Explore 18 events and festivals in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country throughout 2026.
Antzerki Garaia is Gipuzkoa's annual theatre season, running January through April 2026 with eight productions — six in Basque and two in Spanish — staged across venues in the province. The programme showcases work from a range of companies and styles, making quality theatre accessible to audiences throughout the territory. It is coordinated through the Gipuzkoa cultural network.
San Antón is celebrated across Gipuzkoa on January 17th with the lighting of traditional bonfires (hogueras) made from pine branches in town squares and neighbourhoods. In San Sebastián and many other municipalities, the fires burn through the evening as families and groups gather around them to eat, drink, and sing. The custom is deeply rooted in rural Basque culture and marks one of the first festive moments of the year.
January 20th is the Day of San Sebastián, the city's patron saint and its most emotionally charged festive date. The celebrations begin at midnight with the flag-raising ceremony in Constitution Square, followed 24 hours of the Tamborrada — a city-wide drum parade involving over 100 societies marching through the streets in chef and soldier costumes. The sound of thousands of drums echoing through the old town is an unforgettable experience.
The Tamborrada is the thunderous drum parade that fills San Sebastián for 24 hours on January 20th, the city's patron saint day. More than 100 societies parade through the streets in two traditional costumes — chefs and Napoleonic-era soldiers — beating drums and barrels in unison. The 2026 edition marks a century since the flag was first raised in Constitution Square, giving the celebration special historical resonance.
Astotxo Eguna, the traditional donkey fair of Gipuzkoa, has been held in Lazkao since 1652 and is linked to the local convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns. Taking place the Sunday after Epiphany, the morning is filled with a donkey exhibition and competition in the town square, drawing breeders and spectators from across the province. It is one of the most unusual and long-running rural fairs in the Basque Country.
The Carnival of Tolosa, running February 12–17, 2026, is one of the most celebrated and longest-standing carnivals in the Basque Country. The festivities centre on the bullring, which transforms into the main stage for txarangas (street bands), comparsas, and fancy dress parades. Tickets for the most popular sessions are hotly sought after, and the atmosphere — fuelled by local bars and txosnas — draws visitors from across Gipuzkoa and beyond.
MUBIL Mobility Expo, held March 25–26 at FICOBA in Irun, is Southern Europe's leading professional meeting point for the sustainable mobility sector. Now in its 5th edition, the expo brings together manufacturers, suppliers, and policymakers across the clean and accessible transport value chain. A dedicated conference programme runs alongside the exhibition floor, making it a key event for industry professionals.
The XXII Feria de Plantas de Colección de Iturraran takes place April 25–26, 2026 in the Botanical Garden of Iturraran within the Pagoeta Natural Park in Aia. Now in its 22nd edition, the fair gathers specialist nurseries and collectors from across Spain and Europe, offering rare, unusual, and heritage plant varieties rarely seen in commercial outlets. The forest garden setting makes it as much a nature visit as a plant market.
Each spring, Gipuzkoa marks the traditional opening of the mountain pastures (mendiko larreen irekiera) when livestock are driven up to the communal grazing lands of ranges such as Aralar. The April 27th date is a living expression of the agropastoral heritage of the Basque Country, accompanied by local ceremonies and the sight of flocks and herds making their way along ancient drove roads. The Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa manages access to these communal uplands in coordination with local municipalities.
The Pasaia International Maritime Festival (Pasaia Itsas Festibala), held May 14–17, 2026 in its 4th edition, is a gathering of traditional wooden boats from across Europe in the historic harbour of Pasaia. The festival celebrates maritime heritage through boat exhibitions, sea parades, workshops, music, and gastronomy, transforming the scenic inlet shared by France and Spain into a living museum of seafaring culture.
The Día de los Parques Naturales de Gipuzkoa brings residents out to explore the province's protected natural spaces each June. The 2026 edition is celebrated on June 8th in Abaltzisketa, with guided walks, activities for families, and events highlighting the biodiversity and landscape of Gipuzkoa's natural parks. The initiative is organised by the Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa to foster appreciation of the territory's environmental heritage.
The San Sebastián International Jazz Festival (Jazzaldia), held July 22–26, 2026, is one of Europe's most prestigious jazz events and the oldest in Spain. Now in its 61st edition, the festival fills multiple stages across the city — including the open-air Zurriola stage on the beach — with a mix of legends and rising stars. Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Samara Joy, and Marcus Miller are among the 2026 headliners.
Semana Grande (Aste Nagusia) in San Sebastián runs August 8–15, 2026 — a week of celebration dedicated to the Virgin of Begoña. The programme spans fireworks competitions in La Concha Bay, free outdoor concerts, pelota matches, regattas, traditional Basque games, and a full schedule of theatre and cultural events. The city's txosnas (neighbourhood bar tents) are at the heart of the social life throughout the week.
The Bandera de La Concha, held on the first two Sundays of September, is one of the oldest and most iconic rowing regattas in the world, contested since 1879. Teams of traineras (traditional rowing boats) race across the spectacular La Concha Bay in front of tens of thousands of spectators lining the promenade. The 2026 races take place on September 6th and 13th, with fierce rivalry between the fishing village clubs of the Basque coast.
The Alarde of Hondarribia on September 8th is a solemn military parade commemorating the lifting of the French siege of the town in 1638, a victory traditionally attributed to the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Dressed in historical costumes, thousands of Hondarribia residents march through the old town in formation, re-enacting the civic and military rituals of the period. It is one of the most visually striking and historically rooted celebrations in Gipuzkoa.
The 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival (Zinemaldia), running September 18–26, 2026, is one of the top-tier European film festivals and the most prestigious in Spain. Competing films vie for the Golden Shell award across international, national, and short film categories, while a packed sidebar programme, industry events, and retrospectives round out the calendar. The festival gives San Sebastián a uniquely cinephile atmosphere for ten days each autumn.
Kilometroak is the annual fundraising festival of the Gipuzkoan ikastola (Basque-language school) network, held each October. The 2026 edition is the 50th anniversary gathering, returning to Lazkao — the very place where the event was born in 1977 — on October 4th. Thousands of families walk together through the town, stopping at food stalls, concerts, and activities, all in support of Basque-medium education.
Kantuz is a choral Christmas concert held in San Sebastián each December, bringing together choirs from across Gipuzkoa for an evening of seasonal and Basque repertoire. The event is a celebration of the strong choral tradition in the Basque Country, offering audiences an intimate and festive musical gathering as the year draws to a close. Performances typically take place in historic venues in the city centre.