Things to do in Bilbao, Rioja, San Sebastian, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Biarritz, Bayonne, Guernica, Getaria…Our selection of best art, sport & cultural events in the Basque Country (Spain & France) during March 2021.
Please note that some of the events below may change due to temporary regulations taken to control Covid-19 on the time of the event.
Regarding traditions and festivities in Basque region:
- In Ordizia. Agricultural Fair. Farm products fair. Every Wednesday.
- In Hondarribia. Agricultural Fair. Sale of local products, Wednesdays at Damarri Plaza and Saturdays at the Port.
- In Mungia. Peasant Market. Exhibition and sale of farm products. Every Friday.
- In Bilbao. Gure Lurreko Merkatuak. Market of products of the hamlets of Bizkaia, made in a traditional way by their farmers, with Basque varieties and native breeds. Slow food, natural and local foods. Tinglados del Arenal. Every Saturday.
- In Tolosa. Agricultural Fair. Farm products fair. Every Saturday.
- In Irun. Agricultural Fair. Vegetable Fair. Every Saturday.
- In Bilbao. Flower and plant market. Flowers and plants grown and collected directly by local producers. A melting pot of colors and smells. Tinglados del Arenal. Every Sunday.
- In Astigarraga. Season of the Basque Cider. The main area in the Basque Country is in Astigarraga (near San Sebastián). There are some 51 Basque cider houses in Guipúzcoa, 10 in Vizcaya and 2 in Alava. The cider season begins on January 15 and runs until the end of May.
- In Sopuerta, Biscay. XLVIII Pork sausage and black pudding contest. Exhibition and sale of other agricultural, livestock and handicraft products. March 7th .
- In Javier (Navarre). “Javierada”. Pilgrimage to the Castle of San Javier. Old Navarra Tradition dating back to nineteenth century. From March 4th until 16th. First Javierada: March 8th. Second Javierada: March 14th. Cancelled
- In Bilbao. Agricultural Fair. Sale and exhibition of farm products in La Ribera Street. March 14th.
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| Beekeeper's day in Zegama, Gipuzkoa |
- In Zegama. Beekeeper's Day. XXII Contest of honey from the province of Gipuzkoa. March 15th
- In Bakio. St. Joseph Festival. The wineries of Bakio present the txakoli elaborated with the harvest obtained the previous year. March 19th.
- In Moreda de Alava. IX Olive Oil Fair of Alava. Great opportunity to get to know the world of olive trees and olive oil in the area. Agricultural and food fair. March 21st .
- Laudio - Llodio, Alava - Araba, The Traditional "Friday of Sorrows". A festival originally granted by the Christian Catholic Church to the locals to enjoy meat during Easter. Nowadays a lively market to see Basque farmers showing best of their horses, goats, sheeps, cattle, etc. Exhibit of Basque Traditional Sport of stone pulling by oxes. March 26th
- In Okondo. Fair of the Basque house. Feria del Caserío. Our best products, such as legumes, vegetables, vegetables, sausages and pork products, honey, preserves, pâté, wine, cider, bread, sweets and cheese, hand in hand with producers in the area. There will also be crafts, musicals, exhibitions of herri-kirolak (Basque rural sport) and dance performances. March 28th
- In Güeñes. Poultry and gastronomic fair. XXVI Monographic of villain dogs of the encartaciones. Tasting of txakoli Bizkaiko Txakolina. Exhibition and sale of cheese, bread, honey, handicrafts and agricultural products. March 22nd.
- In Pamplona. Week of the Pintxo. Taste best of these Basque delicacies. From March 20th until 29th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. XXI Transparent agricultural market. Sale of direct products from farms in Alava. Starring: Álava's potato. Tasting of seasonal products, demonstration of product development and children's workshops. March 28th.
