Fiestas del Corpus de Granada
Corpus Christi is Granada's biggest festival: a full week of free fairground festivities centred on a Thursday with a moveable date (60 days after Easter, almost always between late May and early June). The procession of the Custodia, fairground casetas in Almanjáyar, the Tarasca figure and the satirical Carocas panels in Bib-Rambla.
What is Corpus Christi and where does it come from
Corpus Christi is Granada's greatest celebration, and its roots go back to the Christian conquest: the Catholic Monarchs established it after 1492 to christianise a city that had been Islamic for eight centuries, and in 1501 Queen Isabella donated the gilded silver monstrance — the Custodia — that still leads the procession today. The date is moveable: it always falls on a Thursday, 60 days after Easter Sunday, which places it between late May and mid-June. The festival has two souls that coexist: the religious, with the solemn procession of the Custodia through the historic centre, and the festive, with a fair that runs for nearly a week. Its iconic symbols are the Tarasca — a female mannequin mounted on a dragon that parades on the eve of the feast; its dress is kept secret until that moment and traditionally sets the fashion trend of the summer — and the Carocas, satirical canvases hung in Bib-Rambla bearing witty five-line verses that poke fun at the year's current affairs. One thing worth knowing: this is not a beach festival or a bonfire celebration — it is an inland Andalusian fair.
How to experience it: the fair, the procession and the bullfights
Corpus has four distinct faces. The Real de la Feria is held in Almanjáyar, in the northern part of the city: free-entry casetas with sevillanas, flamenco, rebujito, fried fish, Sacromonte omelette and churros in the early hours, plus fairground rides and music until dawn. During the day, the festivities move into the city centre: at midday in Plaza Bib-Rambla there is a Children's Corpus celebration, the Carocas are unveiled, and on the eve of the main Thursday the Tarasca parade — with giants and big-headed figures — sets off from Plaza del Carmen. The big Thursday brings the procession of the Custodia departing from the Cathedral at around 10:15, led by the Tarasca and followed by the religious cortège in strict hierarchical order. There is also a top-tier bullfighting season at the Plaza de Toros, with ticketed events that routinely sell out. Tip: the Real does not really come alive until nightfall; if you are travelling with children, make the most of the city centre in the morning and head to the fairground in the early afternoon.
Moveable dates, a local public holiday and free entry
Bear this in mind before planning your trip: Corpus has no fixed date. It always falls on a Thursday, 60 days after Easter Sunday, so it shifts every year and usually lands between late May and early June (in 2026 it fell on 4 June; in 2027 it will be Thursday 27 May). The fair runs for around a week centred on that Thursday, which is a LOCAL public holiday in the city of Granada only — not across the province or Spain as a whole — along with 2 January (La Toma). Entry to the Real and to the public casetas (traditional and institutional ones) is free; you only pay for what you consume, plus the fairground rides and the bullfights, which are separately ticketed. Some commercial stalls at the fairground are ordinary pay-to-enter venues. Since the dates and the programme change every edition, always check the official schedule at granada.org before booking anything: the full calendar and a map of the fairground are published there.
Getting there, the heat and practical tips
The Real is in Almanjáyar and public transport is your best friend: the metro stop 'Jaén' (Line 1) is about 200 m from the entrance, and the city council runs six special fair bus lines (around €2 per journey; note that multi-journey passes such as Pase cards are not valid, but the Credibus wallet card is). Driving is strongly discouraged: the northern zone gets badly congested at night and getting out after midnight is slow; there are supervised car parks near Joaquina Eguaras/Casería de Aguirre (around €4–5) and a caravan area, but vehicles parked illegally are towed. The biggest threat is the heat: June in Granada is brutal — in 2025 the average daily maximum reached 37.6 °C — and the medical services treat hundreds of heat-related cases. Bring water, a hat and seek shade, and save the fairground for the evening, when it cools down and the party truly begins. The metro may run on altered timetables during the fair; check before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Granada Corpus Christi festival take place?
Do you have to pay to get into the fair?
How do I get to the Real de la Feria without a car?
What are the Tarasca and the Carocas?
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