There are many reasons to visit Spain, but very few as enjoyable as a festival. These national and local holidays epitomize so much of the Spanish culture and should be experienced in good humour with respect for tradition. So, as we hope to be reunited with our Iberian neighbours very soon, perhaps it’s time to start drafting that post-COVID bucket list and experience some of the best cultural festivals in Spain.

Each year, thousands of tourists and locals gather in Valencia, Spain to participate in a tomato-throwing festival known as La Tomatina. The one-hour food fight is part of a larger celebration of Spain’s rich history and traditions and is largely considered a rite of passage for anyone traveling through Spain. Year after year, the festival generates striking photos that captivate viewers around the world.

La Tomatina takes place each year at the end of August in Buñol, Valencia. The festival is part of a week-long celebration in honor of the town’s patron saints, Luis Bertran and the Mare de Deu dels Desemparats (Mother of God of the Defenseless), the Virgin Mary.

The Running of the Bulls occurs every July 7th-14th in Pamplona, Spain. 6 Spanish fighting bulls, along with 6 steer, run from the Corrales de Santo Domingo to Pamplona’s Plaza de Toros (bullfight arena.) Over 1 million spectators watch thousands of runners over the 8 days of the San Fermín Festival

From the 1st to 19th March, Valencia is overturned by Fallas celebrations, a festivity that combines tradition, satire and art which shouldn’t be missed for anything in the world. Read on to learn where our passion for fire and fun comes from and you’ll be ready to enjoy Fallas like a Valencian.

The world’s most colourful party 

Light, colour, and a lot of joy. Every year, Sevilla is taken over by its ‘Feria de Abril’, the fair of all fairs, a microcosm where the idiosyncrasy of the city unfolds with all its charm and power of seduction

The Fair is like a small, ornate town: an ephemeral world where the houses are booths, lit with lanterns and all the streets are named for legendary bullfighters.