- In Durango. Durango Ardo Saltsan: Wine and Delicatessen Fair. Eno-gastronomic fair with dozens of wineries from different countries. Posts with delicatessen products, defined by their high quality with Iberian ham, oil, salmon and smoked bonito, Iberian tomato, cheese, anchovies, and coffee. March 28th
- In Bilbao. Basque Fest. Exhibitions of art, dance and street theater, children's entertainment, craft fairs, concerts, samples of Basque design and traditional sports exhibitions. From March 28th until April 1st. CANCELLED
Easter is celebrated all over the Basque Country from March 28th until April 4th this year, and these are the best places to see something different in your visit:
Segura (Gipuzkoa) and Balmaseda (9th and 10th). These have famous living performance by locals representing the last days of Jesus Christ life from the 1600s.
• Bilbao and Vitoria and other smaller towns have traditional parades which take out of the churches images and march in an old traditional penitent dressing (dressing that some foreigners wrongly confused by some foreigners with Ku Klux Clan costumes).
• Hondarribia. Religious processions dating back to the begining of the 1600s.
• Laudio - Llodio, Alava - Araba, The Traditional "Friday of Sorrows". A festival originally granted by the Christian Catholic Church to the locals to enjoy meat during Easter. Nowadays a lively market to see Basque farmers showing best of their horses, goats, sheeps, cattle, etc. Exhibit of Basque Traditional Sport of stone pulling by oxes.
• Bergara. Ramos Saturday Fair. On the eve of Palm Sunday, the city of Bergara organizes a cattle and agricultural fair. It is preceded by a bertsolaris festival on Friday night.
Regarding arts and exhibits in Basque region:
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. "Windows to the Basque art collection" between the years 1850-1950. Artists who introduced the new artistic languages -impressionism, symbolism or Fauvism- in the Basque Country, after passing through Paris and other European capitals. Museum of Fine Arts of Álava. From January 17th, 2020 until March 28th, 2021.
- In Bilbao. Olafur Eliasson: In real life. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson places the viewer's experience at the core of his art. Guggenheim Museum. From February 14th until April 11th, 2021.
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| Balenciaga Fashion and Design Museum |
- In Getaria. Fashion and Heritage: Cristobal. It puts the focus on Cristóbal Balenciaga himself and the imprint he has left behind as a person through various objects that belonged to him and that have been collected in the Museum's collections. Part of the annual program for the 125th anniversary of his birth. Cristobal Balenciaga Museum. Until April 5th.
- In Bayonne. Exhibition: Un autel pour Eugenia. Basque Museum of Bayonne. Until April 30th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Exhibition of the Bilbao painter Fernando García Alegría (1895 - 1952). 2020 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of “Fernando”. Museum of Fine Arts of Álava. Until March 21st, 2021.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. "Ignacio Figueroa, Marquis of Villamejor". A portrait by Joaquín Bárbara y Balza: life and work of an artista recovered [1867–1931]. Museum of Fine Arts of Álava. From September 25th, 2020 until March 21st, 2021.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. June Crespo exhibition: helmets. In her pieces, Crespo works from sculpture with a language that refers to the body and its relationships with architecture. Artium Museum. Until May 2nd.
- In Güeñes. Merdedes de Miguel the art of dressing. The most representative pieces of each of the Mercedes de Miguel collections, which are presented in a surprising combination with the avant-garde building that houses the exhibition, with cascades of dresses that fall from the upper floor to the hall. Basque Design Center. Until April 11th..
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Moyra Davey exhibition. First solo exhibition of the artist, whose work circulates between the fields of photography, cinema and writing. Artium Museum. Until April 11th.
- In Bayonne. ABC of Critters. Bayonne Natural History Museum. The exhibition presents sculptures made from recycled material (cans, cans, wire, nails ...) and photos where each animal is staged in an original way. An exhibition to visit with the family !. Collections of the Natural History Museums of Bayonne, Bordeaux and Montauban, showing: hairy crab-eating, ashy curlew, nasal otter, European otter, European pond turtle, pearl mussel…. From October 17th, 2020 to March 21st, 2021.
- In Bilbao. Agustín Ibarrola exhibition, Naturalki. Tribute to his 90th birthday. The exhibition focuses on the fundamental relationship established between art and nature in the author's work. Rekalde Room. Until July 4th.
- In Bilbao. Exhibition: "Otl Aicher. Metro Bilbao. Architecture and landscape". First major international retrospective dedicated to the German graphic designer Otl Aicher, with more than two hundred works and objects from the Archive of the Ulm School of Design in Germany. 80 unpublished drawings of his project for Bilbao stand out. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Until April 5th.
