September Festivals & Fiestas
As summer fades away, September begins a new festival season in Spain. The month brings cooler temperatures and the end of the summer holidays. Still, it also signals the start of a series of colourful and exciting festivals and fiestas nationwide.
From the Basque Country to Andalusia, September is a month packed with cultural celebrations, parades, and events that showcase Spain's rich history and traditions.
Whether you're looking to witness the thrill of a bull run, the flamenco rhythms of a street party, or the beauty of an ancient religious procession, Spain in September has something for everyone.
Let us explore some of the most popular festivals and fiestas held in Spain during September, giving you a taste of this fascinating country's unique and vibrant culture.
Popular September Festivals and Fiestas
Festes de la Merce:
This cultural festival takes place from September 23rd to 27th in Barcelona, in the province of Barcelona. It celebrates Our Lady of Mercy (La Merce), the patron saint of Barcelona.
The festival features hundreds of events, such as concerts, parades, fireworks and exhibitions. Some of the most popular attractions are the correfoc (fire run), where people dressed as devils run through the streets with firecrackers; the Sardana (traditional Catalan dance), where people join hands and dance in circles; and
Euskal Jaiak:
This Basque festival takes place in early September in Zarautz, in the province of Guipúzcoa. It celebrates Basque culture and traditions through events such as sports competitions, folk dances, music concerts, and gastronomy.
The festival also features the Txupinazo, a rocket that marks the beginning of the festivities, and the Aurresku, a ceremonial dance that honours the authorities and guests.
Catalan Day:
This is a national day on September 11th in Catalonia, a region in north-eastern Spain.
It commemorates the fall of Barcelona to the Bourbon troops in 1714, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession and the Catalan self-government.
The day is marked by demonstrations, cultural events, and the display of Catalan flags and symbols. It also coincides with the Festa Major de la Ribera, a neighbourhood festival in Barcelona that features human towers, giants, and fireworks.
Santa Tecla Festival:
This religious festival takes place from September 14th to 24th in Tarragona, in the province of Tarragona. It honours Saint Tecla, the patron saint of Tarragona and one of the first Christian martyrs.
The festival features processions, music, and dancing. The festival's highlight is the castells, human towers that can reach up to 10 levels high.
The San Sebastián Film Festival
It is held in San Sebastian in mid-September. One of the oldest and most important film festivals in Europe, it draws famous people, directors, and critics worldwide.
The festival shows films from all genres and nations and bestows accolades, including the Golden Shell for Best Picture and the Donostia Award for Lifetime Achievement.
La Rioja Grape Harvest Festival:
This Rioja Wine Festival takes place for one week in late September, normally around the 20th, in Logroño, in the province of La Rioja. It celebrates the grape harvest and the wine culture of La Rioja, one of Spain's most renowned wine regions.
The festival features activities such as grape stomping, wine tasting, parades, and concerts and includes a religious ceremony in which grapes are offered to Saint Matthew, the patron saint of Logroño.
FIZ (Independent Music Festival):
This music festival takes place on September 25th in Zaragoza, in the province of Zaragoza. It features independent artists from Spain and abroad who perform different styles of music, such as rock, pop, electronic and indie.
The festival is held at the Sala Multiusos del Auditorio de Zaragoza, a large venue accommodating 10,000 people.
Albacete Fair:
This festive fair takes place from September 7th to 17th in Albacete, province of Albacete.
The fair dates back to 1710 and is considered one of the most important fairs in Spain. It features food stalls, music, dancing, and bullfighting.
The fairgrounds are located near the city centre and are surrounded by a circular street called La Sartén (The Frying Pan).
Fiestas de Carthagineses y Romanos:
This historical festival takes place from September 17th to 26th in Cartagena, in the province of Murcia. It recreated the events in 209 BC when the Roman general Scipio Africanus conquered the city from the Carthaginians.
The festival features parades, battles, ceremonies and costumes that reflect the ancient cultures of Rome and Carthage.
Fiestas del Motin:
This historical festival takes place the first week in at Aranjuez, near Madrid.
It commemorates the Mutiny of Aranjuez in 1808 when the people of Aranjuez rose against King Charles IV and his prime minister Godoy, who were seen as allies of Napoleon.
