What to do in the Basque Country Events - Agenda January 2022

THINGS TO DO IN BILBAO, SAN SEBASTIAN, VITORIA-GASTEIZ, BIARRITZ, BAYONNE, RIOJA OR PAMPLONA.

Our selection of best art, sport & cultural events in the Basque Country during January 2022.

Please note that some of the events below may change due to regulations to control Covid-19.


The Arrue brothers in Paris expo.
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

Regarding arts, congress and exhibits in Basque Country:

  • 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 Bilbao. Exhibition "Ibarrola in the estuary, water, iron, fire and air". Exhibition by the Basque Agustín Ibarrola (Basauri, 1930) with 17 large-format oil paintings and 20 drawings on maritime and industrial themes of the Bilbao Estuary. From May 11th until January 31st, 2022.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. The relics of Martioda. A restored treasure. Museum of Fine Arts of Álava. From May 28th until January 16th, 2022.
  • In Hernani. Tàpies in Zabalaga. Exhibition focused on the large-format sculptures of the Catalan artist. Chillida Leku Museum. Free guided tour from June 12th to September 30th. From June 10th, 2021 to January 10th, 2022.
  • 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 January 16th.
  • In San Sebastian. 24 hours: a day in Victoria. Details of life aboard the nao Victoria, in the first round the world. Basque Maritime Museum. From June 25th until January 9th, 2022.
  • In Bilbao. Alice Neel: "People first." A "collector of souls". Bilbao Museum Guggenheim. From September 17th to February 6th.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. XVIII International Cycle of Contemporary MusicBernaola Festival is an important cultural event whose objective is to spread the diversity of the music of the 21st century. Different places in the city: Artium, Jesús Guridi Conservatory of Music... From October 16th to February 5th, 2022.
  • In Bilbao. "Guernica" by Agustín Ibarrola. This new acquisition is an emblematic work of Basque art and of the painter's production, and it was also one of the most significant episodes in the museum's recent history. Museum of Fine Arts of BIlbao. From October 18th until March 27th.
  • In Bilbao. Women of abstraction. Contribution of women artists to abstraction. Exhibition that comes from the Center Pompidou in Paris. Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. From October 22nd to February 27th.
  • In Getaria. Balenciaga: the elegance of the hat. Exhibition resulting from a joint investigation of the collections of hats of the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum and the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona. Cristobal Balenciaga Museum. October 29th to May 8th, 2022.
  • In Bilbao. Eduardo Chillida, Reflections / Anthony Caro, Open Secret: A dialog. Museum of Fine Arts. From November 4th to January 30th.
  • In Bilbao. The Arrue brothers in Paris. 2 large-format paintings of Basque prints awarded in Paris. Fine Arts Museum. From November 16th to March 27th.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. VIII Aitzina Folk Festival. A solidarity festival since 2013 with a double mission: the dissemination of folk, with music, dance and workshops, and support for the fight to investigate a rare disease called ataxia telangiectasia. From November 29th, 2021 to January 2nd, 2021.
  • In Getaria. Transmissions. Selection of works from the museum's educational project with international fashion design schools seeking: the introduction of new and revolutionary silhouettes. Balenciaga Museum. From December 3rd until February 7th.
  • In Biarritz. FIPADOC - International Documentary Festival. International Co-Production Forum and the Campus are already organized to be accessible also from a distance. A fully digital edition will be rolled out if the conditions to organize a hybrid festival are not met. Gare Du Midi Theater. From January 17th until 23rd.
  • In San Sebastian. Great Night of the Spanish Guitar. Rolando Saad, on guitar. Aranjuez Concert by Joaquín Rodrigo, El Amor Brujo by Falla and Carmen by Bizet. Kursaal Auditorium. January 18th.
  • In Bilbao. Les 7 Doigts: Passagers. A circus ode to travel. Contemporary Circus Company of Canada. Arriaga Theater. From January 21st to 23rd.
  • In Bilbao. Candlelight. Classical music concerts by candlelight. Church of the Incarnation. From January 22nd to March 19th.
  • In San Sebastian. Swan Lake. Royal Russian Ballet. Kursaal Auditorium. January 23rd.
  • In Barakaldo. Without singing or ending: tour 2022. C. Tangana: El Madrileño. Bizkaia Arena BEC. January 29th.