- In Bilbao. Eduardo Arroyo engravings. Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Until March 7th.
- In Bilbao. Kandinsky at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Paintings and works on paper and trace the aesthetic evolution of Kadinsky throughout his career. Today, the Guggenheim holds more than 150 pieces by Vasily Kandinsky. Until May 23th.
- In Bilbao. J. S. Elkano. Behind the footprint. He delves into the biography of Juan Sebastian Elkano (1487 / 88-1526), and allows him to follow his vital mark, before, during and after the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Maritime Museum. Until April 21st.
- In Bilbao. Zura eta Ura. Photo exhibition that invites to think about the loss of identity in the fishermen ports after the progressive substitution of wooden boats by boats made of synthetic materials. Maritime Museum. Until September 26th.
- In Tolosa. Men, Women & Puppets. The exhibition brings together 75 puppets of different techniques belonging to some of the most illustrious fathers, mothers, innovators, and some of the 7000 puppeteers members of the International Puppet Union (UNIMA). From January 20th until May 30th.
- In San Sebastian. Seeing Auschwitz. After presenting the award-winning “Auschwitz. Not a long time ago. Not far” produced together with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, the San Sebastian company “Musealia” returns to the concentration camp with a new exhibition: Seeing Auschwitz. The exhibition challenges us to observe with a critical eye the imagery related to Auschwitz, based on a relatively small number of photographs, mostly taken by the Nazi soldiers themselves, and explore details in those images that have gone unnoticed to us before. Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea From January 27th until July 3rd.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Juncal Ballestín. Life as an exercise. A selection of best pieces of Juncal Ballestin. Ballestín's work is characterized by the plurality of materials, media and techniques used: painting, drawing, installation, video, graphic work ... all of them structured in series such as the one entitled Painting. Apology, 1975-2013. Artium Museum. From January 29th until May 16th.
- In San Sebastian. Matinée. Small format concerts. Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa. Miramon. Until June 12th. https://es.euskadikoorkestra.eus/
- In Hernani. Leges Naturae. Discovering the influence of nature in the work of the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida. Chillidaleku. Until June 10th.
- In Bilbao. Bilbao and the Painting. A perspective of painting in Bilbao on the 19th Century when Bilbao was one of the most important cities in Spain through a set of artist which incorporated French Impressionism and other avant-garde art currents. Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. From January 1st until August 28th.
- In Eibar. Theater Days. Selection of the most significant proposals in theater production: Text theater, gestural, physical, comedy, drama, circus and new languages come from the hand of recognized and not so recognized companies. February 9th until March 23rd.
- In Bilbao. Zinegoak: XVII Bilbao’s International GayLesboTrans Film and Performing Arts Festival. Bilborock Hall, BilbaoArte and The Golem Cinemas. From March 1st until March 14th.
- In Bilbao. Richard Artschwager. Exhibition co-organized by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and MART - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto. From February 28th until May 10th.
- In Bilbao. Muntadas. The empty city. ciudad vacía. an audiovisual piece commissioned by the museum, in which the Catalan artist invites us to look at the city from a different point of view. Showing Bilbao, its current urban planning and its historical context, are the starting point for a broader investigation of public space and architecture. Until September 5th.
- In Bilbao. L’Elisir d’Amore. Gaetano Donizetti. Opera. Euskalduna Palace. March 1st.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Duo Canto Ijurko. Music. Vital Fundazioa Kulturunea. March 2nd.
- In Bilbao. Atzerrian lurra garratz. Play about identity, family and dreams. Teatro Arriaga. March 2nd and 3rd.
- In Bilbao. India Martinez music. Euskalduna Palace. March 3rd.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Egin Leku! Maialen Aristegi. Music. Oihaneder Euskararen Etxea (Gasteizko Kafe Antzokia). March 4th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Gorria. Flamenco Music and dance. Centro Civico Aldabe. March 5th.
- In Bilbao. En Tol Sarmiento. Basque band concert mixing pop, rock, ska, reggae, rumba and rock-folk. Campos Eliseos Theater. March 5th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Santi Rodriguez. Como en casa en ningún sitio. Comedy. Teatro Principal Theater. March 5th.
