Events and festivals in Andalusia 🛄

Andalusia is a passionate land, where people have a jovial and open character and are strongly attached to local traditions. So do not miss the opportunity to participate in events and festivals in Andalusia: it is the best way to penetrate the secrets of this region, but also to experience a carefree evening of unbridled fun.

Le ferias, popular festivals, generally have a double soul, religious and folkloric, and are among the wildest traditional festivals that you can happen to attend. Impossible not to get involved in a dance, a song or a group selfie!

A completely different atmosphere is breathed during the solemn celebrations of the Holy Week, which in Andalusia is celebrated with unparalleled fervor: everyone, even those who are not religious, is struck by it.

But be careful: during the most famous events, hotels always sell out. Take a look at our calendar of the most important annual events in Andalusia, followed by the list of public holidays, and start planning your fiesta holiday in time!

Cavalcade of the Magi, 5th and 6th Gennaio

Spain also celebrates theEpiphany, but here the Magi arrive in the main squares of the city on horseback, greeted with formal reverence by the city authorities and with a warm wonder by the children, who receive sweets and candies as gifts. In some Andalusian cities it is celebrated on January 5th, in others on the 6th.

Carnaval, late February-March

In Andalusia, the carnival is joyful and unbridled, a real collective celebration. Don't miss the carnival of Cadiz, famous for his bizarre disguises and the ferocious and witty sarcasm with which modern society is mocked.

Il Cadiz Carnival is a party full of non-stop fun that lasts 11 days, to be experienced on the streets of the city that are filled with Andalusians and tourists ready to celebrate between music and color, masked balls, fireworks, food and much more . The grand parade is held on the first Sunday, an event that attracts thousands of people while on the Friday of Carnival, until late at night, there is the culmination of the celebrations with the party of the Grand Finale.
Carnival attracts thousands and thousands of people. If you want to attend this wonderful party, one of the most awaited, we advise you to book well in advance.

Semana Santa, March-April

During the Easter week Andalusia celebrates attachment to faith and traditions with a passion and involvement that are unmatched in the world.

The solemn processions of the Semana Santa in the cities of Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Cadiz are able to excite even the most convinced atheist.

April Fair, april

In the city of Seville, the austere and composed celebrations of Semana Santa are followed by a week of unbridled joy. There April Fair it is the most picturesque of all the Andalusian folk festivals, a whirlwind of music, dance, food, copas and gaudy ruffled costumes. Get carried away by the collective frenzy!

During the week of the Feria de Abril, the most prestigious bullfights of the year take place in the Plaza de Toros of Seville, which see the most famous bullfighters take to the arena.

Find out more about Seville's Feria de Abril

MotoGP, April or May

An unmissable event for motorcycling lovers is the race of Moto GP World Championship which has been held in the Jerez de la Frontera circuit since 1951. Tickets sell out quickly, so plan your trip well in advance.

Cordovan Courtyard Contests, maggio

The best time to visit the wonderful city of Cordoba is the first half of May, when the heat is not yet stifling and the patios of private houses, at their maximum splendor due to the explosion of flowering, are open to visitors.

The annual competition Feast of the Patios rewards the most richly adorned courtyards and balconies.

Romeria del Rocio, May-June

La Romeria del Rocio is an annual pilgrimage that takes place from the picturesque village of El Rocio to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Dew (or Blanca Paloma). Thousands of pilgrims, in addition to tourists, reach the sanctuary on foot, on horseback or on wagons decorated with flower garlands.

The pilgrimage lasts a week and starts from the headquarters of the brotherhoods in the cities of Almonte, Huelva, Seville or Cadiz to arrive on Saturday in the locality of Rocío and participate in the acts of the pilgrimage, which continue until Monday. The brotherhoods advance between songs and dances while in the evening they give life to real parties. At the weekend there is the culmination of the party with the Salto de la Verja.

The atmosphere is more that of a popular festival than a religious festival, with dances, songs, traditional costumes and not a few drinks.

Festival Internacional de Guitarra, June-July

Between June and July the city of Cordoba dedicates two weeks to the most loved musical instrument in Andalusia: the guitar. The Cordoba Guitar Festival it includes concerts of very different genres, from classical to rock but also flamenco, blues and others, in the suggestive location of the Alcazar gardens.

Virgen del Carmen, July 16

On July 16, the whole of Andalusia celebrates the Virgen del Carmen, patroness of the sea, of sailors and fishermen. In every city on the coast an exciting parade of fishing boats is organized that plow the waters of the sea to the sound of sirens and are illuminated by day by flares. The statue of the Virgen is loaded onto the fishing boat that acts as leader.

The most heartfelt celebrations are those of the city of Malaga.

Velá di Santa Ana, July 21-26

At the end of July, a religious festival dedicated to Saint Anne takes place in Seville, but as often happens in Andalusia, the religious celebration becomes the pretext for a lively popular festival in which typical specialties are eaten, danced, played at the cuccagna and, as always, you drink.

The best neighborhood to fully experience the joyful atmosphere of Sail of Santa Ana is the barrio of Triana, one of the most traditional in the city.

Malaga Feria, August

The most internationally famous traditional Andalusian festival is certainly the wild one Holiday of Malaga: nine days in which the historic center is decorated with garlands of flowers, flags and festoons and invaded by music, shows, dances, fireworks. The celebrations go on from morning until late into the night.

The Malagueños do not miss the opportunity to pull their most beautiful traditional dresses out of the closet, much to the delight of tourists who love to photograph women of all ages in flamenco dresses.

Find out more about the Feria de Malaga

Flamenco Biennial, September

Since 1979, the most important international event dedicated to the passionate Spanish dance that was born right here in Andalusia has been held in Seville every two years.

La Flamenco Biennial it is an event suitable for both enthusiasts and the simple curious. The program includes shows and meetings in the most prestigious venues in the city with the best flamenco dancers and musicians from all over the world.

Feria de San Lucas, October

The joyful holiday season ends with the San Lucas Fair in Jaen, which takes place in mid-October. Less famous among tourists but much loved by the locals, it is an opportunity to experience the enthralling desire for fun of the Andalusians without the excesses of other parties.

Feast of All Saints, November

Also in Spain the 1th November it is a feast day dedicated to all the Saints. If you are in Andalusia on this day you can taste the typical sweet made from marzipan, called Hueso de Santo.

Christmas and New Year, December

Andalusia is always considered a summer destination, but a holiday in December has its advantages, first of all the milder climate.

Il Christmas in Andalusia it is celebrated in the weeks preceding December 25th, craft markets and Christmas decorations are held and the streets of the cities are decorated with lights and decorations.

Il Andalusian New Year it is mainly a family party, with dinner and the ritual of 12 grapes to eat at the stroke of midnight, but in some cities they are organized parties in the square with concerts and fireworks. The most crowded is that of Seville.