Bilbao’s Semana Grande
- When: 18th – 26th August 2018
- Where: Bilbao, Spain
- Website: bilbaoturismo.net
Bilbao's Semana Grande, also known as Aste Nagusia in the Basque language, is one of the most popular festivals in Spain with the most amount of events and activities happening. Its name means ‘Great Week’ in English and it is held at the end of August, normally lasting eight or nine days.
The crowds gather in the great Arriaga Theatre on Saturday 18th, the same day the celebration begins. The launch of the txupinazo firework is the signal for the start of the official programme of the fiestas, one of the most important in Bilbao.
Bilbao, a city of contrasts
Bilbao is certainly a city of contrasts. A bustling metropolis in the Basque Country where more than a million inhabitants live together, it has an important economic and social role in Spain. In this great city, large infrastructure and highly relevant architectural projects have made increased its fame.
The city is surrounded by spectacular natural scenery, with looming mountains and lush forests, and has some of the most beautiful beaches on the northern Spanish coast. Tourists come every summer to enjoy a well-deserved vacation and to take advantage of the waves with their surfboards.
Things to see in Bilbao that you can't miss? Of course, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is its most famous, landmark building, but there’s also Calatrava Airport, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall and the towers of César Pelli and Arata Isozaki. It’s also worth checking out the underground metro system designed by the English architect Norman Foster.
Bilbao is easy to reach thanks to the road network on the A8 and A68 motorways, plus the different means of public transport available. Make the most of your stay by visiting other nearby Basque cities such as San Sebastián and Vitoria.
What happens at the Aste Nagusia Great Week in Bilbao?
The Basque culture lays out its best at the time of the Great Week celebrations. There are so many activities and events taking place that the people of Bilbao can leave all their worries behind and let themselves be carried away by the fun, as can visitors just passing through.
The things that are happening include exhibitions and strongman sports championships, such as stone pulling and log cutting. There are also dances and concerts of Basque music and there are also food stalls in the streets.
Children can also enjoy the festivities in their own way in the parades of giants and the traditional big-headed puppets, plus the famous "gargantúa" caricature figure like a parade float with a slide coming out of its mouth!
This festival of Aste Nagusia also includes a safer version of the mythical running of the bulls in Pamplona that uses heifers – female cows – instead, and there are bullfights. Fireworks shows take place in the evening, with Marijaia, the "Señora de las fiestas" (Lady of the Festivals), being burnt to mark the end of the Semana Grande celebrations in Bilbao.
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