Malaga Fair in August

Are you in or around Malaga during the second half of August? Then don’t miss the Malaga Fair 2024 which will be held from 17 to 24 August.

The Malaga Fair is an immensely popular celebration that commemorates the reconquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs. This happened on the 19th of August 1487, which is why the fair has always been celebrated around this day.

This fair is together with the Estepona Fair (in July) and the Fuengirola Fair (in October), the most multitudinous, folkloric, lively and colourful in the province. Together with the Seville fair, it is the most important fair in Andalusia, attracting more than a million visitors every year.

We tell you everything you need to know!

What’s in store for me at the Malaga Fair?

Get ready to celebrate on large scale, a festive atmosphere in Malaga´s city centre with thousand of people partying, high temperatures and ice-cold Cartojal wine.

During the week of the fair, the whole town is engaged in celebrating, along with a large influx of visitors who join the locals in this colourful party. Day and night, if you want and as long as you can stand it.

The fair starts early in the centre of Malaga, with lots of traditional folklore, music and dancing, and then moves in the evening to the fairgrounds, with many fair attractions, the typical ‘casetas’ with food, drink and music, and there are also a good number of live concerts.

Day fair and Night fair

One of the singularities of the Malaga Fair lies in the division of the celebration areas: the ‘Day Fair’, in the city centre, and the ‘Night Fair’ in the Cortijo de Torres, although in the fairgrounds there is festive activity throughout the day.

Day fair

The epicentre of the daytime fair is Calle Larios and the surrounding area (Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza de la Merced and Plaza de las Flores) from 12 noon until 6 pm, where thousands and thousands of people celebrate.

The streets of the historic centre are decorated with lanterns and floral decorations. There are bars in the streets where you can stock up on wine and other drinks.

‘Pandas de Verdiales’ (folkloric bands) roam the streets, there are decorated carriages and horses and people dancing Sevillanas.

Every day there are live performances in the central squares of the city: Plaza de la Constitucion, Plaza de la Merced and Plaza de las Flores.

Our advice: Be prepared for very high temperatures, i.e. an average of 30°C, take it easy, and drink water, not just Cartojal wine!

Night fair

At night the party is concentrated in the fairground with its typical stands, fairground stalls and almost a hundred fairground attractions for the amusement of all audiences.

Typical things of the fair in Malaga

The Cartojal Wine

First things first: Cartojal Wine is the classic drink of the fair, the sweet wine of Malaga, from the prestigious bodega Malaga Virgen.

This liqueur is made from the Moscatel de Alejandría grape, native to Malaga. This wine has a very particular dehydration process, the grapes are completely dried under the sun in order to increase their sugar level, it has a unique and very particular flavour and aroma.

At the fair you can buy it in small bottles with its characteristic pink dots design. This wine is drunk ice-cold. But remember that it is quite strong.

Verdial Pandas

The traditional music played at the Feria de Málaga is the verdiales. This musical manifestation is one of the oldest in Europe and its origins even predate flamenco.

Jasmine Biznaga

The biznaga is one of the popular symbols of the capital of the Costa del Sol that in summer is usually sold in the streets of Malaga.

The biznaga is made is of fresh jasmine picked in the early morning and slipped individually on the spike of a dried thistle, forming a deliciously fragrant white flower ball.

Tips for going to the Fair

Here we give you some very good tips to enjoy fully your Malaga Fair experience.

If you go to the day Fair in the city centre: Be prepared for a very hot day! As we mentioned before, temperatures are usually around 30ºC and can be even higher if we have Terral wind.

Getting yourself a typical fan, will help you a great deal to combat the heat. Along with the ice-cold served Cartojal wine. But we warned, it’s quite strong!

Is there a dress code?

Well, you can go as you with, as long as you are dressed: The townhall has banned walking around the fair shirtless and in fact carries a fine.

If you like traditional costumes, there are many shops in the centre where you can buy fans, hair flowers and beads, or even a gypsy costume if you feel like it.

What do you eat at the Malaga Fair?

At the Malaga Fair it is usual to order ham and cheese dishes, fried aubergines with sugar cane honey -you can’t miss them-, potato omelette and fried fish, among others.

They are accompanied by other fresher dishes, such as chopped tomato, roasted pepper salad or a Malaga salad.

Malaga Fair 2024

The Malaga Fair 2024 officially begins with fireworks at midnight on Friday 16th to Saturday 17th August at Malagueta Beach.

Thousands of people flock to this popular beach to watch the fireworks that kick off the Malaga fair.

We can recommend several good places with the best views to watch the fireworks:

• Gibralfaro & La Coracha

The Parador del Gibralfaro is one of the most popular places to watch the fireworks. It has privileged views over the night-time bay of Málaga.

Closer to the city, situated on the hill south of the Alcazaba, the old quarter La Coracha has similar views at a lower altitude than Gibralfaro.

• El Palmeral, Muelle Uno & la Farola

A few metres from the historic centre and very close to where the fireworks are launched is the port of Malaga. It is another of the most popular places. The Lighthouse (Farola) is a little further away. But with the advantage that from there we can enjoy beautiful night views of the city.

• A boat

Enjoy privileged views from a boat, one of the most popular options. There are many companies in the port of Malaga that offer this possibility.

• Hotel rooftop terraces

One of the most popular places are the roof terraces of hotels in the centre of Malaga, such as: The Hotel AC Malaga Palacio, the Hotel Valeria, the Hotel Larios Room Mate or the Only You Hotel.

During the Malaga fair there will be an extensive program with nearly 200 musical and artistic shows. Almost all of them concerts are free.

There will be live concerts every night at 11 pm at the Municipal auditorium. Flamenco and Copla shows at the fairgrounds. And several horse shows taking place at the Equestrian Exhibition Centre, just to name a few.

How to get to the Malaga Fair

The Malaga Feria is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and have a great time. There is a packed programme of events for all ages. So sure to mark your calendar and enjoy this unique celebration in the region.

However, we advise against going by car. Not only will it be quite difficult to find parking. But you might also want to have a drink without having to worry about it.

Planning to attend the Malaga Feria but don’t want to drive or use public transport? Book your private taxi!