Marbella Events Calendar 2026-2027: Fairs, Festivals and Dates That Matter

The Marbella events calendar is busier than the town’s reputation for yachts and beach clubs suggests. Between now and the end of 2027 there are two fairs, a Holy Week with processions in three districts, a Carnival that runs for most of a month, a charity-led concert season in a former quarry and a Christmas programme in the old town. This guide sets them out in the order they arrive, starting with the one that opens on 13 October 2026, two days from today.

The Marbella Events Calendar at a Glance

When	Event	Where	Status
13–19 Oct 2026	Feria de San Pedro Alcántara	Recinto Ferial La Caridad, San Pedro	Dates listed; full programme pending
Late Nov 2026 – 5 Jan 2027	Christmas market and lights	Avenida del Mar, Alameda Park, old town	Based on the 2025 edition
5 Jan 2027	Three Kings parade	Marbella town	Annual date; confirm route
Feb 2027	Carnival	Town, San Pedro, Nueva Andalucía, El Ángel	2026 ran 7–28 Feb; 2027 not published
28 Feb 2027	Andalucía Day	Av. Las Albarizas	Fixed annual date
21–28 Mar 2027	Holy Week (Semana Santa)	Old town, San Pedro, Nueva Andalucía	Derived from Easter on 28 March
Around 31 May – 14 Jun 2027	San Bernabé romería and fair	Old town and fairground	2026 was 31 May and 8–14 Jun
Jun – Aug 2027	Starlite concert season	Cantera de Nagüeles	2026 ran 19 Jun – 29 Aug; 2027 not found
16 Jul 2027	Virgen del Carmen	Old town and Cable Beach	Fixed annual date

Feria de San Pedro Alcántara: 13 to 19 October 2026

This is the event to catch right now. The fair of San Pedro Alcántara, the district west of Marbella town, runs from 13 to 19 October 2026 around the feast of the patron saint on 19 October. It is held at the Recinto Ferial La Caridad, and entry to the fairground is free, though the rides are paid individually.

The listed programme includes a Gigantes y Cabezudos parade (the traditional giants and big-head figures), concerts at the municipal auditorium, shows at the Palenque, a children’s day with reduced ride prices, a Sunday mass and procession of the patron saint, and a fireworks finale. One listing described the full programme as not yet published, so check the town hall’s poster for the exact timetable.

• Getting there: a local guide says free buses run every few minutes from the San Pedro boulevard and from Marbella during the fair, and that the free car park next to the fairground fills up early. Treat this as a past-years report.
• Dress: comfortable and cool by day and more dressed-up at night. Many women wear flamenco dresses.
• Shoes: comfortable ones, because the ground is large and you walk a lot.
• Payment: carry cash. It is the most common way to pay at the stalls and rides.
• Families: weekday evenings are calmer, and weekends have the busiest nightlife. The guide mentions reduced prices on children’s days and a “quiet” afternoon without loud music, though days vary each year.
• Closing times: approximately 04:30 to 05:00 on weekdays, 06:30 to 07:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and about 03:00 on Sunday, according to the same guide.

If you are staying in Marbella town, remember that San Pedro is a separate district, roughly a short drive down the coast. Plan your return before you go, because taxis are busy late at night.

Christmas in Marbella: Late November to 5 January

Marbella’s Christmas programme is strongest in the old town and along Avenida del Mar, the promenade known for its Dalí sculptures. The most recent edition we could verify, the 2025 one, put the Christmas market on Avenida del Mar and in Parque de la Alameda from about 28 November, free to enter, and the season list runs to 5 January. A parade through the old town on 17 December 2025 was followed by Santa’s house in the Alameda from 18 to 24 December. An October 2026 article calls these dates approximate and warns that the 2026 dates may change.

Puerto Banús had its own Christmas market at Muelle Ribera from 6 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, but the same article says it is not yet confirmed for 2026. The date when the town’s Christmas lights are switched on was not given in any source we found.

New Year’s Eve in Marbella is mostly a matter of private bookings. A general events guide mentions rooftop parties and beachfront fireworks, but it does not say which are public events, so we do not list a fireworks time. If New Year’s Eve matters to you, book a table early and ask the venue what is included.

