Aste Nagusia in Bilbao

Aste Nagusia (‘Big Week’) is Bilbao’s great fiesta: nine days of partying in the streets. The 2027 edition will take place from 21 to 29 August. In 2026, it was held from 22 to 30 August.

A festival born in 1978

Aste Nagusia was created in 1978. That year, local associations in Bilbao organised a competition to give the city a properly structured fiesta. More than forty years on, it is one of the most popular and best-attended festivals in Euskadi (the Basque Autonomous Community).

Marijaia, the symbol of the fiesta

The festivities open with the txupinazo (the firing of a rocket) and the opening speech. Marijaia, a figure whose arms are always raised, then appears on the balcony of the Arriaga Theatre. In 2026, the txupinazo was fired on Saturday 22 August at 19:00. On the last day, Marijaia is burned in front of the Arriaga Theatre, marking the official end of the fiesta.

What’s on

• More than 100 free shows, mostly music
• More than thirty txosnas along the Arenal: pop-up bars run by local associations and decorated around a different theme each year
• International fireworks competition: pyrotechnicians from all over the world vie to put on the finest display
• Parade of giants and big-heads, the whale parade, pintxo trails and activities for children

The detailed programme is published every summer by Bilbao City Council.

Full guide: our Bilbao guide.

Sources

• Euskadi Tourism — Semana Grande of Bilbao 2027 (21–29 August)
• Kulturklik — Aste Nagusia 2026 programme: 22–30 August, txupinazo (in Spanish)
• Visit Biscay — Aste Nagusia in Bilbao: the essentials