Bilbao this Saturday, August 22, kicks off Aste Nagusia 2026, nine days of festivities that will last until next Sunday, August 30. The city will host more than 500 cultural and leisure proposals, with music, theater, children's activities, sports, folklore, and fireworks.
The official start will take place at 19:00 hours from the Arriaga Theater, with the proclamation by Onintza Enbeita and the launch of the txupin by the txupinera Ainhoa Urrejola. Marijaia will once again be, for another year, the symbol of the Bilbao festivities.
What time is the txupinazo of Aste Nagusia
The txupinazo will be at 19:00 hours this Saturday from the balcony of the Arriaga Theater. With this launch, the festivities will officially begin, which will run until August 30.
The inaugural day will also feature a wide musical and cultural program spread across different points in Bilbao.
Free concerts for the first day
Music will be one of the main pillars of Aste Nagusia. The City Council has scheduled more than a hundred free musical performances at different venues in the city.
This Saturday, Zea Mays will be one of the highlighted names in the nighttime program of Abandoibarra, with a concert scheduled for 23:30 hours.
Also at 23:30 hours, the program that traditionally took place in the Plaza Nueva will kick off at the Muelle de Evaristo Churruca, which is closed during the festivities due to the evaluation work of its underground parking.
At Bilborock, the 39th Bilbao Metal, Pop-Rock Show will open its program at 20:00 hours with LORREINE and at 21:00 hours with PABLO RÍOS.
Eight nights of fireworks
The fireworks will once again become one of the main protagonists of Aste Nagusia. The XXXIX International Fireworks Competition of Bilbao will bring together eight pyrotechnic companies from different countries and will be held from Saturday, August 22 to Saturday, August 29.
Changes in venues and transportation
One of the novelties of this edition is the change of location for some activities. The nighttime concerts that were traditionally held in the Plaza Nueva will be moved this year to the Muelle de Evaristo Churruca, while some proposals for folklore and Basque culture will take place in the Plaza del Gas.
The City Council has also activated a special mobility operation to manage traffic cuts and facilitate movements during the nine days of festivities. The festive area of Arenal has been closed to traffic since August 20.
The complete program of Aste Nagusia 2026
The official program brings together activities for all audiences during the nine days of festivities, from concerts and fireworks to theater, sports, gastronomy, folklore, and children's proposals.
The City Council has also enabled a free official app to consult the complete program, locate activities in real-time, and access practical information about Aste Nagusia.
Aste Nagusia 2026 thus kicks off this Saturday at 7:00 PM and will turn Bilbao into the stage of one of the great summer festivals in Euskadi until August 30.