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Vitoria-Gasteiz runs its social year around a handful of fixed dates, the biggest being the Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca in the first week of August. Most events happen in the compact medieval quarter and the surrounding squares, so you can reach everything on foot. Here is the full Vitoria-Gasteiz events and festivals calendar, with exact dates and what to expect, timed against the seasons in our Vitoria-Gasteiz weather by month guide.
Vitoria-Gasteiz Events and Festivals: Spring
San Prudencio Day (April 28)
San Prudencio is the patron saint of Alava, and April 28 is a public holiday across the province. The main event is a morning procession and open-air celebration at the Basilica of San Prudencio in Armentia, on the southwestern edge of the city, where locals gather to eat scrambled eggs with garlic and perretxiko mushrooms. The day before, April 27, a drum parade fills the old town in the evening.
Azkena Rock Festival (Mid-June)
Azkena Rock Festival takes place in mid-June at the Mendizabala site on the edge of the city, usually over two or three days. It books a mix of classic rock and international headliners, and a two-day pass typically costs EUR 70 to 90, with single-day tickets around EUR 45. Book early, since the biggest names sell out by spring, and read our best time to visit Vitoria-Gasteiz guide if you are weighing June against other months.
Vitoria-Gasteiz Events and Festivals: Summer
Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz (Mid-July)
The Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival runs for about a week in mid-July, with headline concerts at the Mendizorrotza sports hall and free outdoor sets in the squares. It has been running since 1977 and draws acts from across Europe and the United States. Single-night tickets run EUR 20 to 45 depending on the artist.
Fiestas de la Virgen Blanca (August 4 to 9)
This is the city’s biggest festival, held from August 4 to 9 each year in honour of the patron saint. The opening act is the descent of Celedon, when a character in traditional dress drops by umbrella and zip line from the Church of San Miguel tower into the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca at 18:00 on August 4, in front of tens of thousands of people. Six days of music, bull runs, street food and fireworks follow, and hotels sell out months ahead, so pair your visit with our where to stay in Vitoria-Gasteiz advice.
Vitoria-Gasteiz Events and Festivals: Autumn
FesTVal (Early September)
FesTVal is a television festival held in early September that brings Spanish TV networks, actors and premieres to the city, with open-air screenings and red-carpet events around the centre. Most outdoor screenings are free, and it is a quieter, more local alternative to the summer fiesta, spread across the squares described in our neighborhoods in Vitoria-Gasteiz guide.
Festival Internacional de Teatro (October)
The International Theatre Festival runs through October at the Principal Theatre and other venues, programming Spanish and international companies. Tickets are mostly EUR 10 to 25. October is also when the medieval quarter hosts a weekend market recreating the city’s medieval trading days, with stalls and street performers.
Vitoria-Gasteiz Events and Festivals: Winter
Christmas Markets and Olentzero (December)
From early December the Plaza de Espana and Plaza de la Virgen Blanca fill with a Christmas market, an ice rink and a carousel. On December 24 the figure of Olentzero, the Basque coal-bringer, parades through the streets in place of Santa Claus. December 31 brings a New Year’s Eve countdown in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. For what else to see while you are in town, read our things to do in Vitoria-Gasteiz article, and for airport and transport details see our travel tips for Vitoria-Gasteiz guide.
