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 June 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.
Best Basques
traditions and festivities in Basque Country:
- 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 Abadiño. Pilgrimage in Urkiola: day
of San Antonio de Padua. Sanctuary of Urkiola. Performances of
trikitilaris and bertsolaris. Agricultural posts, artisans and livestock. June 13th.
- In Mundaka. Saint Pedro parties.
Famous processions of San Pedro, the Aurresku, the pipers, the big heads or the
maritime kukaña. The big day is June 29th, although the celebrations
run from June 20th to July 5th.
- In Tolosa,
Eibar, Arrasate, Hernani, Andoain, Laguardia, Amurrio, Salvatierra, Leioa,
Getxo, Bermeo, Muskiz, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz,…. St. John
Pilgrimage's. The arrival of the summer solstice is
celebrated. The bonfires burn to drive away evil spirits and attract good
luck. June 23rd.
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| St. John Pilgrimage's. Getxo. |
- In Bermeo. St. John Pilgrimage's. Pilgrimage
on foot to the hermitage of San Juan de Gastelugatxe and wreath to the Virgin
(submerged in the sea under the natural arches of the islet of Aketze). June 24th.
- In Ondarroa. Shoe Azule (Blue Saturday).
Most important party in the city. T-shirts, sports and music are the main
ingredients. June 26th.
- In Haro, La Rioja. Battle of wine.
Fiesta of National Tourist Interest. Pilgrimage to the hermitage of
Los Riscos de Bilibio. June 29th.
- In Lekeitio. Saint Pedro parties. The
dance of the Kaxarranka (a dantzari dances on a chest or kutxa carried by eight
fishermen), the Kilin-Kala (consists in the risk of throwing the image of the
Saint into the water, to ask for good fishing) and the aurresku (basque
tipical dance) of women. From June 29th to July 1st.
- In Irun. Saint Marcial Alarde
(Procession). Parade remembering Spanish and French wars. June, 30th.
Regarding arts, congress and exhibits
in Basque Country:
- In Bilbao. ABC: The alphabet of the Bilbao Museum.
Exhibition for its 110 years of inauguration. Museum of Fine Arts. From
October 6th, 2018 until December 30th, 2021.
- 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 September 26th.
- 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 September 12th.
- 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 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 Hernani. Leges naturae. Selection of
little-known and rarely exhibited works. Chillida Leku Museum. From January
28th to June 10th.
- 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.
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| Artium Center, Vitoria-Gasteiz |
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Expo: Basque artistic and cultural practices from 1977
to 2002. Artium Center. From February 8th to December.
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Expo: Bigarren bidea (Second way). Basque
women's artists from 1977 to date. Artium Center. From March 5th to
December.
- In
Bilbao. Exhibition of movable industrial material considered Cultural
Heritage. 2,000 pieces: old motorcycles, fire trucks, linotypes and
printing material, remains of the mining industry and its auxiliary sector,
anchors, a port crane, motors, hydraulic presses, models…. Konsoni Factory -
Konsoni Lantegia. From March 5th until January 7th, 2022.
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Playing cards women producers: A living memory.
The work carried out by these women stands out. Museo Fournier de Naipes de
Álava. From March 24th until January 31st, 2022.
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Katinka Bock. "Logbook (invitations and
routes)". First exhibition dedicated to the Frankfurt am Main
artist in Spain. Artium Center. From March 27th to September 12th.
- In
Azpeitia. Travel on the steam train. The Basque Railway
Museum presents one of the best railway collections in Europe, with
locomotives of all kinds, wagons, clocks as well as perfectly restored and
in-use historical electrical installations. From March 31th until November 1st.
- In
Biarritz. Exhibition - Event Jackie and the Kennedys. 164 large
format prints, captioned by an anecdote, often unpublished. Public Garden,
Grande Plage, Square d'Ixelles, Côte des Basques, Golf le Phare. From April 5th
to September 5th.
- In
Bilbao. Frozen, the tribute. The origin of ice. An adventure for
the whole family with all the songs from the two films. Campos Elíseos Theater.
