{"id":23265,"date":"2024-04-02T08:59:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T08:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/?post_type=inspiracion&p=23265"},"modified":"2024-04-02T09:11:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T09:11:57","slug":"semana-grande-bilbao","status":"publish","type":"inspiracion","link":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/","title":{"rendered":"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bilbao is the perfect destination to combine fine cuisine with tradition and leisure. Everyone who visits the city falls in love with it, and if you add the chance to experience its most popular festival during your visit, you\u2019ll definitely spend an unforgettable few days there. Have you heard about Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande?<\/h5>\n

Semana Grande in Bilbao 2024<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bilbao, a city renewed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s clear that in recent years Bilbao<\/strong><\/a> has been able to reinvent itself to become a bright, modern and attractive city for all types of travellers.<\/p>\n

Although everyone knows about famous landmarks like the Guggenheim Museum<\/strong><\/a>, the popular San Mam\u00e9s football ground<\/strong> or the ancient seven streets of the Old Town<\/strong>, I\u2019m certain that discovering the secrets of its most famous festival of the year<\/strong> is going to make it even more appealing to visit.<\/p>\n

\"aste<\/figure>\n

What is Semana Grande, the August festival in Bilbao?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bilbao\u2019s Aste Nagusia<\/em><\/strong> festival (\u201cSemana Grande\u201d in Spanish or \u201cGreat Week\u201d in English) begins every year on the Saturday after 15 August; for nine days and nights the city is decorated to honour the Virgin of Bego\u00f1a, with guaranteed fun for all those involved.<\/p>\n

This popular festival is aimed at all audiences: children, adults, older adults, including tourists from all over the world who join in on this great celebration, listed as a Cultural Heritage event.<\/p>\n

So now you know: if you love beautiful cities and revelling in their festivals, you should know that this one is one of the most popular and most visited festivals in the Basque Country<\/strong>.\u00a0 Below are some of the events you can expect this August, which tend to be staples of every year\u2019s festivities. Let\u2019s get going.<\/p>\n

When is Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande 2024?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2024, Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande, or \u2018Great Week\u2019, also known as Aste Nagusia<\/em>, will take place from 17 to 25 August. <\/strong>The main day, when most of the activities are held, will be Friday 23 August. <\/p>\n

Where is Semana Grande held?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As you can imagine, most of the city\u2019s streets take part in the year\u2019s most popular week, although the main event can be found in the Arenal district.<\/p>\n

\"arenal<\/figure>\n

Everything kicks off with the chupinazo<\/em>, a firework launched from the balcony of the beautiful Arriaga Theatre, followed by the reading of the preg\u00f3n<\/em> (the speech that opens the festival, always given by a local celebrity) to once again welcome our symbol of the festival: the famous Marijaia<\/strong>, in the figure of a fictional woman who appears on the balcony of the Arriaga Theatre to launch the celebrations.<\/p>\n

\"marijaia\"<\/figure>\n

You\u2019ll recognise her straight away, she\u2019s four metres tall and always has her arms up in the air, ready to dance and ready to party. <\/p>\n

Should we start singing her favourite song? It was composed by none other than Kepa Junkera, a Basque musician who has turned it into the festival\u2019s most popular tune.<\/p>\n

When is the txupinazo?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The txupinazo, a burst of fireworks to mark the start of Aste Nagusia<\/em> 2024, will take place on 20 August around 6pm, and this is when Marijaia returns to Bilbao.<\/p>\n

Programme of Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande 202<\/strong>4<\/h2>\n

Every year the programme for Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande<\/strong> is packed with activities, events, concerts and countless other things to make sure you have an amazing time.\u00a0You\u2019ll find a huge number of activities designed to suit all tastes: events, theatre performances, large concerts, outdoor celebrations, spectacular fireworks, dancing, exhibitions, a large fairground and much more besides.<\/p>\n

Semana Grande Bilbao 2024<\/strong> – The Txosnas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Have you ever heard the word \u201cTxosnas\u201d? Well, brace yourself because you\u2019re going to hear it a lot over the next few days. Txosnas, as well as being an icon of these festivities, are temporary taverns filled with a great atmosphere and featuring typical dishes, drinks and music. Each Txosna is different, and there\u2019s something for everyone, so just take a stroll around the area where they are set up, mainly in the Arenal neighbourhood, and pick the one you like best.<\/p>\n

Semana Grande Bilbao 2024 – Concerts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Concerts are an essential part of Bilbao\u2019s festival and the programme features well-known singers from all over the world. Every year we look forward to August to find out who will be performing here. Keep your eyes peeled as tickets sell out very quickly.<\/p>\n

