Report by Chris Chaplow on the music festivals Friday night in Cortes de la Frontera. The Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, a grassroots event that takes place in the Serranía de Ronda each year.

As winter evenings draw in, the towns and villages of Andalucía once again burst into colour with the glow of Christmas lights. Across the region, from the snow-capped Sierras to the sun-warmed coast, streets are filled orange-laden trees, festive cheer, music, and the unmistakable scent of roasted chestnuts, straight from the Sierras.

The eighth edition of the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, a grassroots event took place in the Serranía de Ronda from Thursday, 31 July to Sunday, 3 August 2025.

The Semana Santa (Holy Week) procession Palm Sunday it the first of six different days during Semana Santa in Estepona that have processions.

Every year on 28 February, the region of Andalusia celebrates Día de Andalucía. Andalusia Day is a public holiday throughout the region, one of several festivos during the year, which celebrates the Andalucia’s status as an autonomous community. 

The 14th of February is Valentine's Day, or Dia de los Enamorados (Lovers' Day) in Spain. Many hotels and restaurants around Andalucia will have special offers on, so if you're after a last-minute package, you're sure to be spoiled for choice - themed menus, dishes, suites and rental villas, with that little extra something thrown in to create the right atmosphere for the occasion.

Benalmadma Pueblo is one of the best towns to take part in a Corpus Christi festival on the Costa del Sol. Several of the streets in and around Plaza de España are decorated with a carpet of coloured petals and greenery ahead of a mid-day church procession.

The ninth edition of the Pueblos Blancos Music Festival, the grassroots event, takes place in the Serranía de Ronda from Thursday, 30 July to Sunday, 2 August 2026.

Cascamorras festival in the towns of Guadix and Baza has been declared Festival of International Tourism interest due to its intriguing history. Although the festival is relatively little-known outside Granada province, by latest estimates up to 20,000 people take part, running through the streets and covering each other in black olive oil in Baza and coloured paste in Guadix.

Holy Week, Semana Santa, in Andalucia is an event that literally transforms towns and cities across this region. Processions of elaborately decorated floats with Jesus and Mary statues, groups of pointy-hood wearing Nazarenos (penitents), and shrill brass bands, walk slowly through the streets, from their parish church to the cathedral and back.

Popular festivals in Alhaurín de la Torre are the Three Kings Parade, the Carnival, the Holy Week, San Juan Bautista Fair, among others.

Mollina celebrates Carnival, Holy Week, the Three Kings Parade, the Grape Harvest Festival, the August Fair and Calendaria.

Cuevas de San Marcos celebrates a range of traditional festivals throughout the year.

Popular festivals in Las Gabias are Día de San Antonio, Festividad de Las Cruces, among others.

Popular festivals in Moraleda de Zafayona are La Candelaria, Festividad de San Marcos, Fiestas de Agosto and Feria de Octubre.

Popular festivals in Loja are Día de San Marcos, La Candelaria, Romería de la Amistad, Feria Chica and Feria Grande.

Popular festivals in La Malahá are Día de San Marcos, Festividad de Las Cruces, San Isidro, San Marcos and Fiestas de San Antón among others.

Popular festivals in Fuente Vaqueros are Romería de San Marcos, Día de la Cruz, Fiesta Aniversario del Nacimiento de Federico García Lorca and Fiestas Patronales.