Feria de Málaga 2026: August 15–22 — Full Program & Guide

The fair in 30 seconds

Dates: Saturday August 15 to Saturday August 22, 2026. The night of Friday the 14th already kicks things off with fireworks.
Price: free. Entry to the grounds and to almost every caseta (fair tent) costs nothing — you only pay for what you consume.
It's two fairs: the Day Fair downtown until mid-afternoon, and the Night Fair at Real del Cortijo de Torres until sunrise.
Big day: August 19, marking Málaga's incorporation into Castile in 1487.
The drink: cartojal, a sweet rosé wine only found during the fair. Served very cold.
Getting around: public transport, always. EMT adds extra bus routes all night.

Feria de Málaga isn't just another Andalusian fair. It's the biggest of the Spanish summer, and — more importantly — it's two completely different events happening on the same day, six kilometers apart. First-timers often figure this out too late: they show up downtown at 11pm expecting casetas and find the streets emptying out instead.

That's what this guide is for: understanding the structure before you arrive, so you don't waste a single day.

Day Fair vs Night Fair

This is the first thing to get straight. They're not "the same fair at different times" — they're two different atmospheres, in two different locations, with two different crowds.

☀️ Day Fair

Historic center

Where: Calle Larios, Plaza de la Constitución, Plaza de la Merced, Calle Granada
When: from mid-morning until around 6pm
Vibe: street life, packed terraces, spontaneous verdiales folk bands and flamenco
Who it's for: families, first-timers, anyone who wants photos and atmosphere without staying up all night
How to get there: on foot — most of the center is pedestrianized

🌙 Night Fair

Real del Cortijo de Torres

Where: the Cortijo de Torres fairgrounds, west of the city
When: from evening until sunrise
Vibe: traditional and youth casetas, concerts, fairground rides, a whole food zone
Who it's for: anyone here for the long party — and families too, up to a certain hour
How to get there: EMT bus or metro + shuttle. Not by car.

💡 SolGuide trick: the plan that actually works is chaining the two. Downtown at midday, a real break between 6pm and 9pm (don't skip it — in August it's a matter of survival), then Cortijo de Torres from 10pm on. Trying to do both without a break in between is the classic first-day mistake.

Day by day: what happens each day

Friday, August 14 Opening

The fair unofficially starts tonight. Around 11:50pm there's a drone show over the coastline, and at midnight the big fireworks display goes off next to La Malagueta beach and the port. It's one of the biggest pyrotechnic shows in Andalusia and fills the entire seafront. Afterward, the lights at the fairgrounds go on and casetas officially open.
Saturday, August 15

First full day. The Day Fair kicks off downtown and the casetas at the fairgrounds are already running at full swing. The bullfighting season also starts at La Malagueta. One of the busiest days, along with the 19th.
August 16 to 18

Cruising pace: Day Fair downtown, horse parades, verdiales folk bands and flamenco, kids' activities, afternoon bullfights, free concerts at the Municipal Auditorium at Cortijo de Torres, and casetas until sunrise.
Wednesday, August 19 Big day

The Día Principal, marking Málaga's incorporation into the Crown of Castile in 1487. The busiest day of the year, with official ceremonies, the biggest concerts and folklore at its best. If you can only come one day, make it this one — but come prepared for crowds.
August 20 to 22

Full programming continues through closing on Saturday the 22nd. The last few days tend to be a bit more breathable on weekdays, and the Saturday close fills everything back up.

ℹ️ About the detailed program: the city council usually publishes the full official schedule — concert lineup, exact times, list of casetas and other events — in the weeks before the fair. What you see above is the confirmed structure of the fair; the specific artist names and exact performance times get locked in closer to the date. In the SolGuide app, events update automatically as they're confirmed.

📲 Don't be the last to know about the concerts The app notifies you as concert lineups and events for Málaga and the whole Costa del Sol get confirmed. Download

Map: the two spots that matter

The entire fair revolves around these two locations. Save them before you arrive — mobile coverage at the fairgrounds, surrounded by a hundred thousand people, is what it is.

🌙 Night Fair

Real del Cortijo de Torres

Fairgrounds · west of the city · open in Google Maps

☀️ Day Fair

Calle Larios & historic center

Plaza de la Constitución, La Merced · open in Google Maps

Getting there (and why not by car)

Let's say it plainly, since it's the most expensive mistake of the fair: driving to the fairgrounds is a bad idea. Access roads jam up, there are traffic closures, and makeshift parking ends up kilometers away. The city sets up special transport specifically to avoid this.

