5 Best Performing Arts Venues in The Basque Country, Navarra, and La Rioja, Spain

Every January 19 and 20, more than 100 platoons of Donostiarras (San Sebastián natives) dress up as chefs and Napoleonic soldiers and bang drums as they parade through the streets. The tradition was born out of a mockery of Napoléon’s troops, who would march around the city in a similar fashion. Today it’s San Sebastián’s biggest street party.

Join Getaria locals the first weekend of May as they celebrate the moment anchovies reach their plump seasonal prime with gallons of Txakolí and mountains of grilled fresh fish.

The “Big Week,” a nine-day event celebrating Basque culture, is held in Bilbao in mid-August with a fine series of street concerts, bullfights, and fireworks displays.

This weeklong festival (August 4–9) celebrates Vitoria’s patron saint with bullfights and street parties. The festivities begin with the arrival of Celedón, a well-dressed dummy that “flies” over the main square holding an umbrella.

Pamplona’s main event, immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel, The Sun Also Rises, is best known for its running of the bulls, a tradition that’s dangerous for humans and ultimately lethal for the animals involved. Ethics aside, a huge part of the festival is consumed by nontaurine activities such as processions, live music acts, and fireworks. Held each year July 6–14, the festival begins daily at 8 am with a herd of fighting bulls let loose to run through the narrow streets to the bullring alongside daredevils testing their speed and agility in the face of possible injury or death. The atmosphere is electric, and hotel rooms overlooking the course come at a price. Recent years have seen a disturbing increase in sex crimes; it’s advisable for travelers, especially women, to take common-sense precautions, including being aware of your surroundings and not walking alone at night.