Malaga's famous Feria kicked off just before midnight on 14th August this year, with a giant bouquet of biznaga flower display gracing the Calle Larios entrance and fireworks followed by a concert performance by Edurne at Malagueta Beach. At 12 metres in width and 14 metres in height, visitors can't hardly miss the bright red entrance!
This year's program caters particularly for fans of traditional Malaga dance and music, such as flamenco and verdiales. To provide visitors with better shelter from the elements, a new canopy has been installed that covers the main pedestrian streets, including Calle Larios, Plaza Constitución and their surroundings.
At Plaza de la Merced temporary flooring has been laid down to stop people and animals from slipping during the "romeria" or annual procession that passes through the square on the Saturday, meeting at 11.00 am in Paseo del Parque to travel to City Hall where the parade starts at 12.00 pm each year.
Flamenco and verdiales are being performed throughout Malaga Feria, starting at 1.00 pm every day. Flamenco performances take place at Peña Juan Breva, Calle Ramón Franquelo 4, while verdiales can be seen in Calle Larios daily.
Recreating famous historical Events
The famous Historical Parade took place on Monday evening; starting in Calle Alcazabilla, the parade aims to re-enact the Catholic Monarchs' (Isabella and Ferdinand in 1487) arrival in Malaga. The
Malaga Feria is an exuberant week-long celebration of all things Spanish. The air is filled with the sounds of flamenco and castanet-clicking; "fino" sherry flows in gallons, tapas dishes are sold to hungry revellers in their thousands and firework displays add an even greater BANG to the noisy proceedings.
Held traditionally from Saturday to Saturday in the third week in August every year, Malaga Feria is a great introduction to Spanish culture. The streets are filled with gorgeous ladies and young girls in flouncy, brightly coloured flamenco dresses and men in dark suits with guitars, providing spontaneous performances of Sevillanas, a traditional Andalusia dance, and flamenco foot-stomping loud enough to raise the dead.
Dance, sing, drink and be merry, is the general motto - this is a celebration of Christians re-conquering their homeland after centuries of Moorish occupation. The fair attracts millions of visitors, who come from all over Andalusia, leaving resorts like Torremolinos, Marbella, Benehavis and Fuengirola to celebrate in what is Malaga's equivalent of posh Bond Street in London. Hundreds of paper lanterns and flags decorate this high-end shopping district. Here most of the day time events take place, showcasing culture and heritage until about 7.00 pm each day.
The actual fair ground though is located to the west of the A7, close to the Palacio de Congresos building, where revellers celebrate until dawn each day, starting from around 9.00 pm onwards. A soaring Ferris wheel, thrilling rides and a multitude of large booths providing entertainment, fino sherry and plenty of tapas make Malaga Feria an unforgettable experience for tourists and a fair like no other for Andalusia's permanent residence. It takes ca. one hour to travel from Marbella to Malaga, with frequent bus and train services leaving the town throughout the day.