Bilbao BBK Live 2027: Dates, Camping, Buses & Tickets

Quick answer: Bilbao BBK Live 2027 takes place on Thursday 8, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 July 2027 at Kobetamendi, the green hilltop park above Bilbao's Basurto district. The organisers confirmed the dates as the 2026 edition closed. As of 28 October 2026 the line-up and 2027 ticket prices have not been announced, and the official website only offers a waiting list for the fan presale. Getting up the hill is easy: free shuttle buses run from San Mamés and from the BEC exhibition centre in Barakaldo, or you can walk about 2.5 km from San Mamés. The festival campsite is 3 km away on Monte Arraiz, with its own 24-hour buses. Our BBK Live festival page has the background; this guide is the practical plan.

What is confirmed for 2027, and what is not

Recent years follow a clear pattern. The next edition's dates are announced as the festival closes in July. The first wave of artists follows in early winter: for 2026 it came on 11 December 2025, with general sale opening on 17 December. More names and the day-by-day line-up arrive through spring, and the stage timetable is published in the final weeks. If you want the cheapest pass, join the official waiting list and be ready when the fan sale opens.

The 2026 edition celebrated the festival's 20th anniversary and drew more than 112,500 people over three days, with Robbie Williams, David Byrne, Lily Allen and Calvin Harris among the headliners. Expect the same scale in 2027: a big, mixed bill of international rock, pop, indie and electronic acts alongside Spanish and Basque artists.

Kobetamendi: the site

Kobetamendi is a park on the south-western edge of Bilbao, high enough to look out over the city and the Nervión estuary. That view, with the sun going down behind the stages, is half the appeal. In 2026 there were six stages and more than 100 artists, the gates opened at 17:00 each day and the music ran into the early hours. Before you go up:

• Wristband first. Tickets are exchanged for a wristband in the city before you go up the hill; there is no exchange at the gates. In 2026 the exchange points were Sala BBK on the Monday and Tuesday of festival week, then San Mamés and the BEC from Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00–02:00. The buses will not take you without a wristband.
• Cashless. In 2026 the festival was fully cashless: you top up the wristband online or at recharge points and pay for food and drink with it. There are no cash machines on site, and unused online top-ups were refunded automatically.
• Bag size. Backpacks must not exceed roughly 50 × 40 × 25 cm when full. Outside food is not allowed into the arena except for medical reasons, with a note.
• Terrain. Grass, slopes and gravel paths. After rain it gets muddy, so wear shoes you can walk uphill in.
• Accessibility. There is a viewing area for people with reduced mobility, including a platform at the main stage, and an adapted shuttle from San Mamés.

How to get up the hill

Private cars cannot get near the arena or the campsite. These were the options in 2026; the 2027 transport plan is published closer to the date.

1. Free shuttle buses. They leave from San Mamés (the end of Calle Capuchinos de Basurto, behind the BAMI building) and from the BEC in Barakaldo, next to Ansio metro station, which has a large car park. In 2026 they ran from Wednesday 12:00 to Sunday 15:00. From 16:00 each day the buses stop at the former Beyena factory, about 800 m from the gates, and the return buses leave from the same point.
2. Reserved-seat buses. To skip the queue, a seat on an uphill bus cost €3.80 per day in 2026, booked on the festival website, with departures about every ten minutes from 16:00 to 22:00.
3. On foot. It is about 2.5 km and 30 minutes uphill from the San Mamés esplanade. The festival organises the Kobetamendi Irteera, a group walk led by a brass band, leaving San Mamés at 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00.
4. Taxi. Taxis drop you near the entrance until about 16:00, and after that at the Beyena stop.
5. Night metro. In 2026 Metro Bilbao ran all night during the festival, every 30 minutes within Bilbao. San Mamés station is a short walk from the shuttle stop.

Flying in? The Bizkaibus A3247 links Bilbao airport with the Termibus bus station every 20 minutes, and Termibus is right next to the San Mamés shuttle stop. If you drive, the BEC car park charged a flat €20 for the whole festival in 2026.

Camping or a bed in Bilbao?

