leire | traditional festival | 11th July (every year) | |
| PAMPLONA San Fermin | (running of the bull) | 6-14 July (same dates every year) | |
| PUERTO DE LA CRUZ (Tenerife) | Carnival (Mardi Gras) | 24 Feb-4 March (main events on the 3&4 March) | |
| RIBADAVIA (Orense) | The Ribeiro wine festival | usually around end of April | |
| RIBADESELLA (Asturias) | Canoe Race | first Saturday of August (every year) | |
| RONDA (MALAGA) | Goyesca fair | One week starting the first Monday in Sept. With the main events held on the Saturday of the fair week, every year | |
| EL ROCIO Almonte (Huelva) | 1-3 June | ||
| SAN SEBASTIAN | Tamborrada | Popular festival | January 19&20 (every year) |
| SAN SEBASTIAN | Aste Nagusia | Popular festival | always on the week of the 15th of Aug |
| SAN SEBASTIAN | Jazz festival | Organisers: Tel 0034 943 481179 Fax 943 481743; www.jazzaldia.com | end of July |
| SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE | Carnival (Mardi Gras) | the main events take place during the last week of the festival: 16 Feb-4 March | |
| SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE | Fiesta de la Santa Cruz | Traditional festival | 2nd May |
| SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE | Music Festival | Tel 0034 922 286 801. www.festivaldecanarias.com | Jan & Feb |
| SANTANDER | International festival | Organisers: Festival Internacional Tel 0034 942 314 819 www.festival-int-santander.org | cultural activities throughout the month of Aug. (always on the same dates) |
| SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA | St. James | Traditional religious festival | 25th July (every year) |
| SEVILLA | Holly week | April 8-15th | |
| SEVILLA | April fair | 29th April-May 7 | |
| SEVILLA | Corpus Christi | Concert season's organisers: Los Venerables, Tel 0034 95 456 2696, www.focus.abengoa.es | June 14th. |
| SITGES (Barcelona) | Vintage cars rally | 4th March (usually, 1st Sunday in March) | |
| SITGES (Barcelona) | Corpus Christi | Carpets of flowers | 25 June |
| TORREVIEJA (Alicante) | May Fair | 1st week in May | |
| TORREVIEJA (Alicante) | St. John´s Festival | Bonfires & fireworks | 24-29 June |
| TORREMOLINOS (Malaga) | San Miguel | end of September | |
| TORROX (MALAGA) | The Migas Festival | Dec. 17 (always on the Sunday before Christmas day) | |
| TOLEDO | Corpus Christi | 17th June (religious celebrations) | |
| VALENCIA | 12-19 March (always on the same dates) | ||
| VILLA DE MAZO (La Palma Island, Tenerife) | Corpus Christi | Religious festival | 14 June |
| VILLAJOYOSA (Alicante) | Moors and Christians Festival | 24-31 July (same dates every year) | |
| VITORIA | La Virgen Blanca | Popular festival | 4-9 August (same dates every year) |
| ZARAGOZA | El Pilar Festival | 12th October (same dates every year) |
SPANISH CARNIVALS
Carnivals are celebrated throughout Spain with the main events normally taking place around carnival Tuesday on 27th February
SPANISH HOLY WEEK
Religious celebrations throughout Spain over the Easter weekend, especially on Good Friday, normally in mid April.
REGIONAL HOLIDAYS
The following are observed throughout the stated regions and may vary from year to year. Jan 29- Ceuta.Feb. 28: Andalucía. March 1st: Balearic Islands. March 19th : Valencia, Cantabria, Murcia & Melilla. April 12th ((Maundy Thursday) All except Caluña, Murcia & Valencia. April 16th : Cataluña, Valencia, Navarra & País Vasco . April 23rd: Aragón & Castilla-León. May 2nd : Madrid. May 30th : Canary Islands. May 31st: Castilla La Mancha. June 9th: Rioja & Murcia. 25th July: Aragón, Galicia & Pais Vasco. September 8th : Asturias & Extremadura. September 11th: Cataluña. September 15th: Cantabria. October 9th: Valencia. Dec 26th: Balearic Islands & Cataluña