Festivals & Events in Asturias & Cantabria

It would be almost impossible to find any town or city in Cantabria or Asturias that does not celebrate at least one major festival a year. In many cases they will have religious origins, and are held to honour maybe a local patron saint, or perhaps some ancient rite that has still managed to survive from pre-Christian times. Others however, will be based around more worldly events such as a sporting occasion, regional cuisine, or quite simply thanksgiving for a successful harvest.

Whatever the cause for celebration, there will almost certainly be lots of singing and dancing in the streets involved. Elaborate costumes frequently play a part too. And should you be in town during a fiesta, there is little doubt that you will be invited to join in with the party. This is your opportunity to have lots of fun, and at the same time get a good insight into some of the local culture.

Santander hosts northern Spain's greatest arts festival every year throughout the month of August. This event has been taking place for over fifty years, and along with the Festival of Granada, is the oldest of its kind to be held in Spain. Covering a full month, it is also the longest. Classical music (from traditional to newly commissioned works), opera and jazz all feature heavily in the progamme, as do ballet and flamenco. The festival regularly attracts some of the world's finest orchestras and performers, and, quite obviously, large audiences too. Venues vary from local churches to the grand hall of the Festival Palace, which during the course of the year also stages a good number of other cultural events.

Another festival of a rather different nature held here in June is the Santander International Sport Film Festival, which features a wide selection of shorts, documentaries, and full-length features. All films need to have a sporting theme, but given the vast scope this requirement allows, lack of variety is never an issue. All entries must have been produced 30 months before the festival date.

This ancient and distinguished port on Cantabria's east coast holds its fiesta in honour of St John every year on the 23rd and 24th June. Similar fiestas will be taking place in many other towns and cities at exactly the same time, but for those living by the sea this is a particularly important event.

By long tradition, a huge bonfire, which virtually all of the town will have contributed towards building, is the focal point for much of the celebrations. According to tradition, if people jump over part of this on St John's night they will be cleansed, and their problems burned away. After this they will bathe in the sea, which is filled with flowers and fruits. An open-air party continues for much of the night, followed next day by a procession featuring fancy dress and cabezudos (huge caricature masks).

The Descent of the River Sella, normally held on the first Saturday in August, is an international canoe and kayak race from Arriondas  to Ribadesella in Asturias. A highly prestigious event that brings this corner of Spain virtually to a standstill, it attracts a fiercely competitive field of world-class competitors, as well as those entering for the sheer enjoyment. The full course is 20 kilometres long, although there is a shortened version for junior, veteran, and mixed crews.

By tradition the race starts with all craft out of the water. At the showing of a green light a chaotic 'Le Mans' style start ensues, with competitors scrambling to launch their craft. Spectators can follow the multi-coloured mass of boats by car, or from a special train that runs along the river bank. It goes almost without saying that, once the race is completed, a huge party involving lots of singing, dancing and the famous Asturian cider gets under way in Ribadesella.

Gijon is noted for its particularly full programme of carnivals and festivities, but probably the most exciting time of all to be here is on the first Sunday of August - Asturias Day. The social significance of this event is reflected by the fact that every mayor from within the province attends, although duty aside, the attraction could just as easily be down to nothing more than the tremendous amount of fun there is to be had by everyone.

One of the highlights of the festival is the huge and spectacular parade of fantastically decorated floats. Traditional music and folk dancing add to the sense of occasion, and the whole affair is rounded off with revellers congregating en masse at the local horseracing course to enjoy what is probably the largest picnic you will ever have taken part in.