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#festivals
Chasing the Wind: Your Ultimate Guide to Spain’s Spectacular Hot Air Balloon Festivals This July
From July 8 to 12, Igualada hosts southern Europe's largest balloon festival, followed by Segovia's on July 17 — La Cotorra's Pavel Tarasenko, a longtime balloonist, explains how flights work and where to fly in Spain
What to Do in Barcelona This July: Tour de France, Festivals & Beach Cinema
Barcelona hosts the Tour de France start for the first time, the 50th anniversary of the Grec festival, major music festivals, and open-air concerts in parks and on the beach — La Cotorra's picks
What to Do in Madrid This July: Festivals, Concerts & Open-Air Cinema
From Mad Cool and Río Babel to Bruno Mars, ballet, open-air film screenings, and must-see exhibitions — La Cotorra's guide to the month's biggest events in Madrid
Valencia Gears Up for Feria de Julio 2026 with 300 Events
From July 1 to 26, the city's biggest summer festival brings concerts, comedy, circus, fireworks, and the spectacular Battle of Flowers across 14 districts
Spain Celebrates San Juan: Bonfires in Valencia, Firecrackers in Barcelona, and Horses in Menorca
On one of the shortest nights of the year, the country marks Saint John's Eve in wildly different ways — from Alicante's giant burning figures to Galicia's herb-infused water and Valencia's midnight beach wishes
La Eliana's Open-Air Cinema d'Estiu Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary This Summer
From 25 June to 31 August, the open-air cinema 30 minutes from Valencia hosts evening screenings of family films and Spanish and Valencian cinema, with a gala anniversary night on 6 August. Tickets from €2.50.
Martin Garrix and Marshmello to Headline Valencia's First PELIGRO FEST in July
The new electronic music festival debuts at the Ciutat de València stadium on 25 July 2026, with organisers expecting 15,000 attendees for a line-up that also includes Korolova and Nome
Cinema Jove Returns to Valencia for Its 41st Edition with a Greta Gerwig Retrospective
The international festival for filmmakers under 40 runs 19–27 June, with a new Cinema Jove Meets industry programme, panels on AI and women in animation, and free screenings at the Centre del Carme
Ademuz Celebrates Its "Lavender Month" with Field Tours, a Market, and Lavender Menus
In the north of the Valencian Community, the village's lavender fields bloom each summer. The Mercado de la Lavanda runs 3–5 July, with guided field walks from €12 on dates through June and July
Valencia's Les Arts Festival Cancelled on Day Two over Noise Violations
After Friday's concerts exceeded permitted noise levels by more than 20 decibels in nearby homes, the city council ordered all three stages silenced — fuelling a row between the mayor and the regional government
Valencia's Ruta de Tapas Turia Returns 4–14 June — 34 Venues, Tapas and Beer for €4.50
Across 11 days, bars and restaurants from Russafa to El Cabanyal reinvent traditional Valencian recipes, each pairing a signature tapa with a Turia Stark beer
Russafart Returns 5–7 June — And Opens Its Artist Studios and Galleries
The art biennale, running for nearly two decades, invites the public into more than 70 working studios, galleries, and cultural spaces — this year under the banner of resistance to gentrification
Valencia's Saler Mall Is Hosting a Free Food Festival Series — Cheesecake, Kebab, and Mexican Food
From May to June, three back-to-back gastronomic festivals will take over Plaza del Cor Valencià, letting visitors taste, compete, and vote for their favourites — all for free
Historical Achievement for Spain: Three Films to Compete for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2026
Pedro Almodóvar, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and the duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi lead a record-breaking Spanish delegation at the 79th edition of the festival
TastArròs Festival 2026: Valencia Celebrates Rice Days in the City’s Main Square
On 25 and 26 April, Plaza del Ayuntamiento will transform into a giant open-air kitchen where top chefs will showcase dozens of variations of the legendary Valencian paella
Wine, Cava, and Craft Beer: The 36th PROAVA Festival Returns to Valencia’s Turia Gardens
From 9 to 13 April, the iconic riverbed transforms into a gastronomic hub featuring the finest local produce, live music, and a special tribute to Requena
Faith, Fish, and Flying Ceramics: An Exclusive Look Inside Valencia’s Maritime Semana Santa
Alejandro Lorente, Vice President of the Junta Mayor, reveals why the seaside districts of Cabanyal and Grao turn private apartments into public chapels and why the neighbours throw plates out of windows at midnight
More Than Just Easter: A Guide to the Spectacle and Soul of Spain’s Semana Santa
Discover why Spain’s Holy Week is a cultural phenomenon that defies modern explanation