Festivals & Events in Bilbao

Nine days of free street partying in August, no fenced-off venue required: Aste Nagusia kicks off the first Saturday after August 15th with the txupinazo in front of Teatro Arriaga and ends by burning Marijaia. Over 100 free performances across eight stages and fireworks every night over the estuary.

BBK Live isn't a free street party—it's a private, ticketed festival on Mount Kobetamendi, technically within Bilbao but well outside the city center. The 20th-anniversary edition landed on July 9-11, 2026, with 12 stages and over 80 acts. Check the official site for dates and lineup.

Every December 21st, without fail, Bilbao's Old Town turns into a farmers' market: the Santo Tomás Fair. Free entry, centered on the arcades of Plaza Nueva and the El Arenal area, and a very long line for talo with chorizo washed down with cider or txakoli.