Culture and festivals in San Sebastián
The celebrations that shape the local calendar, the city’s major festivals and cultural spaces worth seeking out throughout the year.
Culture in San Sebastián is not confined to a handful of headline events. You find it in city-centre theatres, museums and contemporary art spaces, but also in the neighbourhood societies that rehearse for months before the Tamborrada.
This guide brings together the main celebrations of the year, their venues and the links you need to plan your visit.
Plan a cultural visit
The cultural programme changes throughout the year. Check the organisers’ official websites for current dates, tickets and opening times before planning your visit.
Explore culture and festivals →20 January: the Tamborrada
Twenty-four hours to the music of Sarriegi
From the raising of the city flag at midnight to its lowering the following night, adult companies and children’s groups march through the neighbourhoods playing drums and barrels. Plaza de la Constitución hosts the best-known moments, though stumbling across a company in a side street is every bit as memorable.
For a first visit, choose where you want to watch the opening ceremony, check the routes and book accommodation early.
Plan your Tamborrada visitJazzaldia and Zinemaldia: two festivals, two sides of the city
Jazzaldia
For several days, jazz takes over concert halls, squares and open-air stages. A mixture of ticketed performances and free concerts makes it easy to build a programme at any pace.
Jazzaldia programme and tips
Zinemaldia
The festival transforms the Kursaal, Victoria Eugenia Theatre and cinemas across the city for a week. Much of the programme is open to the public through regular ticket sales.
A visitor’s guide to ZinemaldiaSummer by the sea
Aste Nagusia · Big Week
Big Week brings concerts, family events, giants and big-head figures, sport and street celebrations. Each evening, the International Fireworks Competition draws thousands towards La Concha Bay.
Aste Nagusia and fireworks guide
La Concha Regatta
On the first two Sundays in September, traditional traineras race across the bay while supporters fill the harbour, promenade and slopes of Mount Urgull.
Times and race-day guideSan Sebastián’s cultural calendar at a glance
Choose the cultural moment that suits your trip
Winter
Tamborrada is the city’s most local and collective celebration. Plan accommodation and your place for the main events; the rest of winter is ideal for museums, theatres and neighbourhood walks with fewer crowds.
Summer
Jazzaldia and Aste Nagusia fill the city with outdoor activity. Make one festival the centre of your trip and leave some room around it: a concert, the bay and dinner are better enjoyed than a packed schedule.
Autumn and the rest of the year
Zinemaldia brings many visitors to the centre and rewards planning ahead. Outside the major festivals, San Telmo, Tabakalera and the theatres offer a more flexible cultural visit.
Check the official listings21 December: St Thomas Fair
The centre and Old Town become a large country market for the day. Stalls serve txistorra sausage in freshly made talo, farm produce fills the squares and many locals dress as baserritarras.
Guide to the St Thomas FairCulture throughout the year
San Telmo Museum
Set in a former convent in the Old Town, the museum explores Basque society and offers an excellent introduction to the region’s history.
Tabakalera
The former tobacco factory is now a centre for contemporary culture, with exhibitions, cinema, a library and spaces for artists.
Theatres and auditoriums
Victoria Eugenia Theatre, Teatro Principal and the Kursaal host much of the city’s theatre, dance, music and conference programme.
For exhibitions, opening times and tickets, check the official Donostia Kultura listings.
Plan your cultural visit
For dates, tickets and exhibition opening times, use the official agenda before travelling. The city’s cultural programme changes through the year, and this prevents an old article from determining your plans.