Spain + Portugal's Festivals: The Streets Alive

Spain and Portugal are set the on beautiful coastline, filled with historic cities and romantic evenings. The people come together on the cobblestone plazas for marvelous gatherings during the nation's many festivals. For the richest experience and grasp on life from these two European countries, visit during a festival or holiday and be immersed in the waves of people, languages, and vibrant energy. Here is a comprehensive guide of the most fascinating festivals and the best ways to experience the breadth of these magnificent countries.

JAN Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes Magos First weekend in January Experience the Spaniard gift-giving celebration with La Fiesta de Los Tres Reyes Magos, the festival of the three Magi Kings. In this unique festival, the people celebrate the three Wise Men that brought gifts to baby Jesus on the evening of his birth. Spain celebrates on January 5th with an elaborate and regal procession of the Magi entering the city, arriving on elaborate floats and camels, while throwing candy to the children in the streets. The following day children wake up to open the gifts the Magi left for them in their shoes or under the Christmas Tree. Celebrations happen in every town in Spain, promising a magical Christmas experience too all visitors with lights, music, and tradition. MAR Las Fallas Mid-March Calm picturesque Valencia streets take a tumultuous turn during Las Fallas, when the streets are filled with towering floats and elaborate artistic sculptures. Artists allow their creativity to flourish with carved wondrous figures from mythical mermaids, popular fairytales, famous celebrities, and political figures, each peaking in height around 15 meters. At the end of the week the figures are set ablaze in the city plaza. The festival has roots in Catholicism commemorating Saint Joseph as well as historical traces to pagan practices. Las Fallas is a wild, unique party with parades that showcase the figures, traditional garb, dances, and plenty of drinking and merriment. Evening bullfights add suspense and fireworks top off the evening of frolicking. MAY Rock in Rio Late May Experience a whole new side of Lisbon at Rock in Rio, the largest music festival in the world. Throngs of thousands gather under the flashing lights, heart thudding music, lively crowds, and the spectacle of artist performances. Rock in Rio originated in Rio de Janeiro and alternates locations between Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Lisbon, and Las Vegas. This contemporary concert is just one of the many music festivals Portugal specializes in; however, Rock in Rio is the largest and most legendary having hosted the likes of Queen, AC/DC, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Beyoncé, and Shakira. The festival takes place in late May and lasts four days. JUL Festa dos Tabuleiros First weekend of July, next scheduled for 2019 The Festa dos Tabuleiros is a vision of streets bedecked in colorful flowers, city dwellers wearing detailed traditional clothing, and girls balancing beautifully arranged trays of bread and wheat on their heads. This unique festival held in Tomar is truly a one of a kind event, occurring every four years. The city is overtaken with elaborate processions with hundreds of young women wearing white and colorful sashes and balancing 30 loaves upon their heads while escorted by young men wearing red ties. The weekend continues with music, dancing, traditional games, a bullfight, and brilliant fireworks displays. Festa do Colete Encanado – The Red Waistcoat Festival First two weeks of July Festa do Colete Encanado, translated to The Red Waistcoat Festival, is similar to Spain's San Fermin. In the city of Vila Franca de Xira, the festival celebrates the long tradition of bull fighting. The festival begins in the city square with a parade and a bull-run through the city where men in red waistcoats and green caps riding on horses are chased by the angry bulls. Crowds rush to the arena to spectate the bull fights, where bold men wrestle with the animals but do not kill them. Markets flourish with goods and souvenirs and concerts light up plazas at night. This holiday is smaller and more traditional in this small town, and provides a one of a kind glimpse into the long standing bull and horse economy in Portugal. San Fermin Second week of July The iconic Running of Bulls holiday in Pamplona is a vision of locals clamoring about in white, with red scarves tied around their necks, weaving through the cobblestone streets the city as bulls charge, chasing the crimson banners into the bull ring. The parade claims its origins from the death of Saint Fermin, who according to legend, died by being dragged through the streets chased by angry bulls. Today the celebration’s processions, stampedes, and spirit are unforgettable sights. The week-long celebration pulses with a contagious energy and vitality that culminate in the bull arena and explode in the sky with a firework spectacle. Over a million people visit for the special festival and the famed event has busses destined for Pamplona arriving from all over Spain. SEP Catalan National Day September 11 The streets of Barcelona are bedecked in red and yellow on September 11, Catalunya National Day. The day commemorates the defeat of Catalan troops in the War of the Spanish Succession, where the troops were defeated by King Philip V of Spain. Throngs gather for parades, speakers, music, and demonstrations rallying for Catalan independence. Millions come together on this day for the spectacles but also to visit the open-house days in Barcelona government buildings, free museums, and concerts that light up city plazas. Fiesta De La Mercé September 24 The festival La Mercé takes place in late September and celebrates the saint Virgin de La Mercé, who saved Barcelona from a locust plague back in the Middle Ages. La Mercé is the last party of the summer celebrated with a parade of huge effigies of kings, queens, and mystical creatures for the crowds to admire, a projection show with art projected onto one of the buildings in the main square, Human Towers by the Castellers, and an adult and child Correfoc (firework run), where people take to the streets spraying fireworks over each other at dusk.