Events calendar Basque Country

High point of the patron San Antolin festival, the Day of the Geese (Antzar Eguna) is an old tradition of more than 350 years that has as many faithful as detractors. The principle? The water of the port, geese are hung with legs with a rope. The participants must cling to jump in charge of goose and book more possible for a long time with water, until the neck yields... Note that the geese used for this game and died in advance, but one has well those who find this game really ancestral...

The Bilboko Kalealdia Theatre and Street Arts Festival is an annual event organised by the Cultural Department of the Bilbao City Council. For one week, at the beginning of summer, it offers a rich programme of shows on different open-air stages in the city: Doña Casilda Park, Plaza Nueva, Plaza Arriaga and the Arenal docks, among others. The programme includes contemporary dance, circus and puppet shows, presented by companies mostly from the Basque Country and France.

On August 4, thousands of people gather in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, in Vitoria, to celebrate the start of the festivities of the White Virgin. The descent of the emblematic Celedón marks the beginning of the festivities. For a week, Vitoria lives to the rhythm of the many activities programmed for the occasion: gastronomic and craft fairs, fireworks, bertsolaris competitions, Basque strength games, concerts, etc.

A prestigious international classical music festival, held annually at the Palacio Euskalduna Jauregia in Bilbao. For 3 days, 60 to 70 concerts are programmed around a common theme, dedicated to a particular composer or period. Over the years, the festival has featured Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. In addition to its concert program, the festival offers lectures and discussions with musicians, as well as workshops for children and concerts for families.

An annual event for architecture enthusiasts, this festival offers a weekend of visits to buildings usually closed to the public. Through guided tours, you can reach the roof of a church, a former factory, an industrial building, offices, private apartments... so many diverse and varied places, which have in common a singular architecture. Thematic itineraries are also proposed through Bilbao, Getxo and Barakaldo. Plan to arrive early for visits, there are usually a lot of people!

Bilbao Festival of Current Theatre and Contemporary Dance. Organised by the Culture Department of the Bilbao City Council, this annual festival highlights new trends in the performing arts. Around twenty companies present their creations in various spaces in the city, mainly Bilborock, the Campos Eliseos Theatre, La Fundación, and the Pabellón 6 creation space. Many local companies, but also some French ones!

This maritime festival is one of the most emblematic of northern Spain. It commemorates the ancient dispute between Bermeo, Mundaka and Elantxobe over the ownership of the island of Izaro. Legend has it that the municipality of Bermeo won the ownership of the island after an epic regatta. Since then, a maritime procession is celebrated every year on July 22, the day of Saint Mary Magdalene, during which all participants are dressed in blue. The day before, concerts, tastings and folklore demonstrations take place in Bermeo.