The festival begins on a Saturday with the bang of the txupinazo rocket, after which the mascot of the festival, a puppet-like figure called Marijaia, appears on the balcony of the Arriaga Theatre. Most of the inhabitants of the city take a week off – so don’t expect all the shops to be open, or you’ll be disappointed – and simply take part in one of Europe’s most exhilarating street parties. A week before the event, the artist Mari Puri Herrero was commissioned to create a symbol of the festival, and this is how the puppet Marijaia was born. Bullfighting used to be its main attraction, which were for a long time celebrated in San Sebastian during the Big Week. At Aste Nagusia, Basque culture is celebrated at its fullest. Bilbao has justifiably developed a reputation as a beautiful city for weekend breaks during the last few years. This has come as a big boost to the north of Spain, after many years of being ignored by tourists heading for Madrid or the costas of much further south. An iconic part of the festivities are the huge Gargantúa monsters, who parade through the streets swallowing children (who then ride on a giant slide through their body and come out at the tail). There are many other places to find music, though – many of the streets are lined with tents of different societies and bars and will have live or recorded music. This year it will be held from the 19th to the 27th of August 2017. The show can be enjoyed from other points of the city like Zurriola Beach, Urgull Mount or the port as well. There are granite boulder lifting competitions and other such awe-inspiring, and terrifying, spectacles which almost defy belief. Semana Grande, also known as Aste Nagusia (meaning ‘Big Week’), is Bilbao’s biggest festival and is a nine-day event which occurs in the month of August. The Virgin festivity, celebrated on the 15th, is the highlight of the festival, even though the big party begins on the evening of the 14th, a time when many Donosti inhabitants dine out with friends and family or … Every year during nine days in the middle of August, more than 100,000 festival goers throng the streets of Bilbao for Semana Grande – partying all night to the noise of live music and extravagant fireworks displays and then watching bull fights or Strongman competitions during the day. For example, in the Aizkolaris men have to chop a 45 inch thick log of wood in half whilst standing on it. The latter ones may be musical or theatrical performances that can also be carried out in theatres around the city. This festival originated in the mid-19th century, when San Sebastian was a high-class tourist destination and, in turn, a leisure alternative for that kind of tourism. However, the construction works of the Illumbe bullring were restarted few years ago and, nowadays, bullfights are again in the spotlight during San Sebastian festivities. Your email address will not be published. In 2013, its 50th anniversary will be celebrated. Also, during the day, you’ll find various flotillas and regattas along the Ría de Bilbao, the Nervión. Music is at the heart of the festival, with many free performances during the week in a variety of venues. The festival actually begins on the first Saturday following August 15th. Semana Grande honours the Virgen de Begoña and is also a celebration of Basque culture, it comprises a whole host of events from street concerts and fireworks to parades, as well as traditional Basque dances and rural sport competitions. Semana Grande is the biggest festival in northern Spain. Culture Trip stands with Black Lives Matter. She is always shown with her hands in the air, ready to party. She will be recreated next year, ready to party again. Basque culture is of course a big part of the festival, which includes Basque folk music and dancing, as well as rural sporting competitions such as wood chopping and stone lifting. Best Eevents and festivals in San Sebatian. Bilbao additionally has a host of music bars and clubs which go on all through the night – especially in the Indautxu area of town. Every evening of the festival week, at a quarter to eleven, a large crowd fills La Concha Beach and its surroundings to witness the competition, which lasts for about 20 minutes. Taking place the week before Easter, Semana Santa involves week long celebrations, masses, processions. The Aste Nagusia Festival ("Semana Grande" in Spanish and "Big Week" in English) traces its origins back to the middle of the 19th century, when it began as a celebration to entertain the bourgeoisie who would spend their summers in San Sebastián. Easter can be a wonderfully evocative time, full of ritual and pageantry, incense and solemnity – and nowhere more so than in Andalucía in southern Spain. The streets are lined with tents offering a wide variety of food and drinks. You might have to walk back down, though, as the funicular only operates until 11.00pm. Lovers of Don Quijote will remember that even in Cervantes’ time, Basques had a fearsome reputation because of their strength. Nightly firework competitions are also held, and are an important part of the festivities. It is a very different place, though, during Semana Grande. We will send to your email our free San Sebatian PDF travel guide. Finally, in 1978 all these various events were brought together for one big festival in the first Semana Grande or Aste Nagusia. This is the Basque version of Scottish Highland Games. Perhaps the best place to see the dazzling display is from one of the bridges across the river or you could even take the historic funicular to the top of the Artxanda hill and have a really spectacular panoramic view. Semana Grande honours the Virgen de Begoña and is also a celebration of Basque culture, it comprises a whole host of events from street concerts and fireworks to parades, as well as traditional Basque dances and rural sport competitions.

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