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Best Time to Visit: Calendar of Events
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The dates given below may not be precise. Sometimes the exact
days are not announced until 6 weeks before the actual festival. Check
with the National Tourist Office of Spain if you're planning to attend a specific event.
January
Granada Reconquest Festival, Granada. The whole city
celebrates the Christians' victory over the Moors in 1492. The highest
tower at the Alhambra is open to the public on January 2. For
information, contact the Tourist Office of Granada (tel.
958-22-66-88). January 2.
Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day), throughout
Spain. Parades are held around the country on the eve of the Festival
of the Epiphany. Various "kings" dispense candy to all the
kids. January 6.
Día de San Antonio (St. Anthony's Day), La Puebla,
Majorca. Bonfires, dancing, revelers dressed as devils, and other
riotous events honor St. Anthony on the eve of his day. January
17.
February
ARCO (Madrid's International Contemporary Art Fair), Madrid.
One of the biggest draws on Spain's cultural calendar, this exhibit
showcases the best in contemporary art from Europe and America. At the
Crystal Pavilion of the Casa de Campo, the exhibition draws galleries
from throughout Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Asia, who bring
with them the works of regional and internationally known artists. To
buy tickets, you can contact El Corte Ingles at tel.
91-556-23-03, or Madrid Rock at tel. 91-547-24-23. The
cost is between 5,000 and 6,000 ptas. You can get
schedules from the tourist office closer to the event. Dates vary.
Bocairente Festival of Christians and Moors, Bocairente
(Valencia). Fireworks, colorful costumes, parades, and a reenactment
of the struggle between Christians and Moors mark this exuberant
festival. A stuffed effigy of Mohammed is blown to bits. February 2 to
5.
Carnavales de Cádiz, Cádiz. The oldest and
best-attended carnival in Spain is a freewheeling event full of
costumes, parades, strolling troubadours, and drum beating. February
11 to March 21.
Madrid Carnaval. The carnival kicks off with a big parade
along the Paseo de la Castellana, culminating in a masked ball at the
Círculo de Bellas Artes on the following night. Fancy-dress
competitions last until February 28, when the festivities end with a
tear-jerking "burial of a sardine" at the Fuente de los
Pajaritos in the Casa de Campo. This is followed that evening by a
concert in the Plaza Mayor. Dates vary.
March
Fallas de Valencia, Valencia. Dating from the 1400s, this
fiesta centers around the burning of papier-mâché
effigies of winter demons. Burnings are preceded by bullfights,
fireworks, and parades. March 12 to 19.
April
 Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair). This is the most
celebrated week of revelry in all of Spain, with all-night flamenco
dancing, entertainment booths, bullfights, horseback riding,
flower-decked coaches, and dancing in the streets. You'll need to
reserve a hotel early for this one. For general information and exact
festival dates, contact the Office of Tourism in Seville (tel.
95-422-14-04). April 20 to 25.
Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), Alcoy, near
Alicante. During two days every April (dates vary), the centuries-old
battle between the Moors and the Christians is restaged with soldiers
in period costumes. Naturally, the Christians who drove the Moors from
Spain always win. The simulated fighting takes on almost a circus-like
flair, and the costumes worn by the Moors are always absurd and
anachronistic. Call tel. 96-520-00-00 for more information.
Semana Santa (Holy Week), Seville. Though many of
the country's smaller towns stage similar celebrations (especially
notable in Zamora), the festivities in Seville are by far the most
elaborate. From Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday, a series of
processions with hooded penitents moves to the piercing wail of the
saeta, a love song to the Virgin or Christ. Pasos (heavy
floats) bear images of the Virgin or Christ. Again, make hotel
reservations way in advance. Call the Seville Office of Tourism for
details (tel. 95-422-14-04). March 28 to April 4.
May
Festival de los Patios, Córdoba. At this famous fair,
residents flamboyantly decorate their patios with cascades of flowers.
Visitors wander from patio to patio. First 2 weeks in May.