Three Kings: 5 January 2027

Spain celebrates the Three Kings on the evening of 5 January, when the Kings arrive by parade and throw sweets to the crowd. In Marbella, a January 2025 article described the parade as starting at 18:00 at the Pirulí, the bronze tower near the Palacio de Congresos, running along Avenida Ricardo Soriano and ending on Avenida Severo Ochoa near the Quirón hospital. That is a two-year-old route, so confirm the route and the time before you go. A regional Christmas article published in October 2026 lists 5 January 2027 parades in Málaga, Manilva and the Guadiaro valley, but not Marbella, which shows how easy it is to see incomplete lists. The traditional date is stable, and the town hall publishes the route in the days before.

Bring a bag for the sweets, arrive early for a spot on the pavement and keep young children close, because the crowds can be dense.

Carnival: February 2027

Marbella’s Carnival is a month-long event rather than a single weekend. The 2026 edition ran from 7 to 28 February. It included the opening speech (the pregón) with paid entry, a contest of carnival groups at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella with semifinals on 18 and 19 February and a final on 20 February, a free mussel party on 22 February and a free chorizo event on 28 February at Plaza José Rodríguez “El Triana”. There was also a humour parade and a children’s carnival, with parallel events in San Pedro Alcántara, Nueva Andalucía and El Ángel.

The 2027 programme has not been published, and nothing guarantees the same format. Because the carnival follows the calendar of Lent, expect it to fall in February again, and expect the contest to be the main ticketed event. The free street events are the easiest for visitors to join. A general guide suggests going in the early evening, which suits families.

Andalucía Day, on 28 February, falls at the end of the Carnival month. It is a regional holiday celebrated at Av. Las Albarizas in Marbella.

Holy Week 2027: 21 to 28 March

Easter Sunday in 2027 falls on 28 March, which puts Palm Sunday on 21 March and Good Friday on 26 March. Marbella’s Holy Week is made up of processions by religious brotherhoods and is free to watch. The 2025 edition, the latest one we could read in detail, ran from 12 to 20 April and held its processions in the historic centre of Marbella, San Pedro Alcántara and Nueva Andalucía.

• Sábado de Pasión (the Saturday before Palm Sunday): the Amargura procession opened the 2025 celebrations.
• Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): the Pollinica, the donkey procession, marked the start of the major processions.
• Viernes Santo (Good Friday): the Nazareno brotherhood held what the listing calls the largest and most emblematic procession of the week, and La Soledad closed the day.

The exact 2027 timetable and routes are not yet published. The official site is semanasanta.marbella.es, and you can expect the brotherhoods to publish routes closer to the date. Hotels fill early in Holy Week, so a family that wants to see the procession should book accommodation and restaurant tables well in advance. Streets close to traffic along the routes, which affects taxis and parking.

Spring is also when the area begins to wake up after the quiet months. Our guide on winter in Marbella explains how the season changes.

San Bernabé: Romería and Fair, Late May to Mid-June

San Bernabé is Marbella’s patron saint, and his fair is the town’s main summer celebration. The 2026 edition had the pilgrimage (the Romería de San Bernabé) on 31 May, the fair from 8 to 14 June and the main day on 11 June, the anniversary of the 1485 conquest of the town.

The fair has two parts. By day it takes place in the historic old town, with casetas (the festive marquees), horse rides and flamenco street parades. At night it moves to the fairground, at Cortijo de Miraflores, with rides, large casetas and concerts. The 2026 programme had more than 50 events, including the opening speech, the election of the fair’s queen and her ladies, a flamenco gala, orchestras and a solemn mass with a procession of the patron saint on 11 June, and finished with a closing concert. Entry to the old town and to the fairground is free, while concerts are priced by artist.

No 2027 dates are listed. Expect the fair to be built around 11 June again, and see the festival listing for the programme when it appears. If you want to attend a caseta, remember that many private casetas are by invitation, and ask a local contact how to get in.

Starlite: Summer Concerts in the Cantera de Nagüeles

Starlite is the best-known concert season on the Costa del Sol, held in a former quarry in the upper Golden Mile near the Sierra Blanca. A May 2026 guide gives the 2026 season as 19 June to 29 August, at the Cantera de Nagüeles (also called Auditorio Starlite), with a capacity of about 2,200. The 2026 listed headliners included Ozuna, Lenny Kravitz, Maroon 5, Deep Purple, Rick Astley, Jean-Michel Jarre, Juan Luis Guerra, Yandel, John Legend, Diana Krall and Nile Rodgers & CHIC. The season also includes the Starlite Gala, a charity event hosted by Antonio Banderas and Sandra García-Sanjuán, which the guide says has raised more than €3 million over the years.

