Every August, Málaga throws one of the biggest parties in southern Spain—and you’re invited. The Feria de Málaga is a full-throttle week of music, dancing, food and celebration, mixing centuries of tradition with the city’s famously fun-loving spirit.
A bit of backstory
This isn’t just any fair. It dates back to 1487, when the Catholic Monarchs took Málaga and officially brought the city into the Crown of Castile. A few years later, in 1491, locals began marking the date with a celebration—part religious procession, part bullfight. By the late 1800s, the Feria had grown into a major civic event with regattas, fireworks and parades.
The location has changed over time, from the port to the city park. Since 1998, the nighttime fair has lived out at the Real de Cortijo de Torres, while daytime festivities spill through the city centre.
What’s new for 2025
This year’s official poster, Aires de Málaga, was designed by local artist Sara González Ruiz, capturing the creative buzz that runs through the fair each year. The main gate (portada) at the Real takes its shape from the city’s historic Customs House, now the Museo de Málaga.
And the lights? Expect nearly 2.5 million LEDs and over 60,000 lanterns, making the fair brighter, and greener, than ever.
Check out our article on past posters for the feria de Malaga
What happens each day
Opening Night
Things kick off on Saturday 16 August with a huge fireworks and drone show over La Malagueta beach at midnight. The next evening, Málaga’s own bestselling author Javier Castillo delivers the traditional opening speech at the Real, officially lighting up the fair for the week ahead.
Feria de Día (Daytime Fair)
From around midday, the city centre turns into one big open-air party. Flamenco and live music fill the plazas – Constitución, Obispo, Flores, San Pedro de Alcántara – while colourful lanterns and drapes line the streets. Keep an eye out for pandas de verdiales, traditional folk groups in full costume dancing through the crowds.
Over at Plaza de la Merced, there’s a family-friendly zone with puppetry and kids’ activities running from midday until mid-afternoon.
Feria de Noche (Night Fair)
As the sun goes down, the action shifts to the Real de Cortijo de Torres. With more than 200 casetas (think pop-up party tents), funfair rides, market stalls and flamenco peñas, it’s where Málaga comes to let loose. Free live concerts at the Municipal Auditorium kick off around 10:30pm every night.
More than a party
The feria isn’t all music and dancing, though there’s plenty of that. Bullfights take place at La Malagueta, including the unique Picassian corrida, which blends traditional bullfighting with visual art inspired by Málaga’s most famous son. Elsewhere, expect late-opening museums, fashion shows in the streets, and the delicious scent of espeto de sardinas and pescaíto frito wafting through the warm evening air.
In 2024, the feria hosted over 200 shows and drew nearly 900,000 visitors. What makes it special? Most of the performers are from Málaga itself. It’s a celebration of local culture, by the people who live and breathe it.
Getting there (and getting around)
Driving is best avoided; central roads close off, parking is scarce, and crowds fill the streets. Luckily, Málaga makes it easy to get around during feria week. Special EMT buses run 24 hours a day between the centre and the Real for just €2. The metro and Cercanías trains also run later than usual.
Plan to spend time in both parts of the fair – the centre and the Real. Each has its own feel, and both are worth experiencing. If you’re keen on seeing the opening fireworks or catching the first concerts, try to arrive early in the week.
One week. A thousand stories.
Whether you come for the flamenco or the fireworks, the verdiales or the vintage rides, the feria is pure Málaga: joyful, generous, and a little bit wild. Let the rhythm of the sevillanas, the swirl of skirts, and the glow of lanterns lead the way.
Have fun. Eat well. Dance a lot. We’ll see you there.
