Granada Events

Granada lets its hair down with huge fairgrounds, lots of music and dancing and the main bullfight season at the city's bullring.

This prestigious and long-running festival is one of the musical highlights of early summer that's distinguished by the extraordinary combinations of great music in fantastic settings. Musicians such as Rubinstein, Victoria de los Angeles and Andres Segovia have performed in the beautiful Arab courtyards of the Alhambra and other evocative venues, in front of enraptured audiences. Schuricht, Karajan and Celibidache have conducted at the Palace of Charles V; Margot Fonteyn and Nureyev have danced in the Gardens of the Generalife. The festival programme is based on classical music, ballet and Spanish dancing, but also includes flamenco and ancient and contemporary music.

International jazz artists come together in the city for a music fest of world-class pedigree.

Flamenco festival staged in the Teatro Isabel la Católica and elsewhere.

Holy Week takes place in the last week of Lent. It is a religious festival which began in the early days of the Church, when the faithful travelled to Jerusalem at Passover to re-enact the events leading up to Christ's resurrection. In towns and cities throughout much of Spain, and especially in Andalucia, it is a week of great celebrations, processions, masses and displays of religious fervour. In Granada, some of the particular events include a procession known as 'Christ of the Gypsies' or 'Christ of Sacromonte' on the Wednesday of Holy Week and a 'Procession of Silence' from midnight on Thursday, from the Church of San Pedro on the Carrera del Darro. There is also the 'Procession of Las Angustias', on Easter Saturday.

Each year, various brotherhoods and organisations enter into a competition for the best-decorated cross. The size is large and the theme is generally floral and elaborate. The crosses are erected at different locations throughout the historic centre, and in the adjoining neighbourhoods of Albaicin and Realejo. Public squares and courtyards are usually chosen, and each participating group seeks to boost their chances of winning by laying on music and flamenco dancing. In addition, the streets and squares in which the crosses are installed are beautified for the occasion, because there are cash prizes to be won in this category too. The festival is very popular, and many people tour from one cross to another to enjoy the festivities at each - festivities which often continue until late at night.