- In Bilbao. Musika-Música: International Festival of Classical Music. The outstanding feature of this Festival is its themed nature, as every year the performances focus on a specific period, style or composer. This year 2021 the axis will be "Vienna". Euskalduna Palace. From March 5th to March 7th
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| Aitor Delgado Tours in Musika-Música Bilbao |
- In Bilbao. Chica Sobresalto. Concert. Sala BBK. March 6th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Il Gardelino Baroque Orchestra. Classical Music. Teatro Principal Theater. March 6th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Bes-Te-Bat!: Cobra. Music. Helldorado. March 6th.
- In Bilbao. Jamming On Tour: el show. Show with 3 actors. You will be surprised! Campos Eliseos Theater. March 7th.
- In San Sebastian. Radio Symphonie-Orchester Wien. Classical Music. Kursaal Palace. March 7th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ekomusic. Classical Music concert with instruments producing taking care of the nature. Teatro Principal Theater. March 7th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Amak. Music. Auditorio Txema Blasco. March 7th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. BlooMsound. Music by Clara Schumann, Eva Ugalde, Augusta E. Stetson, Amy Beach, Carlotta Ferrari, Vittoria Aleotti, J.W. Von Goethe, Fanny Hensel, Lili Boulanger, Gh. Grandmougin. Vital Fundazioa Kulturunea. March 9th.
- In Bilbao. Haizea Martiartu. Mixing Folk and Jazz. Well known Basque traditional songs with a Jazz touch. Teatro Arriaga Theater. March 10th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. City Band Concert. Teatro Principal Theater. March 10th.
- In Bilbao. Loreak eta zauriak. Music by the composer Lete applied to nowadays way of life. Teatro Arriaga Theater. March 11th.
- In San Sebastian. Euskadiko Orkestra. Classical Music Orchestra Concert. Kursaal Palace. March 11th, 12th & 18th.
- In Bilbao. Zetak. Electronic music concert in Basque language. Teatro Arriaga Theater. March 12th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. En Tol Sarmiento. Basque band concert mixing pop, rock, ska, reggae, rumba and rock-folk https://youtu.be/LtDx3hb-KwI . Teatro Principal Theater. March 12th.
- In Bilbao. Divina Cleopatra. A music and theater travel where we will discover the world of Cleopatra. Campos Eliseos Theater. March 12th and 14th.
- In Bilbao. Nil Moliner. Pop music singer. Campos Eliseos Theater. March 13th.
- In Bilbao. Gatibu. Concert. Sala BBK. March 13th.
- In San Sebastian. La Oreja de Van Gogh. Pop Music. Kursaal Palace. March 13th and 14th.
- In Bilbao. “Jotas de siempre”. Navarre traditional music. Otxarkoaga. March 13th.
- In Bilbao. Elirale Konpainia “O!”. Dance. Azkuna Zentroa Alhondiga. March 13th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Kinnia. Music. Urban Rock Concept. March 13th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Iker Piris and His Dual Electras. Music. Urban Rock Concept. March 14th.
- In Bilbao. Kai Nakai + Mad Muasel. Urban Music Concert. Sala BBK. March 14th.
- In Bilbao. Bilboko Udal Txistulari Banda. Kantaldia. Basque traditional music. Euskalduna Palace. March 15th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Euskadiko Orkestra. Classical Music concert. Teatro Principal Theater. March 15th.
- In Bilbao. Euskadiko Orchestra: Prokofiev Travels by Schumann. Euskalduna Palace. March 17th
- In Bilbao. Errimak bi oinetan. Dantza Berriak Bertsoei Jarriak Bertsolaris and dance. Azkuna Zentroa Alhondiga. March 17th.
- In Bilbao. Bizimina – Kukai. Basque Contemporary dancers. Campos Eliseos Theater. March 18th.
- In Bilbao. Mendelssohn & Fumiaki Miura concert. Euskalduna Palace. March 18th and 19th.
