Malaga Fair
There is no better way to get to know Malaga Fair than to talk about its origin. This dates back to August 1487, the year in which a procession took place in the city of Malaga to celebrate the taking of the city by the Catholic Kings, and this continues to our days as the great fiesta of the summer.
Malaga Fair by day and by night
One of the unique aspects of Malaga Fair lies in the division of the areas of celebration, since, although the fairgrounds are located in Cortijo de Torres, the historic centre of Malaga has its own particular "Daytime Fair".
Therefore, it could be said that there are two fairs in Malaga, "Malaga’s Daytime Fair ", in the centre of the city, and the "Malaga’s Night-time Fair" in Cortijo de Torres, although the festive activity continues in the fairgrounds throughout the day.
The proclamation of Malaga Fair
Source: Pixabay
Before the start of the first Saturday of the Fair, each year a public figure is chosen who has stood out for his or her connection to Malaga. This person will perform the proclamation of Malaga Fair, which kicks off the nine days of intense party activity for all the people of Malaga. This takes place on the Friday night in La Malagueta Beach, near the centre of the city.
There are also performances taking place throughout the night, accompanied by a firework display at midnight, leading to a burst of light, fire and colour over the city’s skies.
Over the past few years, people chosen for the proclamation of Malaga Fair include familiar faces such as Manuel Alcántara, Matías Prats Cañete, Chiquito de la Calzada, Antonio Banderas, María Teresa Campos, Julio Iglesias, Pablo Alborán, Dani Rovira, Pablo López and Vanesa Martín.
Fair in Malaga centre
Source: Google images
Due to the date of the celebration, at a time when the Costa del Sol is packed with hundreds of thousands of tourists,
the streets of the centre of Malaga are crowded during the day with people enjoying the lanterns and floral decorations,
the marquees with shows and musical performances, the parades with orchestras and a myriad of other events that take place in the city.
It is also worth noting the popular folk traditions that pervade the city of Malaga at this time, with flamenco groups singing verdiales
and horses and carriages taking to the streets. In addition, flamenco and copla music are very present throughout the daytime Malaga Fair,
although music for all tastes can be enjoyed too.
On these dates it is also a special delight to sample the typical cuisine of Malaga, with highlights being the wide range of sweet wines from Malaga.
Bullfighting fans meet at the Malagueta Bullring every evening to enjoy the show.
Fair in the Malaga fairground
Source: Google images
If you want to visit the Malaga Fair by night, it is time to head to Cortijo de Torres where you will find an orderly array of marquees, fairground stalls and fairground rides for the amusement of all ages.
The fairground covers more than 800,000 square meters, and is equipped with all the necessary infrastructure and services. The marquees are hosted by social organizations and entities from Malaga, such as clubs, confraternities, companies and establishments.
It is an area that has increased in size over time, because more and more people prefer to spend the day enjoying the Fair in the marquees that are open in the fairground.
Malaga Fair has an open and cosmopolitan character that ensures everyone here feels welcome and enjoys the spectacle to the full.
If you are planning to visit the city on the dates when Malaga Fair takes place, you'll probably want to take a look at this article about the must-visit beaches in Malaga.