April 11th and June 5th.
- In
Bilbao. Mendiburu. Matter and memory. More than a hundred pieces
including sculptures and works on paper. Museum of Fine Arts. Room 32.
From April 14th until September 5th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Jalgi!
Voice Festival. Diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative proposals to
broaden horizons and bring lyrical and classical music closer. From April 15th
until June 13th.
- In
Bilbao. Womanology. José Ramón Prieto Collection. Contemporary art
made up exclusively of female artists, most of them belonging to the same
generation. Museum of Fine Arts. From April 30th until September 5th.
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| Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. Getaria |
- In
Getaria. Exhibition “Alaïa & Balenciaga. Sculptors of the form”.
More than 100 works by both creators - Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) and Cristóbal
Balenciaga (1895-1972) - belonging to the collections of the Azzedine Alaïa
Foundation in Paris. Tenth anniversary of the Cristóbal Balenciaga
Museum. From April 30th until October 31st.
- In San
Sebastian. "100 years of Basque
Art". Permanent exhibition of the San Telmo Museum, with works by
Jorge Oteiza, Néstor Basterretxea and Mari Paz Jiménez. Last update: May 4th,
2021.
- In Bilbao.
Los locos años 20. Exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in which the
artistic director of the Arriaga Theater, Calixto Bieito, participates as a
designer. And in the theater you can see a program for two months that will
evoke that time of effervescence and creative freedom. From May 7th to
September 19th.
- In Bilbao. Exhibition "All concerts, every night,
all empty" by the artist Ana Laura Aláez. Azkuna Center. From May 20th
to September 26th.
- In Bilbao. Prototipoak. International Biennial of
New Artistic Forms. Azkuna Center. From June 1st to 5th.
- In Aránzazu (Gipuzkoa). VII
European Congress of Rural Tourism (COETUR): "Rural tourism as an
engine of development after the Covid-19 crisis". June 2nd and 3rd.
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Vital Art Contest 2021:
Exhibition of the selected works. Vital Foundation Exhibition Center. From
June 2nd until 27th.
- In San
Sebastian. María Arnal and Marcel Bagés:
Clamor. Electronic music. Victoria Eugenia Theater. June 4th.
- In Bilbao. A walk through the history of musical
theater, from 1866 to today. Live music, humor, theater and dance. Campos
Eliseos Theater. June 4th.
- In Bilbao. The seven capital sins. Satitic
"sung ballet" in 7 scenes. Music by Kurt Weill and libretto by
Bertolt Brecht. Arriaga Theater. June 4th and 5th.
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| FICOBA. Irun. |
- In Irun (Gipuzkoa). BIOTERRA 2021. Fair of the Basque Country of ecological products,
bioconstruction, renewable energies and responsible consumption. FICOBA. June
4th, 5th and 6th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Municipal Academy of Folklore. Dantza Plazan 2021. Parque La
Florida (Kiosko). June 4th and 18th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Festival In Situ 2021. From June 4th until July 2nd.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. The constant prince, by Calderón de la Barca. Principal Theater.
June 5th and 6th.
- In Bilbao. Derby
Motoreta’s Burrito Kachimba. Bizkaia Arena BEC !. June 5th.
- In Bilbao. Le
Petit Garage. Ara Malikian Concert. Euskalduna Palace. June 6th.
- In Bilbao. Rabba
Rabba Girl Jam Band. Group of women members of Biscayan bands from all eras
who will review historical themes of the closest rock. BBK Sala. June 6th.
- In San Sebastian. Rulo
& la Contrabanda. Tracks from his last two CDs. Victoria Eugenia
Theater. June 6th until 19th.
- In Saint Jean de Luz. Martxuka merkatua - Designer
market. Halles. June 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th.
- In San Sebastian. Dock
of the Bay, the 14th Musical Documentary Film Festival. Cines Trueba,
Tabakalera and the Principal Theater. From June 7th until 12th.
