A year of fiestas in Granada and on the coast

Granada keeps a calendar that starts with a holiday about 1492 and ends with a Christmas that is quieter than you might expect. The coast adds its own layer: boats in the bay, bonfires on the sand and a fruit fair in the hills. Here is how the year runs, month by month.

The year at a glance

1. January

   2 January: Día de la Toma

   The day in 1492 when Granada was handed over to the Catholic Monarchs is a local holiday in the city. The civic act centres on the Pendón Real, with a procession from the town hall to the Capilla Real. Some local groups want it turned into a day of coexistence instead, so expect strong views at the bar.

2. February or early March

   Carnival

   Carnival sits in the week before Lent, so its date moves with Easter. Almuñécar and La Herradura both have carnival programmes, and the town hall listings are the ones to check nearer the time.

3. March or April

   Semana Santa in Granada

   Holy Week follows Easter, so it moves too. The brotherhoods carry their pasos through the centre in the evenings, and the days around Good Friday are the ones visitors plan around. Book your room early for those days.

4. 3 May

   Día de la Cruz

   Around 3 May the Albaicín, the Realejo and the Sacromonte decorate their crosses in squares, patios and shop windows. Access is free, and walking from cross to cross is the best way to see the old quarters. Some listings put the programme over the first weekend of May, so check the year.

5. June

   Corpus Christi and the feria

   Corpus Christi falls on a Thursday sixty days after Easter. In 2026 it was 4 June, a local holiday in Granada city. The Custodia leaves the cathedral for the procession through the centre, and the fair at Almanjáyar runs alongside the bullfights.

6. 23 June

   Noche de San Juan on the beaches

   In Almuñécar and La Herradura the bonfires go up on the sand, people grill fish on the beach, and many go into the sea at midnight. In Motril the municipal bonfire is lit on Playa del Cable around midnight. Arrive for the evening meal and walk along the sand afterwards if you want a quieter view.

7. June to July

   Granada International Festival of Music and Dance

   The 75th edition ran from 11 June to 12 July in 2026, opening with Ludovico Einaudi at the Generalife theatre and closing with a concert version of Verdi's Aida at the Palacio de Carlos V. Other listings give different start dates, so check the festival's own programme before you plan.

8. 16 July

   Virgen del Carmen sea processions

   In Almuñécar's Los Marinos neighbourhood the fiestas run from 12 to 16 July. On the 16th the image leaves its chapel, has Mass on San Cristóbal beach, and goes out by boat in the evening with a flotilla. In Motril a fishing boat carries the image from the port to Playa Granada. La Herradura's fiestas run about 16 to 19 July, with boats and fireworks.

9. Late September

   San Miguel in Almuñécar

   The San Miguel neighbourhood, up in the old town near the castle, holds its patron fiestas from 25 to 29 September, with the main day on the 29th. Expect bars, a charanga band and a painting exhibition in the square.

10. October

    Fiesta de la Chirimoya in Torrecuevas

    The custard apple harvest gets a long weekend in Torrecuevas, the Almuñécar barrio near the Roman aqueduct. The 2026 programme ran from Friday 9 to Monday 12 October, with a Mass, a procession and a fireworks display on the Monday. The fair has been held since the 1960s.

11. December

    Christmas

    Christmas on the coast is quieter than the spring processions, and most of it happens around the family table. The bigger day for children is 6 January, Reyes.

The coast after dark

June and July are the months when the sea becomes the stage. The San Juan night is about sand and fire. The Carmen processions are about the boats, and the image goes out to sea. Both are busier than you expect, so plan parking and dinner early, and read more about the towns in our Almuñécar guide.

Autumn is harvest time

The coast's fruit calendar is the reason October has a fiesta at all. Torrecuevas celebrates the chirimoya harvest, and the custard apples in the autumn markets are the ones being celebrated that weekend. Our tropical fruit calendar covers the rest of the year. San Miguel in late September is smaller and more local, a neighbourhood party in the old town rather than a town-wide one.

Planning around the moving dates

Carnival, Semana Santa and Corpus all move with Easter, so the dates change every year. Granada's council sets its own local holidays, and the city's list for the year is the one to check before you book. For a first visit, stay on the coast in June or July and make a day trip up to the city and the Alhambra.