The 2026 season is over, and we did not find a 2027 announcement. Check its official site if you plan a summer visit. Concerts tend to sell out for the biggest names, and after-parties often continue in the venue in July and August, according to the guide. For a quieter evening, the venue has a gastro area that opens from 20:00.

Other Dates on the Annual Calendar

A general holiday calendar of Marbella lists a handful of fixed or recurring dates. It does not state a year for them, so we show them as the usual timing rather than as 2026 or 2027 confirmations.

• 3 May: pilgrimage to the Juanar Cross.
• 23 and 24 June: the Night of San Juan, a bonfire and beach tradition.
• 16 July: the feast of the Virgen del Carmen, patroness of fishermen. A page about the festival describes a morning procession leaving the church of La Encarnación at about 06:30 for Cable Beach, a mass on the beach and a blessing at sea, then a return around 11:00, and an evening procession from about 19:00 through the old town. The page was last modified in July 2026, but its first publication was in 2014, so confirm the times.
• 14 and 15 September: the Verbena.
• 1 November: the Fiesta del Tostón, a roasted chestnut day.

The same calendar also lists a contemporary art fair in late September and an international art fair in the third week of June, but without confirmed years, so check the organisers before you plan around them.

How to Plan Around the Calendar

If you want	Choose	Plan for
A local fair without the summer crowds	San Pedro fair (October)	Buses, cash and late nights
A family-friendly winter break	Christmas market and Three Kings	Crowds on 5 January and early dark
Free street entertainment	Carnival (February)	Going early evening
Tradition and atmosphere	Holy Week (March)	Road closures, early hotel booking
The big summer party	San Bernabé (June)	Old town by day, fairground by night
International headliners	Starlite (June to August)	Tickets sell out for the biggest names

Marbella International Film Festival: Early Autumn

The Marbella International Film Festival (MIFF) held its 21st edition from 30 September to 5 October 2026, so this year’s edition has just finished. A festival listing last updated on 6 October 2026 gives the screening venues as Red Dog Cinema in Puerto Banús and Kinépolis Marbella La Cañada, with galas and social events at the METT Hotel Estepona and the Exe Estepona Thalasso & Spa. The listing shows only the 2025 edition, held in September 2025, in its history, and it does not list a 2027 edition.

Two things follow from that. First, the festival has moved across the autumn in recent years, so do not assume an early-October slot for 2027. Second, some of its social events happen in Estepona rather than in Marbella, which is a useful reminder to check the location of any event before you book a hotel. A villa-based visitor should note that Puerto Banús and La Cañada are on opposite sides of the town, so plan a car or a taxi between screenings.

The festival’s own site is the place to find the 2027 dates, and the festival guide on the same listing is a reasonable starting point for the official programme.

Marbella Epic Trail: 20 February 2027

Not every event on the Marbella events calendar is about food, fairs or concerts. The Marbella Epic Trail is an ultra trail run, and a race listing gives its next edition as Saturday, 20 February 2027. The listing shows a 65 km route, tagged as an ultra trail with UTMB 50K and 100K points and ITRA 2 to 3 ratings. It does not state the start location, the registration status or a last-updated date, and it says to check the organiser’s website for the latest details.

For spectators and for residents, the practical point is that a race of this kind uses trails and roads, so expect some traffic changes and early starts in the hills behind Marbella, though the listing does not say where. If you plan to run, register through the organiser rather than through a third party, and check the cut-off times and the mandatory kit. If you simply want to watch, ask the organisers or the town hall where the route passes through the town.

February is also the month of the Carnival and Andalucía Day, so a visitor in late February can combine a race weekend with a carnival evening, though hotel prices will reflect the demand.

Marbella Design & Art: March

For anyone interested in interiors, architecture or contemporary art, Marbella Design & Art is the event to know. The eighth edition ran from 19 to 29 March 2026 at the Palacio de Ferias, Exposiciones y Congresos Adolfo Suárez in Marbella. An architecture studio’s report on the event describes it as a design fair that presents spaces created by architects, interior designers, artists and studios, with an awards ceremony on 26 March 2026 at the Hotel ME Marbella by Meliá.

