January
January 6 - Religious procession from Almería, Andalucia.
February
Throughout month - Seville tapas fair.
February 1 - San Cecilio gypsy festival in Granada.
Week before Lent - Cadiz is one of the best cities in Spain for the Carnaval.
March
Throughout month - Jerez Flamenco Festival
April
Easter Semana Santa in Spanish, Easter is very important in Spain. The celebrations go on in the week leading up to Easter, with the biggest celebrations being in Seville and Andalusia in general. Outside of Andalusia, Zamora, Toledo and Valladolid have big celebrations. Read more about Semana Santa in Spain
Third week - Granada Short Film Festival
May
Throughout month - Cordoba has two festivals this month, with the Cruces de Mayo at the beginning of the month (featuring a competition for the best-decorated patio) and the Cordoba Festival at the end. This is the best time to visit Cordoba - try to split your time between Madrid and here.
Throughout month Every two years, Jaen hosts Expoliva, an olive oil exposition.
Second week of the month - Jerez Horse Fair.
Weekend before Pentecost Monday There are a number of religious pilgrimages in Spain, but the Pilgrimage of the Virgen del Rocio is the biggest of them all.
June
June 12 Romeria del Rocio, Huelva
Third week of the month - Algeciras fair.
Last Saturday in June - 'Potaje', famous flamenco festival, Utrera, Seville.
June 24 - Lanjarón, in the Alpujarras region near Granada has its Water Festival (Fiesta del Agua) (presumably to publicize its mineral water production), as well as a celebration of the town's delicious ham. The water festival is just an excuse for a giant water fight. The locals park their cars out of town for day as people from all over the country take to the streets with buckets and water pistols. They then feast on locally produced ham, some of the best in the country. A novel event that is worth a visit.
Late June/early July - Granada's International Festival of Music and Dance, a celebration of flamenco and classical music that attracts some excellent musicians.
July
July 3-11 - International Guitar Festival in Cordoba.
August
First half of August - horse racing on the beach at Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalusia.
First Saturday - New Year's Eve in August, Bérchules, Granada.
August 5 - midnight pilgrimage starting in Trevelez, Andalusia.
August 11-20 Feria de Malaga.
August 15 - Plenty of dancing at the Ascension of the Virgin festival in Vejer, Andalusia.
August 15 - Noche del Vino wine festival in Competa, Malaga.
September
First week - Tarifa has its festival.
4-8 Fiestas en Honor de María Santísima de la Sierra. Cabra (Cordoba).
6 and 9 Cascamorras in Baza and Guadix, Granada, a bizarre festival involving throwing paint and water at each other.
8 Ferias y Fiestas de La Consolación. Utrera (Sevilla).
Second week - Mijas, Andalusia, has its festival.
7-16 Film Festival of the Atlantic, Alcances in Cadiz.
Mid-Sep until mid-Oct - Bienal de Flamenco, important flamenco festival in Seville. Festival is every two years, in even years. (2006, 2008, etc).
17-21 Real Feria y Fiesta de la Vendimia. La Palma del Condado, Huelva, Andalusia. One of the oldest grape harvest festivals in Spain.
Last week - Ubeda and Torremolinos, both in Andalusia, have their festivals.
October
October 5-9 Cadiar, in the Alpujarras mountain range, has its Feria de Octubre, where the fountains are filled with wine rather than water.
First week - Fuengirola, Costa del Sol, has its festival.
Second week - The olive growing capital of the world, Jaen, near Granada, has its festival.
Third week - San Pedro, near Marbella, Costa del Sol, has its big festival.
October 18 - Romeria de Nuestra Señora de Valme in Dos Hermanas, near Seville. Religious pilgrimage.
November
Throughout month - Granada Jazz Festival.
November 3-11 - Seville Film Festival
November 18-25 - Latin American Film Festival in Huelva, Andalusia.
