The best festivals in Spain to experience on your next trip
There are many reasons why a trip to Spain is an excellent idea. It’s a country of incredible history, rich culture, delicious food, and stunning landscapes. But because of how vast and diverse Spanish culture and history are, one other reason we love a Spain tour is the country’s exciting assortment of popular festivals. It doesn’t matter when you travel to Spain or which region you visit—there’s usually a lively fiesta taking place. Here, we’re rounding up our favorite festivals in Spain. And maybe you’ll be lucky enough to experience them for yourself on your next trip to Spain.
La Tomatina
Spain’s most famous festival is messier than most: On the last Wednesday of August, the entire town of Buñol (located about 40 minutes west of Valencia) breaks out into the biggest tomato-throwing party you’ll ever see. It’s an unusual one, for sure, and its history is equally head-scratching: Local legend says that during a street parade in 1945, a group of rowdy kids started a street fight near a vegetable cart. In the chaos, people started throwing tomatoes at each other, and from there, a world-famous tradition was born. Festivals in Spain don’t get more iconic than La Tomatina.
Today, La Tomatina is an organized, ticketed event, and specific rules are in place to ensure everyone has a great time. For instance, you have to crush the tomato before throwing it. (Though, we doubt the original brawl was this mindful.) Still, annually, thousands of revelers plan a trip to Spain specifically so they can experience this uniquely enthralling fiesta.
Feria de Abril
Whether you’re on our Grand Tour of Spain or the 11-day Journey through Andalusia: Seville, Granada & Málaga tour, you may want to plan ahead and make sure that you’re in Seville during the weeklong Feria de Abril, or April Fair. This region-specific fiesta in Seville is all about the rich culture of Andalusia. The typically lively city will take on an even more electric atmosphere, as everything we know and love about southern Spain is celebrated inside and around a fairground called Recinto Ferial. Feria de Abril opens with members of Sevilla society parading around the grounds in carriages or on horseback. (This recalls the event’s history when it was first launched in the 1840s as an agricultural and livestock festival.) The following days feature a variety of fun activities, including sherry tastings and flamenco dancing, and plenty of traditional attire. It’s truly the best way to get to know the traditions and history of Andalusia.
Given the name, we know that the festival is held in April, but the exact dates vary year by year, so if this celebration in Spain is something you want to experience, confirm its timing before making your travel plans. Getting to soak in the energy of this festival will definitely help you get more out of your next trip to Spain.
Semana Santa
Because Catholicism has been a longstanding fixture of Spain and Spanish culture, Holy Week, which takes place at the end of Lent each year, is a big deal all over the country. If you’re picking between Madrid and Barcelona or considering visiting any other city in Spain this time of year, this historic religious event will be part of your trip.
But while it’s observed everywhere, the specific events and its associated activities differ from region to region. So, whether you’re on our brand-new Spain for Solo Travelers: Barcelona, Madrid & Seville tour or our Northern Spain: Basque Country to Madrid tour during Semana Santa, prepare to see Spain in potentially unexpected ways. For one, on most days of the week, you should expect to see a religious procession taking place in most Spanish cities, towns, and villages. But how these parades are carried out vary depending on where you are. In different parts of the country, you might see something called the Dance of Death. Other regions might feature reenactments of Bible scriptures. One thing is the same though, everywhere you go: The streets might be more slippery than usual because of all the candle wax that’s dripped down through the processions.
Special dishes and foods are almost always enjoyed during Semana Santa, including roast cod with chickpeas, a garlicky soup that sometimes features chunks of bread, and torrijas, a type of French toast that’s traditionally enjoyed during Holy Week. What’s a trip to Spain without trying unique dishes, right?
Las Fallas
The city of Valencia is known for many things. Among them: Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences complex, which has become one of Spain’s most iconic architectural wonders. And, of course, the rice dish paella originated here. But a Valencian experience that you simply must do on your next trip to Spain is Las Fallas, especially if you love a bonfire.
Every year in March, Valencia celebrates not only its patron saint San José, but also the arrival of spring with a week of festivities that revolve around parading giant satirical, papier-mâché sculptures of people around the city. On the final night of the festival, these massive, ornate sculptures are then burned in bonfires all over town, though some are saved and installed at the Fallas Museum.
Las Fallas has been staged since the 1800s and has only gotten bigger and more dynamic since. Today, hundreds of fallas are made and burned every year. If your next Valencia tour happens to take place in March, make sure to do a little research to find out if Las Fallas might be taking place during the dates of your trip. This is one of the most exciting festivals in Spain.
Haro Wine Festival
Spain is known for some of Europe’s best wine making regions, and we believe no Spain tour would be complete without getting to know some of the country’s most delicious wine. And while many of us would prefer to sip and savor our vino, every year on June 29, the town of Haro (in La Rioja)—where a sixth-century wine battle with a neighboring town led to the creation of one of the most fun festivals in Spain—gets a little more creative in how to use it. Haro Wine Festival is not that different from La Tomatina, but instead of throwing tomatoes, you’re in a wine war. Dressed in white and red, following Haro’s horseback-riding mayor, you’ll be heading into battle armed with buckets, jugs, bottles, and water pistols filled with red wine.
Would you consider a wine fight for your next trip to La Rioja? It can certainly make for an unforgettable travel experience.
Patum de Berga
One of the lesser-known festivals in Spain, La Patum takes place in the small mountainous town of Berga, about a 90-minute drive north of Barcelona, every year in late May or early June. Though it might not be as familiar as other festivals mentioned here, La Patum has been organized since the Middle Ages. And because of that heritage, the event itself is part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. If your next springtime trip to Spain happens to be our Barcelona: The City Experience tour, you’ll have plenty of free time to make the excursion for this historic event.
La Patum is a centuries-old festival that has only become more cherished over time. For five days, people in the immediate region of Catalunya around Berga descend on a small square in the town center to participate in and watch parades, theater performances, fireworks, and cultural games. You’ll know that the festival has started when the tabla, a large ceremonial drum, makes its way around the town to announce the commencement of that year’s celebrations.
Are you ready for a fiesta in Spain? Shop our Spain tours now and start planning for the festival you’d like to attend.