The festival features a re-enactment of the mutiny, music, dancing and fireworks.
Flamenco Biennial:
This flamenco festival takes place in September and October every two years in Seville, in the province of Seville.
It is one of the world's most important flamenco events, showcasing the best artists and performers of this art form.
Stomp Festival:
This grape stomping festival takes place on September 18th in Laguardia, in the province of Alava. It celebrates the grape harvest and the wine culture of Rioja Alavesa, a sub-region of La Rioja.
The festival involves stomping grapes barefoot in large wooden tubs and collecting the juice in jugs. It also includes music, dancing and lots of gastronomy.
America Day:
This cultural festival takes place on September 19th in Oviedo, in the province of Asturias. It celebrates the historical and cultural ties between Asturias and America, especially Latin America.
The festival features a parade of floats representing different countries and regions of America, as well as music, dancing, and costumes.
San Sebastian Film Festival
Many actors owe their success in film to this annual meet which was established in 1953. The San Sebastian film festival is by its own right one of the most important film cinematic celebrations of the year.
Since its inception, some of the most iconic actors have graced the festival including Sigourney Weaver, Paul Verhoeven, Isabelle Huppert, Jennifer Connelly, Ewan McGregor and many more.
It is top notch film festival and well worth checking out if you plan to visit the Basque country in September.
Rioja Wine Harvest Festival
Logrono is the capital of the world-renowned wine region of La Rioja in northern Spain, each year they celebrate the proceeds of the first harvest which is offered to La Rioja’s patron Our Lady of Valvanera.
The Rioja wine festival is held around the third weekend of September celebrating the feast of San Mateo of Logrono.
Head down to the Paseo de Espolon in the heart of the city to enjoy the main festivities and the ceremony where grapes are carried from the local vineyards by children and poured into large wine barrels.
The grapes are then pressed by men dressed in traditional clothing in a large wooden tub.
While the men work hard to appease the saint, the rest of the town is normally engrossed in throwing wine at each other in what has to be one of the messiest festivals in Spain.
La Merce Festival Barcelona
La Merce festival is the biggest in Barcelona and includes numerous live concerts, parades, fireworks, and its famous human towers.
This is Barcelona’s way of ushering in autumn. It includes 500 fun activities, including music, arts, acrobatic shows, and street processions.
Artists get to perform amongst the public, and this literally takes the fever pitch of the festival to new levels.
Highlights of this important festival include the amazing Castellers – human towers at the Placa de Jaume.
Try to get there early as many thousands of people pack out the town square to watch the Castellers build a human tower and to have a young child climb to the top.
Other highlights include the giant's parade held in the Placa de Jaume where giant effigies of kings, queens and nobles march through the streets.
In the same city square in the evening, you can enjoy images and video which is projected onto the surrounding buildings.
Santa Tecla Festival Tarragona
The best way to learn about Spain’s past is to indulge in Tarragona’s Santa Tecla festival; the celebrations feature rock music, drama plays, some jazz, movies, sports, and parties with a historical reflection.
However, the essence of the festivities has been the dances, which also receive a lot of airtime during the celebrations.
Jerez Wine Festival
Jerez is a charming traditional city in the heart of Andalucia, and the annual wine festival is well worth a visit.
The festival takes place on the first Saturday of September and is held to honour and bless the Autumn grape harvest.
The Jerez wine festival lasts three weeks and features endless sherry tastings, traditional dance, performances, music, horse shows, and flamenco events.
There is a real authentic atmosphere around Jerez at the best of times, so the annual sherry fest is very special. If you enjoy this famous tipple and wish to learn how it is made, then this festival is for you.
Feria de Torremolinos
If you are holidaying on the Costa del Sol during September, this is a must-visit festival.
The Feria de Torremolinos is held in honour of the patron Saint Miguel and is usually held in the last week of September.
Part of the celebrations is the annual Romeria. During this catholic pilgrimage, participants travel on horse and carts, floats, walking and on horseback to a local countryside destination where the party of music and dancing goes on all day.
The Feria de Torremolinos festival features a large dedicated area with amusements, dance halls, music events, flamenco dancing, many food stalls, fireworks and street processions.