Fireworks spark eight days of partying in Malaga

The fireworks lighting up the sky over Malaga at midnight this Friday will mark the start of southern Europe’s biggest summer fair, the slogan with which this celebration became known in the mid-1980s. For eight days (from 16 to 23 August), Malaga’s ‘feria’ will transform the city into a hub of joy, bustle and fun in three main areas where the festivities take place: streets and squares of the historic centre, the modern and functional Cortijo de Torres fairground - which in recent years has become the epicentre of the festival - and La Malagueta bullring.

Although neither the city council nor other entities have provided specific data, the massive celebration is expected to generate a significant economic impact. Last year, the fair exceeded 1.7 million trips on local buses, 1,170 tonnes of rubbish were collected and almost 900,000 people attended the more than 200 shows organised by the council. Hotels expect to be 90 per cent full this weekend.

The initial budget for this 2025 feria as set out in the council’s municipal budget, is around 3.9 million euros, which does not include the remuneration of municipal staff, whose cleaning, mobility and security services are strengthened during this period.

The official events begin this Friday evening with the historical parade, which starts at 8pm and makes its way through the streets of the city centre, recreating the arrival of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in Malaga in 1487.

Ten minutes before midnight the sky will fill with some 300 drones - 150 will take off from La Malagueta beach and another 150 from Huelin beach - which will form fourteen three-dimensional images combining technology and visual art; the show will last for 10 minutes and be visible from up to 500 metres.

Once the last drone has landed, the spotlight will shift to the pyromusical show which will include 6,308 fireworks with a gross weight of over a tonne, launched from the access road to the cruise terminal when the clock strikes midnight. During the twenty minutes of the fireworks display, 500 kilos of gunpowder will be burned.

For a full programme visit www.malaga.eu/feria-de-malaga