The festival campsite is on Monte Arraiz, the hill next to Kobetamendi, about 3 km from the arena. In 2026 it opened on Wednesday at 12:00 and closed on Sunday at 15:00, and a four-night pass cost €30–38 depending on the sales phase. Free buses ran 24 hours a day between the campsite and the city, plus a shuttle to the south side of the festival during concert hours. On site there were lockers with phone charging, a small shop for toiletries and sunscreen, a bar selling ice and a food area serving breakfast. The rules: tents up to 8 m², no gazebos or awnings, no fires or camping gas, and you take your tent home with you. A glamping area is sold separately.

Pick the campsite if you are on a budget and want the full festival experience. Pick the city if you want proper sleep, want to see Bilbao in daylight, or are travelling as a couple or family. The most practical neighbourhoods are Basurto and San Mamés (closest to the shuttles), Indautxu and Abando (central and on the metro) and the Casco Viejo (lively, but noisier). Barakaldo, beside the BEC shuttle stop and on metro line 2, is a cheaper fallback.

Tickets: how the sale works

For 2027 there is only a waiting list so far. As a guide, during the 2026 sale the official site listed three-day passes from €125 for the limited early-bird pass up to about €180 in the final phase, day tickets at €65–80, pass-plus-camping bundles at €170–218 and the four-night camping pass at €30–38, with booking fees on top. There were also group passes (six for the price of five), payment in three instalments, and the Bono Cultural Joven. Children aged 11 and under get in free with an adult, up to two per adult, and every minor needs a signed authorisation form. Buy only from the official website and its ticketing partner: wristbands resold privately are a classic festival scam.

What to pack for Bilbao in July

Bilbao is green for a reason. AEMET's 1981–2010 averages for Bilbao airport give July a mean high of 25.4 °C, a mean low of 15.4 °C and about seven days with rain, and on an exposed hill at two in the morning it feels cooler. Pack:

• a light waterproof jacket and a warm layer for the night;
• trainers or boots that can cope with mud and slopes;
• sunscreen and a cap for the late-afternoon sets;
• a power bank, or plan to rent a charging locker;
• earplugs, especially if you are camping;
• the printed authorisation for any minor, and medication with a medical note.

Check the festival's list of allowed items before packing anything unusual. Our seasonal festival packing checklist covers the rest.

A sample budget

2027 prices are not out yet, so these per-person figures are based on the 2026 edition:

For a wider view of what a festival trip in Spain costs, see our festival budget guide. If you are weighing a tent against a hotel, the same maths applies as in our FIB Benicàssim camping vs hotel breakdown.

Make a Basque trip of it

• Bilbao by day. The Guggenheim, a walk along the estuary, pintxos around the Plaza Nueva and the Casco Viejo. Festival in the evening, café con leche and a slice of tortilla in the morning.
• San Fermín first. The 2027 Sanfermines in Pamplona run from 6 to 14 July, so you can catch the opening days of San Fermín and still reach Bilbao for the festival; Pamplona is about two hours away by bus.
• Come back in August. Bilbao's own city fiesta, Aste Nagusia, takes over the streets in August; see our Aste Nagusia guide.
• More ideas for the region are in our Basque Country guide, and the July festival calendar lists everything else that month.

FAQ

When is Bilbao BBK Live 2027? From Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 July 2027, at Kobetamendi in Bilbao. The dates are confirmed on the official website.

Who is playing in 2027? No artists had been announced as of 28 October 2026. For the 2026 edition the first wave was revealed on 11 December 2025.

How do I get to Kobetamendi? By free shuttle bus from San Mamés or the BEC in Barakaldo, by reserved-seat bus, by taxi to the Beyena stop, or on foot, about 30 minutes uphill from San Mamés.

Is there camping at BBK Live? Yes, on Monte Arraiz, about 3 km from the arena, with free 24-hour buses. In 2026 it cost €30–38 for four nights and was open from Wednesday midday to Sunday afternoon.

Can I pay cash at the festival? Not in 2026: the festival was cashless, you paid with your wristband, topped up online or at recharge points, and there were no cash machines on site.

Can children go? Yes. In 2026 children aged 11 and under got in free with an adult, up to two per adult, and all minors needed a signed authorisation.

What is the weather like? Usually mild, with highs around 25 °C and lows around 15 °C in July, and a fair chance of rain. Bring a waterproof.

Key dates