The clamour of the May festivities in Andalusia has only just subsided: Cordoba takes the flowers down from its balconies, the horses of Jerez return to their stables and the Blanca Paloma of El Rocío enjoys moments of greater tranquillity in her niche on the altar of the Ermita. However, the Andalusians’ appetite for celebration does not fade, which is why it is useful to map out all the events that brighten June in southern Spain.
The first truly summery month is still a period of relative calm, but if we were to fly at mid-height over Andalusia on June nights, we would be struck by the bright outlines of Marbella, Antequera and Alhaurín de la Torre (province of Málaga), or caught up in the explosion of music from the Festival Internacional De Música y Danza de Granada. And what about the fires that are lit all over Andalusia on the night of San Juan, traditionally the night when summer begins: we can see them crackling on the beaches of Cádiz, Almería, Málaga…
For all these reasons, if, for example, you want to do a 10-day tour of Andalusia in summer, June could be an option not to be overlooked when it comes to festivals and events, especially if you are heading for the Costa del Sol. So let us discover in detail the festivals and events of June in Andalusia.
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Andalusia weather in June
June marks the beginning of summer in Andalusia and is characterised by very long, sunny days and already high temperatures, especially inland. In Seville and Córdoba average highs exceed 32°C, while in Granada they are around 30°C. During the middle of the day the heat can therefore be intense, making mornings and late afternoons preferable for visits and excursions.
Along the coast, temperatures are milder: in Málaga, for example, average highs are around 28°C, while in Cádiz they are around 25°C. Rain is now very rare, so June is also a particularly good month for those who want to combine a city visit with a few days by the sea.
June festivities in Andalusia: the main events
To see the best of June’s events in Andalusia, you certainly need to head to Marbella and Granada.
Feria de Marbella
The queen of June festivities in Andalusia is unquestionably the Feria de Marbella, without even the need for a contest: the trendiest city on the Costa del Sol goes all out in a series of memorable celebrations in honour of the city’s patron saint, San Bernabé. Marbella’s feria is held every year around the second week of June and can be seen as something of a smaller-scale preview of the far better-known Feria de Malaga, which in August bursts the Costa del Sol into joy, lights and colour.
All week long, Marbella becomes a stage for sacred and profane events, religious pilgrimages and civic processions, flamenco shows and popular festivals and exclusive parties: probably most of Marbella’s inhabitants mark the start of the fiesta with the fireworks display which is usually held at Playa del Faro after a concert and the traditional Miss Marbella election. In reality, the fiesta celebrates its religious origin the day before, with the inaugural pilgrimage to the Ermita de San Bernabé, the chapel of the patron saint located in the pinewood of the Parque de Nagüeles.
La Day Fair usually takes place from 1 p.m. onwards in the Avenida del Mar area, among the paths and palm trees of Parque Alameda, while at night the Fair usually continues in La Cañada near the shopping centre, where the casetas host events of all kinds: flamenco demonstrations, tastings, folk performances and the like.
At the Plaza de Toros de Marbella, on the other hand, bullfights take place on various days of the week, right up to the concluding monumental event in honour of the saint; needless to say, meanwhile, the night-time venues and the beaches of Marbella and Puerto Banús are where the most exclusive and fashionable parties take place.
All available accommodation in Marbella
Granada International Music and Dance Festival
The historic and renowned Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada has been one of Granada’s and indeed Spain’s proudest jewels since 1883. It is usually held from the latter half of June into the first days of July and every year boasts a top-class programme of events, with internationally acclaimed artists, orchestras and musicians performing in dreamlike locations.
In our article on things to do in Granada we told you about the magical buildings that occupy the hill of the Alhambra… can you imagine the emotion of attending a flamenco concert in the heart of the Patio de los Arrayanes or in the intimacy of the Carmen de los Mártires, a ballet in the gardens of the Generalife, or a concert by the London Symphony Orchestra in the shade of the Renaissance colonnades of the Palacio de Carlos V?
Tips on where to stay in Granada
June festivities in Andalusia: other events
In the province of Málaga there are many spring festivals, first and foremost that of Antequera, or those dedicated to the patron saints, but without doubt it is worth attempting a brief mapping of the celebrations that take place throughout Andalusia on the night of 23 June, for Noche de San Juan (St John the Baptist).
Feria de Primavera de Antequera
Malaga is undoubtedly the most festive province: straddling the end of May and the beginning of June, the Feria de Primavera in Antequera. takes place too. Compared with Marbella, here the Feria, also known as the Feria de Primavera de Agrogant, has a slightly different and less “glamorous” significance: the events and activities that follow one another over the 5 days of the Feria are designed to celebrate the excellence of the area’s agriculture and livestock farming.
If you decide to stop by the Feria Ground in Parque del Norte (on the north-western outskirts of the city), you will find a popular, authentic festive setting: parades of thoroughbred horses and competitions for the best goat farms, casetas where you can taste the local food and wine specialities, flamenco performances and folk dances, but also bullfights, cultural events, rock concerts…
All available accommodation in Antequera
Noche of San Juan: where to celebrate it?
The Night of San Juan (23 June) is universally considered, by tradition, the festival marking the start of summer (verano) as it is the shortest night of the year… but only because of the clock! In reality, in Andalusia the celebrations are over the top and last until the first light of dawn. The Hogueras de San Juan (or Candelas) are the traditional bonfires lit on the beaches of Andalusia, and the surest way to understand what this festival means to Andalusians is certainly to make your way to one of the following seaside towns:
Almería
Thousands of young and not-so-young people flock to Playa del Zapillo and the various beaches of Almería (the urban ones), where the traditional Hogueras de San Juan of Almería are lit. Also spectacular are the bullfighting-inspired processions that take place along the Paseo Marítimo, and the unrestrained festivities that last throughout the night, with music and foam parties on the beach.
All available accommodation in Almería
Cadiz
Cadiz, the white city where sunshine reigns supreme, could only mark this luminous festival of fires with grand celebrations: bonfires are lit on all the beaches and in various corners of the city. But the most distinctive event in Cadiz (in some ways recalling the spectacular Carnival celebrated here) is the traditional Festividad de los Juanillos: during the festivities, effigies representing famous figures from the city’s ancient and recent tradition are burnt. There are also prizes for the most spectacular “pyrotechnic” performance!
Tips on where to stay in Cadiz
Málaga
Imagine if Malaga were to miss the chance to celebrate San Juan! On all the beaches of Malaga along the Costa del Sol, towering bonfires are lit, and people wash their faces with seawater: it is a superstitious practice that is said to bring good luck!
The noche de San Juan is not just a night of fires: at Playa de la Malagueta and in many other places along the coast, concerts and celebrations take place that last until late into the night.
Tips on where to stay in Malaga
The smaller towns
The San Juan festival is deeply felt throughout Andalusia, so there is no counting the celebrations in smaller towns and cities. We would like to point out:
- la Water and Ham Festival in Lanjarón, in the province of Granada. Here there is no sea, so the locals celebrate by hurling buckets of water at one another;
- la Feria de San Juan di Alhaurín de la Torre, a little town in the province of Málaga that takes advantage of the night-time celebrations to organise a 4-day feria, with the classic split between the “del día” and “de la noche” areas.
- ad Almuñécar, a tourist resort on the Costa Tropical, during the night of the San Juan bonfires it is possible to camp on the beach.
