Skip to content
  • AB
    • About Us
    • Barcelona Apartments
    • Contact Us
  • Tourist Guide
    • Places
    • Food and Drink
    • Nightlife
    • Shopping
    • Museums
  • Things To Do
    • Activities
    • Events
    • Day Trips
    • Tours
    • Outside Barcelona
  • Visiting Barcelona
    • Accommodation
    • Useful Information
    • Neighborhoods
    • Gaudí
    • Bars, Cafés and Restaurants
    • Summer
  • Spanish life
    • People
    • Culture
    • Traditions
  • EnglishEnglish
    • SpanishEspañol
    • FrenchFrançais
    • ItalianItaliano
    • GermanDeutsch
    • DutchNederlands
    • RussianРусский
    • Chinese (Simplified)简体中文
Menu
AB Blog
  • AB
    • About Us
    • Barcelona Apartments
    • Contact Us
  • Tourist Guide
    • Places
    • Food and Drink
    • Nightlife
    • Shopping
    • Museums
  • Things To Do
    • Activities
    • Events
    • Day Trips
    • Tours
    • Outside Barcelona
  • Visiting Barcelona
    • Accommodation
    • Useful Information
    • Neighborhoods
    • Gaudí
    • Bars, Cafés and Restaurants
    • Summer
  • Spanish life
    • People
    • Culture
    • Traditions
  • EnglishEnglish
    • SpanishEspañol
    • FrenchFrançais
    • ItalianItaliano
    • GermanDeutsch
    • DutchNederlands
    • RussianРусский
    • Chinese (Simplified)简体中文
Hit enter to search or esc to close
Home  >  Culture • Day Trips • Events • Home • Outside Barcelona • Spanish life • Tourist Guide  >  Top 7 Spanish Festivals Outside Barcelona

Top 7 Spanish Festivals Outside Barcelona

Barcelona is home to some of the biggest and best festivals in Spain, including La Mercè in September and the Gràcia festival in August, but if you’re looking to explore traditions across the rest of the country, then these wonderfully wacky Spanish fiestas make for the perfect day or weekend trip from Barcelona.

1. San Fermín – Running of the Bulls

When: July 6-14 encierro running of the bulls
Where: Pamplona, Navarra

The San Fermín festival is held every year in the city of Pamplona near Bilbao. The most famous event during the 8 day festival is the running of the bulls (encierro in Spanish) at which people run through the streets in front of a small group of male cattle. The first run is held on July 7th and is followed by one each morning of the festival at 8am.  Although other cities, including cities in Mexico, hold their own running of the bulls, there’s no place like Pamplona to experience this eccentric event. But be careful – it is as dangerous as it looks!

 

2. Carnaval

Sitges CarnivalWhen: Mid-February
Where: Sitges, Barcelona

Taking place in late February, in the week leading up to Lent, the Sitges Carnival is famous for its colourful parades, costumes, masks and dances. Although ‘Carnaval’ takes place at many places throughout Spain, Sitges is one of the best locations to catch the carnival and is conveniently located just 30 minutes outside of Barcelona by train, making it the perfect day trip destination. Often likened to the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Sitges Carnaval is one of the most flamboyant Spanish festivals.

 

3. La Tomatina

When: Last Wednesday of August
Where: Buñol, Valencia

La Tomatina Festival in SpainLa Tomatina is a tomato fight, purely for fun, held in the streets of Buñol near Valencia. La Tomatina came about in 1945 after a giant figure parade in the town, at which a market stall of vegetables was seized upon by a furious crowd when a boy fell from one of the floats. People then started to throw the stall’s tomatoes at each other. The following year, some people decided to bring their own tomatoes along to the parade and start their own tomato fight. This was soon stopped by police and was banned several times before becoming an organised tomato-throwing festival in 1975. If you’ve ever fancied pelting some of your friends with a few tomatoes, La Tomatina is the perfect place to do it!

 

4. Las Fallas

When: Mid-MarchLas Fallas Puppets in Valencia
Where: Valencia

This festival sees each neighbourhood of Valencia prepare their own giant puppet, which is later set on fire at a bonfire-style celebration in commemoration of Saint Joseph. Fundraising for the event takes place year round with parties and dinners often featuring paella, a speciality in the Valencia region. At midday, each falla (giant puppet) has its own fireworks display with music, and even more fireworks and street celebrations can be witnessed throughout the night into the early hours of the morning. In fact, throughout the event there will be over 370 full-sized fallas on display across Valencia!

 

5. Feria de Sevilla

Feria de Sevilla FestivalWhen: April
Where: Sevilla

One of the biggest festivals in Spain, this spring fair takes place two weeks after Semana Santa and celebrates the very best of Andalusian culture. Along the riverbank there are many tents where you can expect masses of food, drink, music and dancing – the ultimate Spanish fiesta combination! The fair starts at midnight on Monday with a parade of carriages and riders through the city, and ends on the Sunday of the same week with spectacular fireworks along the river. Look out for the colourful fairground, traditional tapas dishes and local folk dances.

 

6. Fiesta de San Isidro

Fiesta de San Isidro MadridWhen: Mid-May
Where: Madrid

San Isidro, a public holiday in Madrid, is named after the city’s patron saint and takes place on May 15th. The fiesta de San Isidro is the biggest festival in the city and is officially launched with a procession of giants and cabezudos (big-heads). Throughout the fiesta you can catch live music and dancing everywhere, including traditional flamenco dancing, until the festival is closed by cooking an enormous Cocido Madrileño – a traditional stew from Madrid.

