After 730 days, ¡¡Fiestas in Bizkaia!!

T he great festive mecca of Biscay and many kilometers around is, without a doubt, Bilbao’s Semana Grande – Aste Nagusia. With MariJaia (‘Lady Festivities’) omnipresent, and after the launching of the ‘’txupin’’ from the balcony of the Arriaga Theatre, more than a hundred free activities take place between the 20th and 28th of August.

Concerts of all styles on different stages, street theater, popular music, gastronomic competitions, sporting events with a large presence of local sports (“herri kirolak”), open-air dances, bullfights… Private initiative and imaginative comparsas contribute to more events. The festival takes over the whole city center from dawn to dawn. The programme is fabulous. The people and the atmosphere are extraordinary.

In many other localities there is a series of patron saint festivals that are linked and overlapping, until October. In all of them there are open-air dances, concerts, sporting events such as stonelifting, rowing boat races, log-cutting, esku-pelota or basket games, etc.

Around 16 July, the Cármenes are held in Barakaldo and Amorebieta-Etxano; on 22 July, the incomparable Madalenas in Bermeo and Elantxobe; on 1 August, San Pedro Advincula in Mendexa; on 10 August, San Lorenzos in Fruiz and Getxo; 16 August, San Roque in Gernika and Zeanuri; 17 August, Fisherman’s Day in Ondarroa; 29 August, San Juan Degollado in Bakio; 2 September, San Antolin in Lekeitio (Goose Festivity), Zeberio and Orozk; 8 September, Andra Mari in Bermeo, Urduliz and Lezama.

And there are many more. It doesn’t take much training to feel like you’re part of it. Good food and good company are guaranteed.