Bilbao's Great Week
August 22 · Level 10 · #191 of 2238
Bilbao's Great Week, known in Basque as Aste Nagusia, fills the city with music, street entertainment and local culture each August. The festival took its modern form in 1978 and brings neighbourhood groups into the heart of the celebrations.
How it is celebrated: a ceremonial rocket launches the festivities. Concerts, parades and street performances draw crowds, local festival groups run gathering spaces, and fireworks light up the evenings.
The festival's mascot is Marijaia, a woman with her arms raised, designed by artist Mari Puri Herrero. Her figure is burned at the finale and returns for the next celebration.