Bienal de Flamenco
The Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla is the most important flamenco event in the world. Held every two years in the spiritual home of flamenco, this month-long festival brings together the finest artists in cante (singing), baile (dance) and toque (guitar) for dozens of performances across Seville's most atmospheric venues. From legendary masters to boundary-pushing newcomers, the Bienal is where flamenco's past, present and future converge.
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February
Carnaval de Cádiz
The Carnaval de Cádiz is widely considered Spain's greatest and most original carnival — not for its parade floats or samba schools, but for something uniquely gaditano: the chirigotas, comparsas, and coros — satirical singing groups who spend months composing sharp, political, and hilarious songs performed on the streets and in competition at the Gran Teatro Falla.
May
Patios Festival (Córdoba)
The Córdoba Patios Festival (Fiesta de los Patios) is held each May, when private courtyards open to the public and compete for prizes based on floral decoration and traditional design.
June
Romería del Rocío
The Romería del Rocío is one of the most extraordinary religious and cultural events in the world — a mass pilgrimage to the shrine of the Virgen del Rocío (the White Dove) in the village of El Rocío, on the edge of the Doñana National Park in Huelva, Andalusia.
September
Fiesta del Cascamorras
The Fiesta del Cascamorras is one of Spain's most extraordinary and bizarre festivals. Every 6 September, a man covered in black grease (the Cascamorras) attempts to run from the town of Guadix to Baza to reclaim a statue of the Virgin of Piedad — while thousands of equally grease-covered locals try to stop him. The result is a spectacular, chaotic, oil-black mass of humanity. Declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest, it's an ancient rivalry turned into joyful, slippery mayhem.