- In Bilbao. Txak txak. Concert mixing a traditional intrument “txalaparta” with claque. Sala BBK. March 19th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve. Ballet and contemporary dance by the swiss company concert with instruments producing taking care of the nature. Teatro Principal Theater. March 19th.
- In Bayonne. Logiquimperturbabledufou. Show. Theatre Michel Portal. March 19th and 20th.
- In Bilbao. Melenas + Arima. Concert. Sala BBK. March 19th.
- In Bilbao. El viaje de Ludi. Travel for children though Beethoven music. Teatro Arriaga Theater. March 20th and 21st.
- In Bilbao. Queenmania. A tribute to the British group “Queen”. Campos Eliseos Theater. March 21st.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Fortunata y Benito. Play adapted from Benito Perez Galdós. Teatro Principal Theater. March 23rd.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Stratos Project. Violoncelo & acordion to play Bach, Pärt, Gubaidulina & Piazzolla music. Vital Fundazioa Kulturunea. March 23rd.
- In Bilbao. Flamenco dance. Las Minas del Flamenco Tour. Euskalduna Palace. March 24th.
- In Bilbao. City Txistulari Band. Traditional concert. Basque Museum. March 24th.
- In Bayonne. L’Homme Canon. Circus. Theatre Michel Portal Theater. March 25th and 26th.
- In Bilbao. 100 years of Piazzolla. Euskalduna Palace. March 25th and 26th
- In San Sebastian. El Orfeon Canta. Choral Music. Kursaal Palace. March 26th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Cancanilla de Malaga. Flamenco singer. Teatro Jesus Ibañez de Matauco Theater. March 27th.
- In Bilbao. Meeting tango: Ravel, Stravinsky, Satie, Gardel and Piazzolla. Euskalduna Palace. March 29th
- In Bayonne. Swing Museum. Modern Dance. Theatre Michel Portal Theater. March 30th and 31st.
Regarding Congresses & exhibitions:
- In Bilbao. Desembalaje Bilbao. Exhibition of antiquities and auctions. Bilbao Exhibition Center. March 13th and 14th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. 4th Ecotourism Forum. Europa Palace. March 24th and 25th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Minerals and fosils exhibition. Europa Palace. March 27th and 28th
Regarding Basque sports:
- In Getxo. XIV Punta Galea Challenge is one of 7 that form part of the prestigious Big Wave Tour, and the only one held in Europe. One day between November 1st, 2019 until and March 31, 2020. Cancelled
- In Bayonne. French Open 2020 in Figure Skating on Rollers. Lauga room. February 29th and March 1st. Postponed
- In San Sebastian. Lilaton. Popular race for women only, 5km. This year you can do it whenever you want wherever you want. Its purpose is to vindicate the visibility of women's sport. March 8th.
- In Bilbao. Bilbao cicloturista. International bicycle tour of Bilbao with a distance of 115 kilometers. With 5 staggered departures every 15 minutes and is suitable for all cyclists. The exit is from the Bridge of Deusto and the arrival will be in the Gran Vía Bilbao. March 15th but postponed to September 26th.
- In San Sebastian. Spring Race. Coinciding with the beginning of spring, the Donostiarrak Sports Club, and the University of the Basque Country, organize this 10,000-meter race. March 15th. Cancelled.
- In Biarritz. Contest reserved for Archers. Holders of the Handisport License. Halle d'Iraty. Free entry. March 19th to 24th. Cancelled.
- In San Sebastian. Donostia-Hondarribia Trail. Organized Fortuna Sports Club. Mountain race next to the sea that runs through two protected natural areas: the Jaizkibel and Ulia mountains. March 22nd. Cancelled..
- In Azkoitia and Azpeitia. Half marathon. Diego Garcia Memorial. It is one of the most important sporting events in Gipuzkoa. This is an open test, with the only requirement of having completed 14 years. Each year more than 1,000 runners participate. March 28th.
- In Getxo. International Women’s Sailing Cup J80. March 28th and 29th.
And remember, if you are thinking to come to Bilbao, San Sebastian, Rioja, Vitoria, Pamplona or anywhere else in the Basque Country, you can get a better understanding on our culture and traditions with a local guide.
Enjoy the Basque Country!
