Spain’s festivals are a riot of colour, with extravagant costumes, flamboyant floats, and a year-round calendar of celebrations. The Spanish love a party and almost every town and village has its own carnival. It’s a great way to experience local culture up close. Spain’s most famous festival, Semana Santa, sees solemn processions of penitents, while in Pamplona, the Sanfermines festival includes the running of the bulls. In Valencia, the Fallas festival features towering papier-mâché figures that are later set ablaze. Other popular festivals include the Tomatina, where participants throw tomatoes at each other, and the Seville Fair, a week-long celebration of flamenco, food, and drink. Whether you’re looking for a cultural experience or just a good time, Spain’s festivals offer something for everyone.
Carnival
Carnival is celebrated across Spain in the week leading up to Lent, with the most famous taking place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cádiz. Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosts the largest carnival in Europe, with parades, dancing, and music filling the streets for two weeks. The highlight is the election of the Carnival Queen, where contestants wear elaborate costumes that can weigh up to 100 kilograms. In Cádiz, the carnival is known for its satirical edge, with groups of singers, known as chirigotas, performing humorous songs about current events. The festivities culminate in the Burial of the Sardine, a symbolic ceremony marking the end of the carnival and the start of Lent. Other notable carnivals include those in Sitges, near Barcelona, and Águilas in the Murcia region.
Semana Santa
Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is the most important religious festival in Spain, celebrated in the week leading up to Easter. The streets of cities like Seville, Málaga, and Granada are filled with processions of penitents and floats carrying religious statues. In Seville, the processions are organized by brotherhoods, each with its own float depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ. The most famous float is the Macarena, which depicts the Virgin Mary. The processions are accompanied by mournful music, and many participants walk barefoot or carry crosses as a form of penance. In Málaga, the highlight is the release of a prisoner, a tradition that dates back to the 18th century. Semana Santa is a moving experience, even for those who are not religious.
Fallas
The Fallas festival in Valencia is a fiery celebration held in March to mark the arrival of spring. The festival dates back to the Middle Ages when carpenters would burn old wood to celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. Today, the festival features giant papier-mâché figures, known as fallas, that are paraded through the streets before being set ablaze on the final night. Each neighborhood in Valencia creates its own falla, and the competition to create the most spectacular figure is fierce. The festival also includes fireworks displays, known as mascletàs, and traditional dances. The highlight is the offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary, when thousands of women dressed in traditional costumes lay flowers at a giant statue of the Virgin.
Sanfermines
The Sanfermines festival in Pamplona is famous for the Running of the Bulls, held every morning from July 7 to 14. The festival dates back to the 14th century and was popularized by Ernest Hemingway in his novel The Sun Also Rises. The run takes place at 8 am, when a group of bulls is released onto the streets and chased by runners dressed in white with red scarves. The run ends at the bullring, where the bulls are later fought. The festival also includes parades of giant figures, known as gigantes, and live music. The highlight of the festival is the txupinazo, a rocket launch that marks the start of the festivities, and the Pobre de Mí, a candlelit ceremony that marks the end.
A Final Word on Spain’s Festivals
Spain’s festivals are a reflection of the country’s rich cultural heritage and its people’s love of life. Whether you’re watching a solemn procession during Semana Santa or dancing in the streets during Carnival, you’ll find that Spain’s festivals are an unforgettable experience. With a calendar of celebrations that runs throughout the year, there’s always something to see and do. So pack your bags, join the party, and discover why Spain is one of the world’s most festive countries.