The source we found does not mention the next edition, so we cannot give 2027 dates. If the pattern holds, a March fair would fall around the same time as Holy Week in 2027 (21 to 28 March), so a visitor who wants both should check the dates against the processions before booking. Of all the events in this guide, this is the one most relevant to anyone who is buying or renovating a home on the Costa del Sol, because it shows what local architects and interior designers are doing.

Classic Cars: The Vintage Vehicle Exhibition

A smaller, quieter event is the “City of Marbella Vintage Vehicle Exhibition”, organised by the Costa del Sol Historic Vehicles Club. A news report published on 23 September 2026 describes its fourteenth edition, which brought about 45 classic cars from across Spain to San Pedro Alcántara and Marbella for a weekend in late September.

• Friday: the participants drive from Marbella to the El Chorro gorge, inland from Málaga, stop for lunch and return to San Pedro in the evening.
• Saturday: the cars drive through the streets of San Pedro and park on Avenida Marqués del Duero from 10:30 to 12:30 for a traditional presentation. The convoy then moves through Nueva Andalucía and Puerto Banús and finishes on Marbella’s seafront promenade, where the cars are on display from early afternoon until 17:00.
• The cars: highlights included Mercedes-Benz models from the 1950s to 1970s, a 1950s Rolls-Royce, a 1960s Lincoln Continental, three Fords from 1926, 1927 and 1929 and a 1930 DeSoto.

San Pedro’s deputy mayor described the exhibition as a warm-up to the patron saint festivities in October, which makes it a neat way to read the calendar: the cars come in late September, and the fair follows. We do not have the 2027 date, but the event has run for fourteen editions and organisers say that 25 to 30 owners return each year.

Golf, Tennis and Sailing: What We Could Not Confirm

Marbella is a golf destination, and several general guides mention golf tournaments, tennis exhibitions and sailing events in spring. We looked for confirmed dates for professional tournaments in 2026 and 2027, but the sources we found were either outdated or did not name the host courses and dates. A March 2023 article, for example, listed a LIV Golf event, a Solheim Cup and a women’s Open de España, and only one of its three venues was placed in Marbella by the text. We do not rely on three-year-old dates here.

If a tournament is your reason to visit, check the tour’s own calendar and the host club before you book. The same applies to wine and food festivals, to a pride event and to the charity galas that appear in glossy guides. We found no dated, current listing for any of them, so we have not included them in the calendar. A calendar that lists events it cannot date would be worse than a shorter one.

The Marbella Events Calendar by Month

Month	What to expect
October 2026	San Pedro fair (13–19 Oct); film festival just finished
November 2026	Fiesta del Tostón (1 Nov, usual date); Christmas market usually opens late in the month
December 2026	Christmas market, lights, Santa’s house in the Alameda (2025 pattern)
January 2027	Three Kings parade (5 Jan); Christmas market until about 5 Jan
February 2027	Carnival (expected); Marbella Epic Trail (20 Feb); Andalucía Day (28 Feb)
March 2027	Holy Week (21–28 Mar); Marbella Design & Art if it follows the 2026 pattern
April–May 2027	Juanar Cross pilgrimage (3 May, usual date); quieter calendar
June 2027	San Bernabé romería and fair; San Juan (23–24 Jun); Starlite season usually opens
July–August 2027	Virgen del Carmen (16 Jul); Starlite concerts
September 2027	Verbena (14–15 Sep, usual dates); vintage car exhibition and film festival, dates unconfirmed

Which Part of Marbella Hosts What

Marbella is a municipality with several centres, and the events are spread among them. Knowing which district hosts which event helps you choose where to stay.

• Marbella old town: the San Bernabé fair by day, Holy Week processions, the Virgen del Carmen processions, the Christmas lights and the Carnival street events.
• Avenida del Mar and the Alameda: the Christmas market and Santa’s house, according to the 2025 programme.
• San Pedro Alcántara: the October fair at La Caridad, Holy Week processions and the classic-car presentation on Avenida Marqués del Duero.
• Nueva Andalucía: Holy Week processions and parallel Carnival events.
• Golden Mile: the Starlite concerts at the Cantera de Nagüeles, near the Sierra Blanca.
• Puerto Banús: a film festival screening venue and, in 2025, a Christmas market that is not yet confirmed for 2026.
• Fairground at Cortijo de Miraflores: the San Bernabé fair by night.

Our guide to the Golden Mile is useful if you are coming for a Starlite concert and want something to do before it starts.