- In San Sebastian. "Subh;
the Basque slave who ruled Al-Andalus”. Euskal Barrokoensemble Group.
Medieval music, the Calixtino Codex or traditional Andalusian music. Kursaal
Palace. June 9th.
- In Bilbao. Erwartung
(The Wait). Schönberg's magnificent and enigmatic opera performed by the
powerful voice of soprano Ausrine Stundyte. Arriaga Theater. June 10th.
- In Hernani. Leges Naturae. Discovering
the influence of nature in the work of the Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida.
Chillidaleku. Until June 10th.
- In Bilbao. Flamenco:
The mines. Euskalduna Palace. June 10th.
- In Pasaia. Dance
Festival. From classical pop to contemporary dance. From June 10th until
14th.
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| Tàpies in Zabalaga. Chillida Leku Museum. Hernani |
- In Hernani. Tàpies in Zabalaga. Exhibition
focused on the large-format sculptures of the Catalan artist. Chillida Leku
Museum. From June 10th, 2021 to January 10th, 2022.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Anari in concert. Music and poetry. Principal Theater. June 11th.
- In Bilbao. Maren.
Versatile artist. BBK Sala. June 11th.
- In Bilbao. The
line of wit. Selection of works from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's Own
Collection whose common features are humor, wit and experimentation. From June
11th until February 6th.
- In San Sebastian. Matinée. Small format
concerts. Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa. Miramon. Until June 12th.
- In Bilbao. Van
Gogh's Ear: A Whisper in the Storm. Euskalduna Palace. June 12th.
- In Bilbao. Kakerlake
/ Kafka. A scenic creation by Richard Sahagún, one of the main creators of
the contemporary Basque scene. Interpreters: Nuria Valiente, Toti Martínez de
Lezea, Nerea Sanz. Arriaga Theater. June 12th.
- In Bilbao. Hospital
stories. Dying you can save your life. Comedy about how with our character,
we show our illness. Campos Eliseos Theater. June 12th.
- In Bilbao. Alice:
The Musical. Euskalduna Palace. June 12th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Feminism for clumsy. Between the monologue of humor, theater and
personal confession. Principal Theater. June 12th.
- In San Sebastian. "17 times, Faemino and Cansado". Comedians Victoria Eugenia
Theater. From June 12th until 19th.
- In San Sebastian. The
Drugs. Enrique Villarreal, singer and bassist of the defunct rock band Barricada, and his group.
Victoria Eugenia Theater. June 13th.
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| Saint Jean de Luz. Venetian Féeries. |
- In Saint Jean de Luz. 6th edition of the Venetian Féeries. Carnival. Place Louis XIV.
June 13th.
- In San Sebastián. XII
C de C 2021. Creatives Club.
National Creativity Awards. Meeting between Creatives and Advertisers. Online -
From June 14th until 19th. Kursaal - Conference Center. In person: June 18th
and 19th.
- In San Sebastian. European
tour “Ode to Joy”. Wilko, the alternative rock band from Chicago. Kursaal
Palace. June 15th.
- In Bilbao. Food
4 Future 2021. Food 4 Future World Summit. Bizkaia Arena BEC !. From June
15th until 17th.
- In
Vitoria-Gasteiz. Azkena Rock Festival. One of the most important
festivals in Spain, specialized in underground bands. From June 17th until
19th.
- In Bayonne. Terraces
in celebration. Concert in front of the terraces and cafes of the city.
Various locations. June 17th, 19th, 24th and 26th.
- In Bilbao. Sofía
Ellar, singer-songwriter and composer. BBK Sala. June 18th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Kukai Dantza: Hnuy illa. We will breathe poetry from dance, song,
music, images. Principal Theater. June 18th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Greenpiss. An eco-illogical riot. It's a hilarious satire on
ecology, the future of our planet, and the survival of our own species. Main
Theater. June 18th.
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| Big Week of the Pintxo of Álava. Vitoria-Gasteiz |
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. 8th Big Week of the Pintxo of Álava. Competition between the
pintxos (Basque tapas) that the catering establishments present in competition.