 Start of the season of the Basque Cider, until end of April.

Best Basques traditions and festivities:

  • 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. Urdanibia Square. Every Saturday.
  • In San Sebastian. Craft market in La Bretxa. Every Sunday and holidays from Easter.
  • 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 Bilbao. Ice rink and slide. The ecological ice skating rink will have 800 square meters, in the Arenal Pier. The large slide has 6 lanes of movement, at the Ripa Pier. From November 25th to January 6th.
  • In Saint Jean de Luz. Christmas in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Downtown. From November 26th until January 2nd, 2022.
  • In Biarritz. Biarritz in the spotlight. Biarritz is adorned with light with illuminations of emblematic buildings and sites, installations and other luminous decorations. Public Garden - Ocean walk Rocher du Basta and Rocher de la Vierge - Biarritz Aquarium - Port Vieux - Place Balea - Municipal Casino and Town Hall. From November 26th to January 2nd.
  • In Bilbao. Nativity scenes from around the world exhibition. 13 traditional nativity scenes of different formats and styles. Museum of Steps. From December 1st until January 7th.
  • In Laguardia. Articulated nativity scene. One of the few baroque nativity scenes with movement that are preserved today. Set of 73 pieces of which most are Rococo style. Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes. From December 1st until February 6th.
  • In Bilbao. Traditional nativity scenes. The Church of San Nicolás, the Cathedral of Santiago, the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, the Mercado de la Ribera, the Basque Museum and the Bilbao Maritime Museum show the public more than 50 nativity scenes composed of almost 800 handmade figures. From December 1st until January 7th.
  • In Bayonne. Noël 2021. Local events throughout the city. From December 3rd to January 2nd.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Belen Monumental. Popular tradition since 1962. Composed of more than 200 human figures, buildings and hundreds of animals and accessories. Florida Park. From December 3rd until January 6th, 2022.
  • In San Sebastian. Christmas Market. The Buen Pastor Cathedral Square and the Urumea riverside walk. Inspired by Centraleurope Christmas Markets, this Christmas Fair has a wide commercial offer, leisure space, its activities program…. From December 10th until January 9th.
  • In Irun. Ice rink. Campaign: "Irun, capital of your Christmas." 1,000 m2 outside of Ficoba. From December 10th to January 16th.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Lan Ta Lan Fair. Crafts Fair. Province Square. From December 12th to January 5th, 2022.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Christmas Farmers' and Craft Market. Exhibition, sale and tasting of agricultural and livestock products mainly from Alava producers. Contest and exhibition of birds. Independence Street and Celedones de Oro Place (handi-craft); and Santa Barbara Square (farmers). From December 13th until January 6th, 2022.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Great ice rink. Slides and ice skating in La Florida Park. From December 17th to January 9th.
  • In Bilbao. Christmas Children's Park. Bilbao Exhibition Centre. From December 21st to January 5th.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Christmas Children's Park. Centro Cívico Hegoalde. From December 26th to January 5th.
  • In Astigarraga. Start of the season of the Basque Cider. Around January 15th. 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 12th and runs until the end of April.
  • In Getaria. Presentation of the Getaria txakoli season. Coinciding with the festival of San Antón. Txakoli, anchovies and bonito. Basque sports, music and bertxolaris (Basque repentistas). January 17th.
  • In Mungia and Amurrio. San Antón Fair. Morcillas and Chorizos Contest, ball games and sale of products of the hamlet, kitchen utensils, trees and plants of all kinds. From January 17th to 21st.

Ice skating in the Florida Park, Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Regarding Basques and others sports:

  • In Getxo. Punta Galea ChallengeSurf Party. The only test in Europe of the 7 of the prestigious World Circuit of Big Waves of Surf, Big Wave Tour. From November 1st to March 31st.
  • In Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ice skating in the Florida Park. From December 17th until January 9th. From 10 in the morning to 8 at night.

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.

contact Aitor Delgado Basque Private Tour Guide

You can also contact us or expand information through the new Aitor Delgado Basque Private Tours website that we launched in December 2019

Enjoy the Basque Country!