Festivals in Malaga

FERIA DE AGOSTO

The city's major summer festival commemorates the reconquest of the city from the Moors by the Reyes Catlicos (Catholic Monarchs) on 19th August 1487. During the third week in August the centre is transformed into one big street party where entertainment is guaranteed. Join in the fun by tasting the local sweet wine and dance to the music in the street with everyone else. All the locals dress up in their finest traditional costumes for the occasion. At night, the festival moves to the new Real fairground in the suburbs where you will find carnival rides, party tents and live music that continue until early morning. It's an exciting, vibrant and colorful event that shouldn't be missed. The Town Hall lays on free buses to and from the fairground from the Alameda Principal (Main Avenue).

SEMANA SANTA

Malaga is the better place to enjoy the Easter (Semana Santa) celebrations.The highpoint are however the processions, which took place everyday. There were various each day and some lasted until deep in the night. Huge tempels with virgens or scenes from the passion of Christ are carried by up to 200 men through the sometimes narrow streets of the town. They are accompanied by music bands who play a special traditional music and Cofradias (unions), that all wear pointed hats. The atmosphere is unique and very exciting.

FIESTA MAYOR DE VERDILALES

Los Verdiales are traditional forms of song and dance from rural areas of Malaga province. On December 28th every year (April Fool's Day in Spain), there's a competition in Venta San Cayetano del Puerto de la Torre, on the outskirts of of the city, to decide which village troupe sing and dance the best. It is a great excuse for a party and it goes on all night long. Thousands of people turn up. There's good music, good food and the wine flows freely. It's like a proper, old-fashioned village festival that takes place in town. It is worth going for the food alone!

CARNAVAL DE MALAGA

Carnival is always celebrated in a very special way in Malaga, even though it´s not an official festival. From the very beginning, carnival troups start their competition with jokes and street bands. Afterwards Carnival takes to the streets with a mounted procession which goes all through the centre of town and major streets leading the way. Lots of people from Malaga dress up to take part in the parade and others enjoy watching the groups perform in the streets. During the night on one of the last days, street bands sing and perform all night long on stages set up on Plaza del Carbón, Plaza de los Mártires and Plaza de Las Flores. On the eve of the end of Carnival there is a big carnival dance and the last day there is yet another parade, which is called the parade of the Burial of the Sardine. The route of this procession leads from Esperanza Bridge, Hilera Street, Pasillo de Santo Domingo, Pasillo de Santa Isabel, Cisneros, Especerías, Larios, Plaza de la Marina, Paseo de los Curas, to La Malagueta beach.