Events · Málaga
Málaga's Festival Calendar: Every Date Worth Planning a Trip Around
Málaga's calendar is built around a handful of genuinely major festivals plus a steady stream of smaller local events. Here's the full year, so you can either plan a trip around the big ones or deliberately avoid them if crowds aren't your thing.
- By
- Málaga Club Editorial
- Published
- July 2026
- Last checked
- July 2026
- Read
- 8 min
The three unmissable ones: Semana Santa (Holy Week, March/April), Feria de Málaga (mid-August), and the Christmas lights on Calle Larios (late Nov–early Jan). Book months ahead for the first two.
The year at a glance
| Month | Event | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| January | Three Kings Parade (Cabalgata de Reyes) | Elaborate evening parade, 5 Jan, sweets thrown to crowds |
| February | Carnaval (regional) | Costumes and parades, bigger in nearby Cádiz |
| March/April | Semana Santa | Holy Week processions, dates shift yearly — the city's most solemn, visually dramatic week |
| May | Cruces de Mayo | Flower-decorated crosses appear across neighbourhoods, informal street parties |
| June | Noche de San Juan | Bonfires and fireworks on the beaches, 23 June, marks the start of summer |
| July–August | Summer concert season | Teatro Romano and open-air venues run a full schedule |
| August | Feria de Málaga | The city's biggest event — nine days, fireworks, flamenco, all-night casetas |
| September (odd years) | Bienal de Flamenco | Major international flamenco festival, dates vary |
| October | Local harvest and wine events | Smaller, food-and-wine focused |
| November | Día del Flamenco (16 Nov) | Free tablaos city-wide |
| December | Christmas lights, Calle Larios | One of Spain's most elaborate Christmas light displays |
Exact dates shift year to year — check local listings for confirmed 2026 dates before booking.
The big three, in detail
Semana Santa (Holy Week)
The most visually dramatic week of the Málaga calendar. Elaborate religious floats (pasos), some weighing several tonnes, are carried through the streets by hooded penitents (nazarenos) accompanied by brass bands, over several days leading up to Easter. It's solemn rather than festive, genuinely moving even for non-religious visitors, and draws huge crowds to the processional routes through Centro. Hotel prices spike for the week; book months ahead if this is the reason for your trip, or plan around it if you'd rather avoid the crowds and street closures.
Feria de Málaga
The city's single biggest party, held in mid-August for nine days. It splits into two distinct experiences: daytime Feria in Centro, with flamenco dresses, sherry, and dancing in the streets from midday; and nighttime Feria at the Cortijo de Torres fairground, where hundreds of casetas (marquee tents) run flamenco, food and dancing until dawn. See our Feria survival guide for dates, dress code, and how to actually get in.
Bienal de Flamenco
Held in odd-numbered years (next: 2027) across September, this is a major international flamenco festival bringing headline dancers and singers to venues across the city, most notably Teatro Cervantes. If flamenco is a serious interest rather than a casual one, this is worth building a trip around specifically.
Public holidays that affect opening hours
Spain observes national and regional holidays when most shops, banks and some restaurants close (though tourist-area restaurants generally stay open). The ones that most affect a Málaga trip: 1 January, 6 January (Three Kings), Good Friday, 1 May (Labour Day), 15 August (Assumption, overlapping with Feria), 12 October (National Day), 1 November (All Saints), 6 and 8 December, and 25 December. If a trip lands on one of these, expect Sunday-level quiet on the streets outside the tourist core rather than full closures.
Add to your calendar
Málaga Festivals & Public Holidays 2026 (iCal)
Import every date on this page into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook in one click. Includes Feria, Semana Santa, Three Kings, Larios Christmas lights, and every national public holiday.
Download .ics fileA note on freshness: opening hours, prices and transport in Málaga can change. Confirm time-sensitive information through the official source before you travel.