Explore 15 events and festivals in Álava, Basque Country throughout 2026.
Vitoria-Gasteiz marks the feast of San Antón Abad with traditional bonfires (hogueras) lit across the city's neighborhoods on the evening of January 17. Residents gather around the fires to celebrate the patron saint of animals, sharing food and drink in an atmosphere of communal warmth. The celebration is one of the oldest winter traditions in the Basque Country.
Umbra transforms Vitoria-Gasteiz into an open-air gallery every February, when the city experiences its shortest days of daylight. Sculptural light installations and large-scale projections illuminate public spaces and plazas throughout the city center, turning streets into immersive displays. The festival has established Vitoria-Gasteiz as one of Spain's leading destinations for light art.
The Zalduondo Carnival is considered the oldest rural carnival in Álava, tracing its roots back centuries and revived in the 1970s after a long hiatus. The village streets fill with masked figures led by "Markitos," a straw effigy that embodies the chaos and mischief of the carnival season. The procession weaves through the hamlet in a ritual unchanged for generations, drawing visitors from across the Basque Country.
In the small hamlet of Salcedo in southwestern Álava, carnival centers on the Porretero, a rag-and-straw effigy that personifies the village's collective troubles and bad luck. The figure is paraded through the streets, solemnly judged by the assembled community, and burned in a ritual that clears away the year's misfortunes. The celebration combines ancient agrarian symbolism with festive dancing and communal eating, beginning in the early evening.
Itzulia Basque Country is one of the most respected week-long stage races on the UCI WorldTour calendar, attracting the sport's biggest names for six days of demanding racing across Basque hills and valleys. The 2026 edition runs April 6–11, with the opening stage testing riders on challenging terrain from the gun. Known for relentless climbs and passionate roadside crowds, the race consistently produces decisive battles among the world's top climbers.
The Fiestas de Álava honor two sacred sites dear to the province: on April 28, crowds make a traditional pilgrimage to the Basílica de Armentia to venerate the relics of San Prudencio, Álava's patron saint, followed by celebration on the basilica grounds. A few days later on May 1, a second romería draws families to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Estíbaliz amid rolling vineyards. Together the festivities blend religious tradition with communal outdoor celebration unique to Alavese character.
Named in honor of Martín Fiz, the Vitoria-Gasteiz-born world marathon champion of 1995, this popular road race draws runners from across Spain and beyond to the Basque capital each spring. The event offers distances from a full marathon down to a 5K, including a dedicated kids' race, making it a family-friendly fixture in the local sporting calendar. The route takes competitors through the city's medieval old town and its distinctive network of green boulevards.
Araba Euskaraz is the flagship annual celebration of the Basque language in Álava, organized by the province's ikastola network and hosted by a different town each year. The 2026 edition returns to Amurrio for the first time in four years, hosted by the Aresketa ikastola under the motto "Taupadak berpiztu!" (Revive the heartbeats!). The day-long festival brings together families and Basque-language enthusiasts for concerts, pelota vasca matches, and wide-ranging cultural activities.
Azkena Rock Festival has been Vitoria-Gasteiz's premier celebration of classic rock, punk, and alternative music since its founding in 2002, drawing legendary acts alongside cult underground favorites each June. The 2026 edition features headliners including Alice Cooper and Social Distortion, with additional stages like Trashville offering a rawer program of acts. Over three days the festival transforms the Basque capital into a gathering point for rock fans from across Europe.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Vitoria-Gasteiz makes its debut on the European IRONMAN calendar in 2026, covering a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike course, and 21.1 km run through the scenic Basque countryside. Athletes from around the world converge on the Basque capital for a race that combines the region's stunning natural terrain with the support of a major international sporting event. Registration opened in August 2025, reflecting strong demand for this new addition to the race series.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival, known locally as Gasteizko Jazzaldia, is one of Europe's most respected jazz gatherings, earning international acclaim for the caliber of its bookings and the intimacy of its free outdoor concerts. Performances spread across multiple stages, from iconic open-air shows in the city's public plazas to club sets in the old quarter. Each July the festival draws major international names alongside emerging jazz voices to the green Basque capital.
Vitoria-Gasteiz's biggest annual celebration begins on August 4 when the puppet figure of Celedón descends on a wire from the tower of the Church of San Miguel to the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, triggering the chupinazo and six days of non-stop festivity. Named in honor of the city's patron, the Virgin Blanca, the celebrations include open-air concerts, traditional dances, and street parties that draw locals and visitors alike. The festival has a strong communal character, centered on the old town plaza that gives the event its beating heart.
On September 8, the small Alavese town of Artziniega marks the feast of its patron, the Virgen de la Encina (Our Lady of the Holm Oak), with religious observances centered on the local sanctuary dedicated to the image. Pilgrims and townsfolk gather for a solemn mass and procession, followed by traditional folk music and communal celebration in the village. The devotion to this Marian image has deep roots in the northern Álava landscape, where oak groves carry both ecological and spiritual significance.
The Ciclo Bernaola is Vitoria-Gasteiz's annual series of contemporary classical music concerts, honoring the memory of Carmelo Bernaola, a pioneering Basque composer who spent much of his career in the Basque capital. The cycle runs from October through February, presenting chamber ensembles, orchestral performances, and solo recitals devoted to 20th and 21st-century repertoire at venues including the Conservatorio de Música Jesús Guridi. Its programming regularly features Spanish premieres and works by leading composers of today.
In the municipality of Arratzua-Ubarrundia, December 26 is the town's official local holiday, chosen to coincide with the feast of Saint Stephen (San Esteban). The day brings together residents for traditional Basque festivities, including txikiteo, communal meals, and folk activities reflecting the municipality's rural character in the hills east of Vitoria-Gasteiz. As with many local fiestas in Álava, the celebration weaves religious observance with the warmth of neighborhood gathering.