Events

Marbella has her own intense calendar of celebrations, mostly religious, each featuring unique activities, each bustling with revelry in wine, song, food and dance, some lasting an entire week. The following are some of the most interesting:

Fair & Fiestas Of Saint Bernabé

Around June 11th, a week-long celebration to honor of the city’s patron saint Bernabé and the Catholic Kings’ conquest of the city in 1485. Highlighting Andalusian charm, hordes must converge at Old Town and the Alameda Parks, dressed in traditional wear, where they stroll the streets, eat, drink, sing and dance nonstop till the wee hours. There are "casetas", "rides," concerts and more.

Fair & Fiestas Of San Pedro De Alcántara

Around October 19th, another week-long affair that draws visitors province-wide and country-wide who have become addicted to this fiesta. Central streets of San Pedro are dressed in fiesta mode, partying as usual.

Fiesta Of The Virgen Del Carmen

Ends July 16th (the Festivity of the Virgin) and starts the week before with a mass at the Chapel in the Fishing Port where the statue of the Virgin of the City and the Virgin of the Seas is housed. This fishermen’s tradition has been celebrated for many years to honor the Virgin, whose statue is taken out after the mass to a 12-meter deep underwater cave in front of the Mine Posts on the El Cable beach. At the end of the act, a Gold Anchor is awarded to the oldest retired fisherman. On the 16th a sea procession of spiffed up boats carries the Virgin of the Seas from the Fishing Port to Puerto Banus and back till finally the Virgin is returned to the Chapel until the next year’s celebration.

Fiesta Del Tostón

On November 1st, family and friends head for the hills to the countryside, each bearing chestnuts to be roasted en masse later. The young Marbellans go in droves armed with tents, often camping out at the site from the night before.

Semana Santa

The most popular Andalucian festival (as with most of Spain) starts on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) to Good Friday (Viernes Santo), then on Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrección), a street re-eanactment of Jesus Christ’s passion.

Corpus Christi

Happens in spring, a majestic natural flower carpet paves the way of the procession, flowers deck balconies and small altars.

In summer are the many celebrations to promote local produce.

Should you choose to spend Christmas holiday in Spain, take note that celebration starts December 22nd to January 6th.

Chrismas Eve

December 24th, Nochebuena or 'the Good Night,' is family time when together they unite to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in every home.

Fiesta de los Verdiales

On Dec. 28th, apart from being the national jokers day, is a wild and wonderful music party in Malaga to pay homage to its ancient Moorish culture.

Three Wise Men Parade

January 6th, the three kings of Orient ride about town on mules or horses, scattering sweets and gifts to the crowds of excited children.

A word about Carnivals. The word stems from the medieval Latin carnelevarium, meaning to take away or remove meat or in short, farewell meat. Since Catholics of yore were forbidden meat during the 40 days of Lent, the 40 days before lent are spent indulging before the austerity.

Carnivals are a Spanish thing, exemplified in the Canary Islands, especially Tenerife, Las Palmas, and Cadiz. Carnivals stir up a frenzy with masked balls, processions of decorated floats, costume parades, singing and feasting.

Cadiz, a serene city on the Andalusian coast, transforms into planet sybarite as the Spain's ultimate party host. African and Creole rhythms, sambas and rustic Colombian tunes all intermingle in the streets with local Andalusian songs and traditional flamenco music. Their well-known sense of humour is highlighted in their comic song parodies of church authorities, celebrities and politicians performed by choirs or groups of singers.