 

7. Aste Nagusia

Aste Nagusia Bilbao WeekWhen: Mid-August
Where. Bilbao

Aste Nagusia is the biggest festival in Northern Spain, also known as the Great Week of Bilbao, and begins on the first Sunday after August 15th at which a txupinazo (rocket) is shot in to the sky and the festival’s mascot (Marijaia) makes an appearance on the balcony of the Arriaga Theatre. The festival lasts for 9 days and celebrates the very best of Basque culture, featuring wood chopping, stone carrying, giant parades and of course great food and drinks! One of the highlights of this festival is the firework shows taking place every night from 10:30pm.

 

 

Fancy sticking around for some of the best festivals in Barcelona? 

  • Three Kings Day – January – Expect extravagant parades and candy-throwing
  • Semana Santa – March/April – Easter week celebrations in Barcelona
  • Sant Jordi’s Day – April – Barcelona’s very own Valentine’s Day
  • Night of Sant Joan – June – Celebrating the arrival of summer with a bang
  • Gràcia Festival – August – Neighbourhood parties, local traditions and quirky streets
  • La Mercè – September – Barcelona’s biggest party brings human towers and fire runs

 

Tags: barcelona day trips barcelona festivals barcelona tourist guide catalan culture travelling around barcelona
Siobhan - Apartment Barcelona Writer

Siobhan is a Marketing student at Liverpool John Moores University currently working as an intern at Apartment Barcelona. She frequently contributes to AB Apartment Barcelona's blog and other social media websites.

FacebookTwitterPinterest
Previous Article The Best Catalan Restaurants in Barcelona: Eat like a local
Next Article Top 10 Beach Activities in Barcelona

Subscribe Now to Our Newsletter, It's Free! Get the best content delivered straight into
your inbox!

Related Posts

perfume-bcn

Top 5 Best Perfumeries in Barcelona | Shopping Barcelona

Want to smell your absolute best in the Catalan Capital? Why not take advantage of Barcelona’s fabulous perfumeries with hundreds of scents available to choose from. Let us introduce you to the Top 5 Best Perfumeries in Barcelona!

Read More about Top 5 Best Perfumeries in Barcelona | Shopping Barcelona
Posted By Alexandra Morris Posted on January 17, 2023
0
Ski

Top 5 Ski Resorts near Barcelona

With miles and miles of golden beaches and the Mediterranean Sea lapping at its shores, it’s hard to imagine that Barcelona is under 2 hours from the Pyrenees and heaps of great ski resorts to try. Here are our top 5 recommendations for where to find the powder near the Catalan capital.

Read More about Top 5 Ski Resorts near Barcelona
Posted By AB Apartment Barcelona Posted on January 12, 2023
0

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Find an apartment

The Weather in Barcelona

Weather – Tutiempo.net

  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Las Ramblas, Barcelona
    The Tourist Tax in Barcelona – All You Need to Know November 20, 2012
  • montjuic
    The Magic Fountain of Barcelona October 2, 2013
  • pacha-barcelona
    Barcelona Nightlife – The Best Bars and Clubs in Port Olímpic August 5, 2016
  • The Wonderful Works of Gaudí in Barcelona June 20, 2012
  • food-barcelona
    Guide to the Best 5 Peruvian Food Restaurants in Barcelona January 26, 2023
  • The best places to find exceptional souvenirs in Barcelona January 19, 2023
  • perfume-bcn
    Top 5 Best Perfumeries in Barcelona | Shopping Barcelona January 17, 2023
  • Ski
    Top 5 Ski Resorts near Barcelona January 12, 2023

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our Newsletter, It's Free! Get the best content delivered straight into your inbox!

More top Barcelona tips

Tweets by @ApartmentBCN
Facebook Twitter YouTube
Follow us on Instagram

    About us

    AB Apartment Barcelona is an online tourist apartment agency with more than 1000  Barcelona apartments to rent for both short and long-term stays.

    From luxury apartments in Barcelona to studios and from Ramblas apartments to beach apartments in Barcelona, we have a great choice of accommodation in a wide variety of locations across the city. We now also offer apartments in Costa Dorada and Sitges.

    Whether you are coming to Barcelona on a short break, vacation, or even if you want to move here, you will find the perfect home-away-from-home with AB Apartment Barcelona.

    Social Media

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    Categories

    • Accommodation 18 Posts
    • Architecture 48 Posts
    • Bars, Cafés and Restaurants 187 Posts
    • Culture 170 Posts
    • Day Trips 98 Posts

    Recent Posts

    • food-barcelona
      Guide to the Best 5 Peruvian Food Restaurants in Barcelona January 26, 2023
    • The best places to find exceptional souvenirs in Barcelona January 19, 2023
    • perfume-bcn
      Top 5 Best Perfumeries in Barcelona | Shopping Barcelona January 17, 2023
    • Ski
      Top 5 Ski Resorts near Barcelona January 12, 2023
    Apartment Barcelona
    • Privacy Policy
    • Tourist Guide
    • Things To Do
    • Visiting Barcelona
    • Spanish Life