Romería del Roco (Pilgrimage of the Virgin of the
Dew), El Roco (Huelva). The most famous pilgrimage in Andalusia
attracts a million people. Fifty men carry the statue of the Virgin 9
miles to Almonte for consecration. May14 to 24.
Fiesta de San Isidro, Madrid. Madrileños run
wild with a 10-day celebration honoring their city's patron saint.
Food fairs, Castilian folkloric events, street parades, parties,
music, dances, bullfights, and other festivities mark the occasion.
Make hotel reservations early. Expect crowds and traffic (and beware
of pickpockets). For information, write to Oficina Municipal de
Información y Turismo, Plaza Mayor, 3, 28014 Madrid. May 12 to
21.
Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair), Jerez de la
Frontera. "Horses, wine, women, and song," according to the
old Andalusian ditty, make this a stellar event at which some of the
greatest horses in the world go on parade. Call tel. 956-33-11-50
for more information. May 9 to 16.
June
Veranos de la Villa, Madrid. This program presents folkloric
dancing, pop music, classical music, zarzuelas, and flamenco at
various venues throughout the city. Open-air cinema is a feature in
the Parque del Retiro. Ask at the various tourist offices for complete
details (the program changes every summer). Sometimes admission is
charged, but often these events are free. All summer long.
Corpus Christi, all over Spain. A major holiday on the
Spanish calendar, this event is marked by big processions, especially
in Toledo, Málaga, Seville, and Granada. June 6.
International Music and Dance Festival, Granada.
About to celebrate its 50th year in 2000, Granada's prestigious
program of dance and music attracts international artists who perform
at the Alhambra and other venues. It's a major event on the cultural
calendar of Europe. Reserve well in advance. For a complete schedule
and tickets, contact El Festival Internacional de Música y
Danza de Granada (tel. 958-22-18-44). June 18 to July 4.
Las Hogueras de San Juan (St. John's Bonfires),
Alicante. On June 20, during the summer solstice, bonfires
blaze through the night to honor the event, just as they did in Celtic
and Roman times. The bonfire signals the launching of 5 days of gala
celebrations, with fireworks and parades. Business in Alicante comes
to a standstill. Call tel. 96-520-00-00 for more
information.
Verbena de Sant Joan, Barcelona. This traditional festival
occupies all Catalans. Barcelona literally lights up--with fireworks,
bonfires, and dances until dawn. The highlight of the festival is the
fireworks show at Montjuïc. June 24.
July
A Rapa das Bestas (The Capture of the Beasts), San Lorenzo de
Sabuceno, Galicia. Spain's greatest horse round-up attracts equestrian
lovers from throughout Europe. Horses in the verdant hills of
northwestern Spain are rounded up, branded, and medically checked
before their release into the wild again. For more information, phone
tel. 986-85-08-14. First weekend in July.
Festival of St. James, Santiago de Compostela. Pomp and
ceremony mark this annual pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the
Apostle in Galicia. Galician folklore shows, concerts, parades, and
the swinging of the botafumeiro (a mammoth incense burner) mark the
event. Mid- to late July.
San Sebastián Jazz Festival, San Sebastián.
Celebrating its 35th year (2000), this festival brings together the
jazz greats of the world at the pavilion of the Anoeta Sport Complex.
Other programs take place al fresco at the Plaza de Trinidad in the
old quarter. The Office of the San Sebastian Jazz Festival (tel.
943-48-11-79) can provide schedules and tickets. Over 1 week in
late July.
Fiesta de San Fermín, Pamplona. Vividly described
in Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, the running of
the bulls through the streets of Pamplona is the most popular
celebration in Spain. The celebration also includes wine tasting,
fireworks, and, of course, bullfights. Reserve many months in advance.
For more information, such as a list of accommodations, contact the
Office of Tourism, Duque de Ahumada, 3, 31002 Pamplona (tel.
948-22-07-41). Early to mid-July.
August
Santander International Festival of Music and Dance,
Santander. The repertoire includes classical music, ballet,
contemporary dance, chamber music, and recitals. Most performances are
staged at the Plaza de la Porticada. For further information, contact
Festival Internacional de Santander (tel. 942-210-508).
