Culture Spain
Festivities of International
Things not to be missed on your visit to Spain
Festivities of International Tourist Interest
Carnival
In February the streets in Spain are filled with colour and high spirits: it's carnival time! Come to the carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the most famous of all. The spectacular costumes on display at the gala for choosing the carnival queen will take your breath away. The carnival in Cádiz is a chance to have fun with its "comparsas", "coros" and "chirigotas" (sarcastic and critical songs and ditties sung by various musical bands). In the region of Murcia you'll find the Águilas carnival with its traditional tossing of eggshells (eggs filled mostly with confetti), and "cuerva", a drink that awakens the spirit of carnival.
Las Fallas Bonfire Festival
Come and join in with the fun and high spirits you'll find in March in Valencia's most important festivity: the Las Fallas bonfire festival. Around 800 allegorical plywood and papier mâché structures go on display in the streets of the city, and are then set on fire. The smell of gunpowder, the music bands and the parades with everyone wearing regional dress guarantee a great atmosphere during the celebrations.
Easter Week
The arrival of spring coincides with Easter Week, one of the most ancient and spectacular events in Spain, a combination of religious fervour, tradition and art. Wherever you choose to experience it, you're sure to find it very moving. One of the best-known Easter Week commemorations can be seen in Seville. Its famous “Madrugá” is a passionate procession of carved images like Jesús del Gran Poder borne aloft through the streets of Seville. Notable examples in the Castile-León Region include the Easter Week commemorations in Avila, León, Medina del Campo, Medina de Rioseco, Palencia, Salamanca, Valladolid and Zamora.
April Fair
Seville in April is synonymous with fun at any time of the day. Its fairground and its marquees fill with music, laughter, food, and glasses of dry sherry or “rebujito” (manzanilla wine with fizzy lemonade). Don't go without trying the typical “pescaíto frito” (fried fish platter) or the delicious fried doughnuts known as "buñuelos", and make sure to see the spectacular parade of horsemen and women and horse-drawn carriages.
Sanfermines bull-running Festival
From 6 to 14 July, Pamplona becomes one continuous festivity, where the protagonist is unquestionably the bull. The danger and excitement of the bull-running goes hand-in-hand with the high spirits and fun to be found in the streets at all hours of the day and night. Drinking, dancing, street parties and open-air concerts, parades, fireworks and much more. There's guaranteed fun for all.
La Tomatina Festival
This fun “battle” of tomatoes takes place in the town of Buñol in Valencia. Come and take part in this fun-filled free-for-all held on the last Wednesday of August.
Cultural Traditional
Flamenco
Come and visit a "tablao" or flamenco club: you're sure to be captivated by the show. You'll thrill to the throaty voices of the flamenco singers accompanied by the sound of the guitar and clapping. The footwork known as the zapateo and the dancing are guaranteed to make an impression. Experience the characteristic passion of this traditional and popular form of artistic expression, declared a part of Spain’s intangible world heritage.
The Castells
You'll be amazed to see how these impressive human towers rise high in the sky, some with as many as six to ten tiers. This typical Catalan cultural tradition is over 200 years old and is passed on from one generation to the next.
Tapas
Take up a healthy Spanish custom: going out for tapas. It's an ideal way to experience Spanish culture and savour the best of popular cuisine in miniature portions. In every town and city in Spain there are bars specialising in tapas. You can try everything from the unbeatable acorn-fed ibérico ham and the traditional potato omelette, through to dishes from haute cuisine.