Festivals in Andalucía |
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Festivals
There is no better way to get to know Andalucia than through their many and fascinating traditional festivals. The local fiesta is the moment when every town and village strives to put on a splendid show, not only for themselves but also for those who come from afar to admire and enjoy. Over 3,000 fiestas are celebrated every year in Andalucia, including fairs, pilgrimages, carnivals, mock battles between Moors and Christians and religious processions. Each town and village has at least one patron saint and the processions in their name. In fact, there is scarcely a day in the year without its fiesta.
Below is our descriptive guide to the more popular festivals taking place each year. They are listed more or less in the order that they take place in the year. Alternatively consult a larger listing of the Festivals and Fiestas in Andalucia in a month by month format. Also consult our list of the summer ferias and this extensive guide to the main modern music and dance festivals.
Traditional Festivals in Andalucia
Theatre Festivals in Andalucia
Music and Dance contemporary Festivals
Festivals in Andalucia
Here is our long list of hundreds of pages of Festivals in Andalucia in the towns and villages of Andalucia.
Festivals in Carcabuey: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Carnaval, Día de Andalucía, Semana Santa, Corpus Christi, Fiesta del Algal, Feria Real, Fiesta de Aurora, Fiestas Patronales Virgen del Castillo… More →
Festivals in Benamejí: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Día de la Candelaria y San Blas, Carnaval, Semana Santa, San Marcos, Semana Cultural and Festividad Internacional de Folklore.
Festivals in Baena: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Carnaval, Día de Andalucia, Visperas de San Jose, Semana Santa, Fiesta de San Isidro Labrador, Romería Virgen de Fátima, Virgen de la Cabeza, Romeria… More →
Festivals in Almedinilla: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, San Antón en Sileras, Día de la Candelaria, Carnaval, Día de Andalucía, Semana Santa, Cruces de Mayo, Fiesta de San Isidro Labrador, Fiesta de… More →
Festivals in Iznájar: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Carnaval, Día de Andalucía, Semana Santa, San Marcos, Fiestas de la Cruz, Romería de San Isidro, Feria Chica and Feria de Septiembre.
Festivals in Zuheros: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Carnival, La Candelaria, Semana Santa, Día de la Cruz, Romería de San Isidro Labrador, San Juan, Fiestas Patronales en honor a la Virgen de los… More →
Festivals in Rute: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, Carnaval, Semana Santa, San Marcos, Fiesta en Honor a la Virgen de la Cabeza y Romeria, Fiestas Patronales and Feria Real.
Festivals in Priego de Cordoba: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, La Candelaria, Carnaval, Semana Santa, Domingos de Mayo, Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza, Feria Real, Feria del Ganado, AgroPriego and… More →
Festivals in Lucena: Cabalgata Reyes Magos, Carnival, Semana Santa, Fiestas Aracelitanas, Festival Internacional de Jazz, Feria de la Tapa y Encuentro de Bandas de Calle, Romería de Nuestra Señora… More →
"Los Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal"is a bi-annual summer art festival which takes place in Genalguacil, near Gaucin in Malaga province. What does the festival consist of? During the… More →
Festivals in Osuna: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos, San Arcadio, Carnaval, Semana Santa, Feria de Mayo, Nuestra Señora de la Consolación and Romería de Nuestra Señora de la Consolación.
Festivals in Nerja: Three Kings (5th January), Carnival (Feb), Semana Santa (March/April), San Isidro (15th May), San Juan, (23/24 June), Virgin del Carmen (16th July), Feria (Second week in… More →
Arte Sano Festival was the biggest free alternative festival on the Costa del Sol, and took place on the last weekend in July on San Pedro Alcántara seafront from about 2004 to 2019. It was… More →
Festivals in Carmona: Cabalgata Reyes Magos, Carnaval, Semana Santa, Las Mayas, Feria, San Juan, Romería de la Virgen de Gracia, Fiestas Patronales and Romería de San Mateo.
