Events in Spain in August

August is one of the most action packed months in Spain, despite the fact that it is so hot in much of the country.

More on August Weather in Spain

The Tomatina Tomato Fight! Read my Tomatina Tomato Fight Guide for all the details, including photos.

If you'd prefer something less messy, check out Semana Grande in the Basque Country.

• August 1-4, 2013
  Event Somontano Wine Festival
  Where? Barbastro, Aragon.
  What? Celebrating local wines.

• August 1-11, 2013 (Dates TBC)
  Event Cante de las Minas
  Where? La Union, Murcia
  What? Flamenco festival

• August 1 - 25, 2013
  Event Festival Internacional de Santander
  Where? Santander, in the north of Spain
  What? Theater and music festival.

• August 2-4, 2013
  EventBeach Horse Racing
  Where? San Lucar Barrameda, Andalusia
  What? The first of two such events in San Lucar. Dates vary each year but there are always two sets of dates in August.

• August 2-18, 2013 (Dates TBC)
  Event Festival de Musica de Cadaques
  Where? Cadaques, Catalonia
  What? Music festival.

• August 3, 2013
  Event Descenso del Sella
  Where? Asturias
  What? the Descent of the River Sella, a canoe and kayak race

• August 3, 2013 (first Saturday every year)
  Event New Year's Eve in August,
  Where? Bérchules, Granada.
  What? A second New Year's Eve, in the middle of the summer!

• August 11, 2013 (second Sunday of August every year) (TBC)
  Event Cantabria day
  Where? Cabezon de la Sal, Cantabria
  What? Local celebrations.

• August 4, 2013 ((first Sunday of August every year)
  Event Viking Festival">
  Where? Catoira, Galicia
  What? Celebrates the defense of Galicia against the vikings.

• First or second weekend of August (sources vary - ask locally)
  Event La Traida del Agua
  Where? Lomo Magullo, Telde (Gran Canaria)
  What? A water fight! See a video of the Traida del Agua water fight.

• August 4, 2013
  Event Bullfighting in Madrid.
  Where? Bullfighting.
  What? Book tickets for bullfights in Madrid or see the full Bullfighting Schedule for Madrid 2013

• August 4-9, 2013
  Event Fiesta de la Virgen Blanca
  Where? Vitoria, Basque Country
  What? A festival of bullfighting and fireworks. Gigantones, a style of band peculiar to the region, will be out in force.

• August 8-10, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event San Lorenzo festival
  Where? Lavapies, Madrid.
  What? Local festivities.

• August 11, 2013
  Event Bullfighting in Madrid
  Where? Madrid.
  What? Book tickets for bullfights in Madrid or see the full Bullfighting Schedule for Madrid 2013

• August 10-18, 2013 (dates TBC)
  EventFeria de Malaga
  Where?
  What? One of the biggest parties in Andalusia. Flamenco, dancing (and flamenco dancing!), bullfighting, fireworks and general partying in the street.

• August 13-19, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event Cante Grande
  Where? Puente Genil
  What? Flamenco festival, held close to Assumption of Mary day, on the last day of the town's week of fiestas.

• August 11, 2013 (second Sunday of August
  Event Octopus festival
  Where? Carballiño, Galicia.
  What? A celebration of Galicia's most famous dish.

• August 13-18, 2013
  Event bullrunning in Chinchon
  Where? Chinchon, near Madrid.
  What? Pamplona-style bull run. Dates tend to be the same each year.

• August 14-19, 2013
  Event Fiestas de Agosto in Toledo.
  Where? Toledo
  What? Local festivities.

• August 15, 2013
  Event Releasing of the ducks
  Where? Can Picafort in Mallorca
  What? Live ducks have been replaced by plastic ducks since 2007. Usually the same date each year.

• August 15, 2013
  Event Bullfighting in Madrid.
  Where? Madrid
  What? Book tickets for bullfights in Madrid or see the full Bullfighting Schedule for Madrid 2013

• August 15, 2013
  Event Noche del Vino
  Where? Competa, Malaga.
  What? Wine festival. Same date every year (Assumption Day)

• August 15-21, 2013
  Event Gracia festival
  Where? The Gracia district of Barcelona
  What? Fireworks, children's drawing contests, dancing, drinking and more in Gracia's festival. Dates tend to stay more or less the same.

• August 16, 2013
  Event Fiesta de Agua
  Where? Vilagarcia de Arousa
  What? Giant water fight. Note that the town is sometimes spelt as Villagarcia (with two l's). Same date every year.

• August 16-18, 2013
  Event Beach Horse Racing
  Where? San Lucar Barrameda, Andalusia
  What? The second of two such events in San Lucar.

• August 17-24, 2013
  Event Rototom Sunsplash
  Where? Benicassim
  What? Reggae festival, headlined by Damian Marley in 2013.

• August 18, 2013
  Event Bullfighting in Madrid
  Where? Madrid
  What? Book tickets for bullfights in Madrid or see the full Bullfighting Schedule for Madrid 2013

• August 18-26, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event Festa Major de Sants,
  Where? Sants/Montjuic area of Barcelona.
  What? Local festivities.

• August 19-27, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event Festa Major de Sitges
  Where? Sitges
  What? The biggest festival after carnival in Sitges, near Barcelona.

• August 20-28, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event Semana Grande (Aste Nagusia in Basque)
  Where? Bilbao and San Sebastian
  What? What goes on at Semana Grande? What doesn't go on? The biggest festival in the region, with local traditional music and dancing as well as the the Bilbao Strong Man competition and an Ugly Competition. Read about Semana Grande in San Sebastian.

• August 21 - September 1, 2013
  Event Grape Harvest Festival
  Where? Requena, Valencia
  What? Celebration of the local wine production.

• August 24-25, 2013 (dates TBC)
  Event Bullrunning
  Where? Cuellar, near Segovia.
  What? Cuellar bullruns

• August 24 - September 15, 2013
  Event Vuelta a España
  Where? Stages take place largely in the north of Spain (Galicia, Navarra, Basque Country and Catalonia) and around Madrid.
  What? Spain's version of the Tour de France. Dates vary year to year but tend to straddle August and September.

• August 25, 2013
  Event Bullfighting in Madrid
  Where? Madrid
  What? Book tickets for bullfights in Madrid or see the full Bullfighting Schedule for Madrid 2013

• Fourth Wednesday of August, 2013
  Event Tomatina Tomato Fight
  Where? Bunyol (Buñol), near Valencia.
  What? The world's most famous food fight.

• 29 August - September 2, 2013
  Event Festa Major de Vilafranca del Penedés.
  Where? Vilafranca, Catalonia
  What? Castells (human castle-building) and more traditional festivities.

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