\"concierto<\/figure>\n

As you can imagine, there are some private concerts held in the venues prepared for these long-awaited events as well as many public ones, which you can find dotted around the city in venues such as Do\u00f1a Casilda Park, Plaza del Gas, Abandoibarra, Europa Parkea, Kiosko del Arenal and the list goes on. <\/p>\n

Semana Grande Bilbao 2024 – Fireworks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Each year, Aste Nagusia hosts its traditional fireworks competition, a deep-rooted tradition celebrated every day of the week that no one will want to miss. Europe\u2019s best pyrotechnicians will be competing, so get ready to enjoy an open-air spectacle bursting with colour. Fireworks are set off in Etxebarr\u00eda Park every night at 10.30pm and from my experience, one of the best places to see them is from the park itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"fuegos<\/figure>\n

Semana Grande Bilbao 2024 – Theatre<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The people of Bilbao reserve at least one afternoon of that week to enjoy the special performances in the city\u2019s different theatres, like the legendary Arriaga or the more modern Euskalduna, which, for the second year running, will open its terrace\/rooftop to enjoy a few drinks, dance to DJs and, of course, take in spectacular views of the city. <\/p>\n

Semana Grande Bilbao 2024- Families<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aste Nagusia features many activities to enjoy with the kids; something they love and that you shouldn\u2019t miss are the Giants and Big-Heads parades, as well as puppet shows and the funny \u201cGargant\u00faa\u201d sculpture that swallows children through its mouth and sends them down a slide to its \u201cbackside\u201d. You will also find a huge area in Etxebarr\u00eda Park full of fairground stalls for both children and adults to enjoy. As you can see, Bilbao\u2019s festivities also have plenty of fun in store for the youngest members of the family<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"\"
Bilbao Pa\u00eds Vasco Euskadi 25-08-2013 Concentration of giants and big heads in Aste Nagusia 2013 \u00a9 FOTOGRAFO: MITXI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The end of Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As you\u2019ll be able to see for yourselves, Bilbao can be enjoyed to the full if you visit around this time, but everything that starts must come to an end, and on the last day of the festivities, Marijaia will go back to rest in the Arriaga Theatre square, marking the end of a great week. <\/p>\n

\"teatro<\/figure>\n

She\u2019ll be resting for many months, because she knows first-hand that in a year\u2019s time, she\u2019ll awaken again to liven up the city, so get your calendar and take note: Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande has to be on this year\u00b4s bucket list. You\u2019ll love it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bilbao is the perfect destination to combine fine cuisine with tradition and leisure. Everyone who visits the city falls in love with it, and if you add the chance to experience its most popular festival during your visit, you\u2019ll definitely spend an unforgettable few days there. Have you heard about Bilbao\u2019s Semana Grande? Semana Grande […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":23221,"template":"","topics":[2534],"destination":[2941],"class_list":["post-23265","inspiracion","type-inspiracion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topics-lifestyle-culture","destination-bilbao"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEnjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Volotea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-02T09:11:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@volotea\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/\",\"name\":\"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-02T08:59:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-04-02T09:11:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"marijaia\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/cities\\\/bilbao\\\/semana-grande-bilbao\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Inspiracion\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/it\\\/citta\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/\",\"name\":\"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\",\"description\":\"Travel Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/volotea.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/volotea.png\",\"width\":960,\"height\":318,\"caption\":\"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/volare.volotea.com\\\/fr\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Volotea\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/volotea\",\"https:\\\/\\\/es.pinterest.com\\\/volotea\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","description":"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","og_description":"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event","og_url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/","og_site_name":"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Volotea\/","article_modified_time":"2024-04-02T09:11:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@volotea","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/","url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/","name":"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao - VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-02T08:59:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-04-02T09:11:57+00:00","description":"The Aste Nagusia or Semana Grande de Bilbao, is celebrated every year from the Saturday following the 15th of August. We tell you everything about this incredible event","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AsteNagusia_Bilbao_jaiak.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"marijaia"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/cities\/bilbao\/semana-grande-bilbao\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inspiracion","item":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/it\/citta\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Enjoy the Semana Grande 2024 in Bilbao"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#website","url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/","name":"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","description":"Travel Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#organization","name":"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA","url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/volotea.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/volotea.png","width":960,"height":318,"caption":"VOLARE MAGAZINE | VOLOTEA"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/fr\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Volotea\/","https:\/\/x.com\/volotea","https:\/\/es.pinterest.com\/volotea\/"]}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inspiracion\/23265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/inspiracion"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/inspiracion"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=23265"},{"taxonomy":"destination","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/volare.volotea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/destination?post=23265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}