Marbella, whilst a modern and cosmopolitan resort town, still has numerous cultural and social events going in addition to important festivals and fairs that take place around the same time each… More →
The Starlite Festival is a three month-long music and cultural event held in June, July and August at the Cantera de Nagüeles, in Marbella. It is now established as one of the important annual… More →
One of the most delightful features of Christmas in Andalucia are the belenes vivientes, or living (live) nativity scenes, where many of the townsfolk dress up as characters to take part, using… More →
Cascamorras festival in Guadix and Baza has been declared Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional (Festival of International Tourism interest) due to its intriguing history. Although the… More →
In most wine-growing districts of Spain, the harvest festival begins on the feast of St Matthew (21 September). In Jerez the Fiestas de la Vendimia starts officially on 8 September, the feast of… More →
Since 2011 Sabinillas has hosted a full moon festival every August on its beaches, with live bands, dancing, body painting, craft stalls and friends getting together on the beach for moonlight… More →
Estepona is a lively fishing town with numerous cultural and social events going on all the time in addition to important festivals and fairs that take place around the same time each year. Here… More →
A lot of people go on a pilgrimage to El Rocio. Those who believe in heaven and those who don't. A few hours after starting along the paths of Lower Andalusia, a unique form of relation is… More →
Fuengirola has some particularly interesting festivals: April: The International Fair : “La Feria de los Pueblos”. This is a wonderful fair, which is held in the main fairground of Fuengirola (… More →
Benalmadena is known for its full calendar of all-year-round festivities and cultural celebrations, from organized art and sporting events to traditional and religious processions - all of which… More →
Andalucia is filled with fascinating cultural events throughout the year. Whilst many of these festivals take place on the date indicated each year, others move slightly in relation to the day of… More →
In November the Andres Segovia International Classical Guitar Competition takes place in La Heredura's beautiful San José Church. This annual event attracts leading classical guitarists under 35… More →
Dreambeach returns to Retamar near Almeria city in 2025. Dreambeach moved to a new location for in 2024 at La Toya, Retamar close to Almeria City and Airport leaving behind years at Playa… More →
Sanlúcar is also noted for its horse racing which dates back to 1845 and takes place along a 2,000 stretch of beach at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir during the month of August, daily from 6.00… More →
Every year on July 16th Virgin del Carmen Day is celebrated in Nerja in honour of the town’s maritime tradition. Whereas some towns hold a draw to choose the boat that will carry the image of… More →
If the Virgen del Carmen is safe anywhere on the Costa del Sol it would have to be Marbella. There the image of the Virgin is kept 12 metres underground in a vault. Thankfully, she sees the… More →
Like many large cities, Málaga has absorbed what once were nearby villages. Therefore, some of Málaga’s seaside neighbourhoods continue to carry on the customs handed down to them by the fishermen… More →
Every year, Estepona celebrates its long fishing tradition with its own Virgen del Carmen festival on July 16. The event comprises several days of magnificent Catholic display and civic… More →
The El Rocío pilgrimage is the most famous in the region, attracting nearly a million people from across Andalucia and the entire country, and beyond. Every Andalucian city, town and village has… More →
Ronda is an ancient mountain town of scenic vistas, omantic plazas, and historic treasures. Once a year, Ronda also sees a return to tradition with its annual Feria Goyesca. A fairly recent… More →
In Andalucia, there's a party every day - whether it's to celebrate a harvest (mostly in the autumn - grapes, olives, chestnuts, mushrooms) - a saint's day, or the town's own annual feria, when… More →
In most wine-growing districts of Andalucia and Spain, the vintage or grape harves begins on the feast of St Matthew (21st September). In Jerez it starts officially on 8th September, the feast of… More →
Every town and village in Andalucia has its own feria or fair, and it would be possible, if one had superhuman powers of endurance, to spend the whole summer following them about the region. The… More →
Certain festivals seem to summarise life in Spain, with its love of having a good time in the company of friends and loved ones. The Night of San Juan is definitely one of these events. It is a… More →
Andalucia is famous for its pilgrimages or "romerías" - so called because pilgrims traditionally walked to Rome, and therefore became known as "romeros" - to popular shrines, around which fiestas… More →
Each town has one or two patron saints. There will be a local bank holiday and celebrations on the day of the patron saint of the town according to the catholic calendar. Check for dates in the… More →
More information
Hopefully this overall guide has been a help in planning your trip or in understanding the many varied festivals of the the region. For more dates try our events home page or look up an individual town in our destinations section.