How to Attend Like a Local

Marbella’s traditional festivals are community events, and a few habits make a visit easier.

• Check the town hall. The Ayuntamiento de Marbella publishes programmes, routes and road closures, usually shortly before each event. The festival listings we used say this repeatedly.
• Carry cash. At fairs, it is the most common way to pay for rides, food and drink.
• Dress for the occasion. Comfortable by day and smarter by night is a good rule at the fairs. For Holy Week, dress respectfully.
• Arrive early for processions and parades. The Three Kings parade and the main Holy Week processions draw crowds, and the best pavement spots go first.
• Plan the journey home. Fairs and concerts finish late, and taxis are in demand. Parking near fairgrounds fills early.
• Book hotels and tables early. Holy Week, the San Bernabé fair and the summer concert season are the busiest periods.
• Ask before you enter a caseta. Many private casetas are by invitation.

For help with arrivals and transfers, see our guide on how to get to Marbella.

Events for Families and for Residents

Families will find that many of the free events are the best ones for children: the Gigantes y Cabezudos parade at the San Pedro fair, a children’s day with reduced ride prices, the children’s Carnival, Santa’s house in the Alameda and the Three Kings parade. Our guide to Marbella with kids has ideas for the rest of the day.

For residents and for anyone considering a move, the calendar says something more. Marbella has a rhythm of events in every season, and the quieter months are not empty. The most visible ones, such as the fairs, Holy Week and Carnival, are part of the town’s character rather than tourist attractions, and they take place at times when the beach clubs are closed. If you are weighing up a purchase, spend part of the year here outside the summer peak, and see for yourself what a local festival feels like.

How We Built This Calendar

This calendar was built on 11 October 2026 from the sources listed in the sourcing note at the top of the page. We separate three kinds of information. A date is confirmed when an organiser’s listing gives it for the stated year, such as the San Pedro fair, Carnival 2026 and Starlite 2026. A date is derived when it follows from another fixed date, such as Holy Week 2027 from Easter. A date is expected when we use the usual timing of an annual event without a published programme. We also name the cases where we could not find a dated source. If you spot a change, the town hall’s calendar is the final word.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on in Marbella this week?

The Feria de San Pedro Alcántara runs from 13 to 19 October 2026 at the Recinto Ferial La Caridad in San Pedro. Entry is free, and the rides are paid individually.

When is Holy Week in Marbella in 2027?

Easter Sunday is on 28 March 2027, so Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday on 21 March to Easter Sunday on 28 March. The town hall publishes the processions and routes closer to the date.

When is the Marbella fair?

The main fair, the Feria de San Bernabé, was held from 8 to 14 June in 2026, with the main day on 11 June. The 2027 dates have not been published, but the fair is built around 11 June. San Pedro Alcántara has its own fair in October.

When does Starlite Marbella run?

The 2026 season ran from 19 June to 29 August at the Cantera de Nagüeles. We did not find a 2027 announcement, so check Starlite’s official channels in spring.

Is there a Christmas market in Marbella?

Yes. In 2025, the market was on Avenida del Mar and in Parque de la Alameda from about 28 November, free to enter. The 2026 dates may change, so check the town hall’s programme.

When is the Marbella Epic Trail in 2027?

A race listing gives the next edition as Saturday, 20 February 2027, over 65 km. It does not state the start location or registration status, so check the organiser’s website.

When is the Marbella International Film Festival?

The 21st edition ran from 30 September to 5 October 2026, with screenings in Puerto Banús and La Cañada. A 2027 edition has not been listed yet.

Which events in Marbella are free?

The old town and fairground of the San Bernabé fair are free to enter, as is the San Pedro fairground, though rides are paid individually. Holy Week processions are free to watch, and the Christmas market on Avenida del Mar and in the Alameda was free in 2025.

The Bigger Picture

A calendar like this explains why Marbella is a year-round town rather than a summer resort. Local fairs, a long Holy Week, a month of Carnival and a Christmas that fills the old town give residents a reason to be here in the months when the beach clubs are closed. For anyone considering living on the Costa del Sol, these dates help answer what the town is like outside July and August.

If you are planning a visit around an event, our guide on how to get to Marbella covers the arrival options, and the family guide has ideas for children. For a day without a festival, see our perfect day in Marbella itinerary.

Related reading:
Marbella With Kids
Winter in Marbella
How to Get to Marbella
A Perfect Day in Marbella