Here is a guide to the traditional festival that take place in Malaga city each year. We also link to a monthly What's On! guide for Malaga city.

For more than half a century this amazing festival of international music and dance has brought some of the world’s best musicians and dance performers to Granada bringing the city’s top venues to life.

May is a month of endless festivities in Cordoba, with a feast for the senses on offer, as flowers fill patios and balconies, and adorn crosses throughout the city, music is played, food and drink is served, and springtime exerts its intoxicating influence on allcomers

The Patio contests is sponsored by the Córdoba City Hall and began in 1918. But to really understand why a contest of this type was created in Córdoba you must know something about the local architecture.

These are the main annual festivals celebrated in Antequera: Semana Santa, Señor de la Salud y de las Aguas, Spring Fair, Royal Fair of August and Nuestra Señora de los Remedios.

For as long as can be remembered, the beginning of February has been reserved for a special bonfire night, when villagers, neighbours and visitors are invited to taste all sorts of local food and wine. Meats and other products are donated by the villagers and a huge communal barbeque is enjoyed by everyone.

The 18 th to 20 th January sees the celebration of San Sebastian Day. It is popularly called ' El Robo del sant ' (the stealing of the Saint), during Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week), the villagers celebrate the 'Día de la Vieja' (the day of the old woman), from the 11 th to 13 th June the festival of San Antonio de Padua is celebrated.

Festivals in Bebarraba - Calle Pósito is turned into a medieval village and where a large proportion of the villagers dress for the occasion. The street is full on both sides with local products, mainly food stuffs, as well local bars take part in the theme. Visitor form other villages, Ronda, and the coast take the opportunity to buy last minute presents ahead of the 'reyes'.

Like all the towns in Andalucia Torremolinos celebrates numerous traditional festivals. Here are some of the more important. See our festival page for more background information on these festivals.

Festivals in Ronda: Fiesta de la Virgen de la Paz, Feria de la Reconquista, La Virgen de la Cabeza, Feria Goyesca and more.

On the evening of the 5th of January there is a procession (Cabalgata), when the Three Kings parade through the streets on colourful floats. Sweets are thrown to the many children lining the streets. The 6th of January is traditionally the day that children are given their Christmas presents in Spain and so this is a big day for them and the whole family.

Like most of rural Andalusian, traditional fiestas and religious festivals are very much a part of village life. April is a particularly festive month, with the "Fiestas de San León" taking place on the 11 th April. This saint died on this date in Rome in the year 461, after having been Pope for 21 years. Specially baked cakes are blessed and shared amongst all who attend the celebrations.

This is a strange outpost of the Wild West, with wide, sandy streets lined with houses complete with broad verandas and wooden rails for tying up horses. It is famous for its annual Romería, the Rocío Pilgrimage at Pentecost when it is overflowing with a seething mass of a million pilgrims, either on foot or with horses and decorated carts.

Cabra is famous for the National Gypsy Pilgrimage, which traditionally takes place on the third Sunday of June. Click for more on the Cabra Gypsy Festival, and more on other festivals at Cabra.

If visiting San Roque village or one of the other suburbs in the area, bear in mind the following dates (dates change slightly each year to take in weekends where possible): February: Carnival time. Easter Week - when the streets of San Roque a filled with the scent of orange blossom, jasmine and incense and the whole village is involved in organizing and taking part in the processions and celebrations of Semana Santa (Easter).

There are a number of summer cultural festivals in Rota which are based on the Castillo de Luna. These include flamenco, classical music and theatrical events. In August there is a week of professional theatre plus the 'Arranque de Roteño' a flamenco singing and dancing extravaganza during which those attending savour the typical Rota culinary dish which gives its name to the event.

During its famous Semana Santa celebrations, the Toro de Aleluya, two bulls (toros) charge through the streets of the old town on Easter Sunday. In early August is the Fiesta de la Virgen de las Nieves, with flamenco and other live music in the Plaza del Cabildo.

In Andalucia, as in the rest of Spain, there is a bit of a debate regarding how deeply foreign Christmas customs should be allowed to take root.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are generally celebrated as a family with one rich meal after another served from mid-day on Christmas Eve through late night Christmas Day.

Festivals in Cartama

Cártama celebrates a wide range of traditional festivals throughout the year. Two of the most important — Verdiales and Holy Week (Semana Santa) — have now been officially recognised as Festivals of National Tourist Interest. 

Carnival

The carnival in Cártama takes place in February. 

Semana Santa

The Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Cártama takes place during the week leading up to Easter Sunday.