Participating bars and restaurants. From June 18th to 29th.
- In San Sebastian. Beginners;
Javier Gutiérrez, Mónica Regueiro. Theatrical adaptation of one of the best
known stories by Raymond Carver. Victoria Eugenia Theater. June 19th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Local Artists Fair. Falerina Garden (Montehermoso Cultural Center).
June 19th.
- In Bilbao. "The
Nibelungs - Siegfried's Death". Masterpiece of Fritz Lang on the big
screen and live performance of the film's music by the Bilbao Symphony
Orchestra. Arriaga Theater. June 19th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Chamber Cycle of the Principal Theater: Ander Perrino, double bass
and Rodrigo Bauzá, violin. Conservatory of Music "Jesús Guridi". June
20th.
- In Bayonne. Music
Festival. Traditional music groups (Gaiteros and Txistularis) enliven the
pedestrian streets. Tuk-tuk and music trucks circulate at low speed in the
neighborhoods and gather in the city center. Various locations. June 21st.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Euskadi Gastronomy Contest. Event to be selected by the Basque team
for the 2021 National Gastronomy Contest. Europe Conference Center. June 21st
and 22nd.
- In San Sebastian. Bryan
Ferry Concert. Composer, singer and pianist. Review by the great successes
of him. Kursaal Palace. June 22nd.
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| MDV Danza. Bilbao |
- In Bilbao.
"Arquitectos del Aire (Alhóndiga)" by MDV Danza, company of the
choreographer Mikel del Valle. Reflection on the industrial heritage through a
danced architectural journey. EszenAZ, The performing arts season. Azkuna
Center. June 24th.
- In
Bilbao. Leku Leku Festival. The International Festival of Dance in
Urban Landscapes. Walk of Abandoibarra of Bilbao. June 23rd and 26th.
- In San Sebastian. Tropic
of Covadonga Show. Rodrigo Cuevas. Folk and electronic agitation, country
divism and humor, elegant eroticism, hedonism and celebration of non-negotiable
rights. Victoria Eugenia Theater. June 25th.
- In Artziniega. Zinegoak
2021: International LGBTQ Film Festival. Garai Square. June 25th.
- In Saint Jean de Luz. Holiday clearance sale. Downtown. From June 25th until 27th.
- In San Sebastian. The
best-known opera choirs in history and fragments of zarzuelas. Fifth
concert of the I Cycle of classical concerts organized by the Orfeón Donostiarra.
Kursaal Palace. June 26th.
- In Vitoria-Gasteiz. La Polla Records' special farewell concert. Mendizabala. June 26th.
- In Getaria. Sculptural
modeling technique course. The course will introduce the pattern system
"Transformational Reconstruction". The technique is based on the
design on the mannequin, the work of the volume pattern and its adaptation to
the body anatomy. Shingo Sato, Japanese designer. Cristobal Balenciaga Museum. June
26th and 27th.
- In San Sebastian. Pamplona
Youth Orchestra: Around the World in 60 minutes. Victoria Eugenia Theater.
June 30th.
- In Getxo. International
Jazz Festival. Biotz Alai Square. From June 30th until July 7th.
- In Bayonne. Everyday
wefts. Haritik harira. Textile
collections of the Basque and History Museum. From July 2nd until January
2nd.
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| Agustín Ibarrola. Bilbao |
- 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. Muntadas. The empty
city. 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. 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.
Regarding Basque sports:
- In
Zegama. Alpina Marathon Zegama-Aizkorri. Qualifying
test for the Golden Trail World Series 2019 and the Golden Trail National
Series 2019. 42 kilometers by four of the highest peaks in the Basque Country.
June 2nd. The 2021 edition of the Zegama-Aizkorri is suspended!
- In Saint
Jean de Luz. World Cycling Day: From
Sainte-Barbe to Socoa: By bicycle. June 3rd.
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!
You can also contact us or expand information through the new Aitor Delgado Basque Private Tours website that we launched in December 2019