Throughout August.
Fiestas of Lavapiés and La Paloma, Madrid. These two
fiestas begin with the Lavapiés on August 1 and continue
through the hectic La Paloma celebration on August 15, the day of the
Virgen de la Paloma. Thousands of people race through the narrow
streets. Apartment dwellers hurl buckets of cold water onto the crowds
below to cool them off. There are children's games, floats, music,
flamenco, and zarzuelas, along with street fairs. August 1 to 15.
The Mystery Play of Elche. This sacred drama is reenacted
in the 17th-century Basilica of Santa María in Elche (near
Alicante). It represents the Assumption and the Crowning of the
Virgin. For tickets, call the Office of Tourism in Elche (tel.
96-545-38-31). August 11 to 15.
Feria de Málaga (Málaga Fair). One of
the longest summer fairs in southern Europe (generally lasting for 10
days), this celebration kicks off with fireworks displays and is
highlighted by a parade of Arabian horses pulling brightly decorated
carriages. Participants are dressed in colorful Andalusian garb.
Plazas rattle with castanets, and wine is dispensed by the gallon.
Usually begins around mid-August.
La Tomatina (Battle of the Tomatoes), Buñol,
Valencia. One of the most photographed festivals in Spain, and growing
in popularity every year, this festival takes place the last Wednesday
in August. Truckloads of tomatoes are shipped into Buñol, where
they become "vegetable missiles" between warring towns and
villages. Portable showers are brought in for the cleanup, followed by
music for dancing and singing.
September
Diada, Barcelona. This is the most significant festival in
Catalonia. It celebrates the region's autonomy from the rest of Spain,
following years of repression under the dictator Franco.
Demonstrations and other flag-waving events take place. The
senyera, the flag of Catalonia, is everywhere. Not your typical
tourist fare, but interesting. September 11.
Festival Setmana Cran, Barcelona. This celebration honors
Nostra Senyora de la Merced, the city's patron saint, known for her
compassion for animals. Beginning after dark, and after a mass in the
Iglesia de la Merced, a procession of as many as 50
"animals" (humans dressed like tigers, lions, and horses)
proceeds with lots of firecrackers and sparklers to the Cathedral of
Santa Eulalia, then on to the Plaa de Sant Jaume, and eventually into
the Rambles, Plaa de Catalunya, and the harbor front. September
24.
International Film Festival San Sebastián. The
premier film festival of Spain takes place in the Basque capital,
often at the Victoria Eugenia Theater, a belle epoque masterpiece.
Retrospectives are often featured, and weeklong screenings are shown.
Second half of September (dates vary).
Setmana Cran, Barcelona. Barcelona stages week-long
verbenas (carnivals) and sardana (dances) to honor its
patron saint, the Virgin of Merced. Parades, concerts, theater, and
bullfighting mark this event. Look for the "parade of
giants" through the streets, culminating at Plaa de Sant Jaume in
front of the city hall. Dates vary.
October
St. Teresa Week, Ávila. Verbenas (carnivals), parades,
singing, and dancing honor the patron saint of this walled city. Dates
vary.
Autumn Festival, Madrid. Both Spanish and
international artists participate in this cultural program, with a
series of operatic, ballet, dance, music, and theatrical performances.
From Strasbourg to Tokyo, this event is a premier attraction, yet
tickets are reasonable. Make hotel reservations early. For tickets,
contact Festival de Otoño, Plaza de España, 8, 28008
Madrid (tel. 91-580-25-75). Late October to late November.
Grape Harvest Festival, Jerez de la Frontera. The major
wine festival in Andalusia honors the famous sherry of Jerez, with 5
days of processions, flamenco dancing, bullfights, livestock on
parade, and, of course, sherry drinking. Mid-October (dates vary).
November
All Saints' Day, all over Spain. This public holiday is
reverently celebrated, as relatives and friends lay flowers on the
graves of the dead. November 1.
December
Día de los Santos Inocentes, all over Spain. This
equivalent of April Fools' Day is an excuse for people to do loco
things. December 28.
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