Traditional fairs were back this year. Ñito Salas

News round-up of 2022: Culture

Music festivals, ferias and parades came back in force this year

Tony Bryant, Debbie Bartlett, Jennie Rhodes

Friday, 30 December 2022, 12:48 | Updated 20:01h.

As the coronavirus restrictions were relaxed, Spain began to welcome the return of its large-scale cultural activities and festivals.

Large-scale parades return

Three Kings and the Passion bring joy to the streets

The first events of the year were the traditional Three Kings parades, which returned to the streets of cities, towns and villages across Spain after a two-year hiatus. The air buzzed with excitement among the youngsters who lined the streets hoping to catch some of the sweets thrown out by Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar.

People all over Spain were also rejoicing at the return of the Holy Week activities in April. The lengthy processions involving hundreds of people took to the streets.

Ferias and festivals

Traditional Andalusian fairs made a welcome return

Traditional Spanish 'ferias' also returned to light up the province and boost the local economy. The province of Malaga hosted more than 30 fairs, the biggest of which took place in Malaga city in August, an event that the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, described as a "resounding success".

Other large-scale festivals that reappeared included Fuengirola's six-day multicultural festival (Feria Internacional de los Países), which attracted more than one million people; and the Gay Pride celebrations that took place in towns and villages along the Costa in June, one of the largest taking place in Torremolinos.

International music festivals

Five big summer events attract thousands of fans

The Costa del Sol reinforced its status as a top music festival destination in 2022. Malaga province exploded onto the international festival circuit with two new large-scale events that debuted in the capital and Mijas: Andalucía Big and Cala Mijas Festival.

The successful first three-day Andalucía Big Festival lived up to all its expectations and attracted more than 100,000 music lovers; while the first Cala Mijas Festival positioned Mijas as a reference within the circuit of festivals at an international level and as a leader on the Costa del Sol.

The five big summer events (Starlite, Marenostrum, Weekend Beach, Cala Mijas and Andalucía Big) attracted hundreds of thousands of people, consolidating the province as one of the top European destinations for music-seeking tourists, while also offering locals the chance to see some of the most influential bands and performers on their own doorstep.

The Starlite festival in the Nagüeles quarry area in Marbella even celebrated a landmark ten years of bringing premium international names to the Costa del Sol.

Other musical events that returned this year included the Rockin' Race in Torremolinos, the Cueva de Nerja Festival, and Blues at the Moonlight in Benalmádena.