Getting to Málaga

Plane: Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), with Cercanías train, bus and taxi into the center
Train: María Zambrano station (AVE high-speed and regional)
Cercanías C-1: airport, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola
Cercanías C-2: Cártama, Pizarra and Álora
Bus: station next to María Zambrano, with national connections

Getting around during the fair

EMT (city bus): special fair services and reinforced frequencies, including overnight service
Metro + shuttle: the usual combination for reaching the fairgrounds
Cercanías: the option if you're staying on the coast (Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola)
Taxi & ride-hailing: available, but expect long waits leaving the fairgrounds in the early hours
Park & ride: if you're driving, leave the car outside and take public transport in

💡 SolGuide trick: if you're staying on the coast and heading back at dawn, check the last Cercanías train before leaving the house, not at 3am. The fair adds extra service, but not every line runs all night continuously. A dawn taxi from the fairgrounds to Fuengirola is not a cheap surprise.

What to eat and drink

The fair has its own unwritten menu, and straying from it means missing half the experience.

Cartojal, no question

It's the liquid symbol of the fair: a sweet rosé wine from Málaga that's practically only sold during these eight days, served ice cold. The pink bottle shows up in every caseta and every photo. It's sweet and dangerously easy to drink — that's the trap.

⚠️ A warning from someone who's been there: cartojal is cold and sugary, so you don't notice the alcohol until you already have. Alternate with water from the start. In August, with 35°C heat and kilometers of walking, dehydration hits long before you'd expect.

To eat

Pescaíto frito: the absolute classic of the Málaga fair
Espetos de sardinas (grilled sardine skewers): better at a beachside chiringuito than at the fairgrounds
Berenjenas con miel de caña (fried eggplant with cane syrup): the tapa that hooks everyone who tries it
Gazpachuelo: a warm Málaga soup, not very touristy and very local
Málaga's sweet wines: beyond cartojal, moscatel and Pedro Ximénez

Tricks that locals take for granted

Closed, comfortable shoes. You'll walk several kilometers over albero (compacted dirt). Nice sandals come out of there ruined, with black feet.
Bring cash. Many casetas take card, but at peak hours signal gets overloaded and mobile payment fails right when there's a line.
Agree on a fixed meeting point, not just WhatsApp. With the grounds packed, messages get delayed. Agree on a place and time before you go in.
The Day Fair ends earlier than you'd think. Around 6pm the center starts emptying out as everyone heads home to rest before the night. Show up at 7pm looking for daytime atmosphere and it's already gone.
Book accommodation well in advance. Málaga fills up, and August fair-week prices don't look anything like July's.
Hydration and shade between 2pm and 5pm. This isn't a brochure tip — temperatures easily top 35°C in August.
The 19th is spectacular, but the busiest day. If you're traveling with small kids or don't do well with crowds, a random Tuesday will give you a much more enjoyable fair.

Live the fair without missing a thing

SolGuide builds your day around where you're staying: what's nearby right now, confirmed concerts and events, and routes around Málaga and the whole Costa del Sol. With offline maps, for when the fairgrounds are packed and your phone has no signal.

Download the free app → Follow @solguide.app

iPhone & Android · Events updated throughout the fair

Frequently asked questions

When is Feria de Málaga 2026?

From Saturday August 15 to Saturday August 22, 2026 — eight full days. The unofficial kickoff is the night of Friday the 14th, when fireworks light up La Malagueta at midnight.

How much does it cost to attend Feria de Málaga?

Nothing. Both the Day Fair downtown and entry to Real del Cortijo de Torres are free, and most casetas have free admission. You only pay for what you eat, drink and ride.

What's the difference between the Day Fair and the Night Fair?

They're two separate fairs in two separate places. The Day Fair fills the historic center (Calle Larios, Plaza de la Constitución) until mid-afternoon, with verdiales and flamenco street life. The Night Fair is at Real del Cortijo de Torres on the outskirts, running from evening until sunrise with casetas, concerts and rides.

How do I get to Real del Cortijo de Torres?

By EMT city bus, which adds extra routes and an all-night fair service. You can also combine metro plus shuttle bus. Driving is not recommended — parking fills up fast and there are traffic closures.

What is the most important day of Feria de Málaga?

August 19, Día Principal, marking Málaga's incorporation into the Crown of Castile in 1487. It's the busiest day of the fair along with the first weekend.

What do people drink at Feria de Málaga?

Cartojal, a sweet rosé wine from Málaga that's only sold during the fair, served ice cold. It's the liquid symbol of the whole event.

Is it a family-friendly fair?

Yes. The downtown Day Fair is especially family-oriented, and the fairgrounds have kids' activities and a whole rides area. The main thing to plan around is timing and heat: at night, up to a certain hour, and avoiding midday.

More guides to the area

Official poster: Ayuntamiento de Málaga. Program details cross-checked with local public sources as of August 2026. Exact concert times and official events are published by the city council in the weeks before the fair — check malaga.eu for the definitive program. Spotted something outdated? Message us on Instagram @solguide.app.