The Málaga Fair 2026 has closed its edition with a balance of 951,030 visits during the eight days of festivities, held from August 14 to 22, during which nearly 200 musical and artistic proposals were developed across the Center, the Real de Cortijo de Torres, and the Explanada de la Juventud, in addition to the attendance at the drone and fireworks show, the pilgrimage, and the proclamation.
According to data provided by the Málaga City Council in a note, the programming of the Center gathered 277,580 attendees, while the activities at the Real brought together 288,350 people. The offer, free and designed for all audiences, included both national figures and a prominent presence of Málaga artists and groups.
The Municipal Auditorium has added around 79,500 spectators, with concerts by Antonio Carmona, Diana Navarro, Zenet, Medina Azahara, David de María, Nancys Rubias, and Paloma San Basilio, along with local performers such as Encarni Navarro, Tabletom, Hoffman, Tonia Rodríguez, and Ana Romma.
The start of the Fair, on Friday, August 14, was marked by the drone and fireworks show, which gathered about 370,000 people. The next day, the traditional pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Victoria brought together more than 5,000 participants, while about 10,100 people attended the proclamation by the coach of Málaga CF, Juan Francisco Funes.
At the Real de Cortijo de Torres, the equestrian world regained relevance, with 1,379 accreditations for the access of horses and carriages, of which 1,137 were for saddles and 242 for harnesses. In turn, the Equestrian Exhibition Center received around 22,200 attendees.
The municipal programming also included activities aimed at specific profiles. The Children's Municipal Booth, which celebrates its 30th anniversary, gathered 6,050 people, while the Verdiales Municipal Booth recorded 26,000 visitors. The Flamenco and Copla Municipal Booth totaled 34,600 spectators, and the free DJ sessions at the Explanada de la Juventud reached 120,000 attendees.
In the Center, the Fiesta de Verdiales on Calle Larios achieved an estimated attendance of 56,950 people and the stage of popular Malagueño folklore gathered about 34,250. The live concerts in the squares of the Center accounted for around 136,600 attendees, while the Feria Mágica in Plaza de la Merced, dedicated this year to the space theme "From Earth to the Moon," received 48,480 people.
International tourism dominates inquiries
The municipal tourist information offices and points attended to 20,836 people during the Fair, of which 71% came from the international market. The United Kingdom topped the inquiries, with 22%, followed by France (14%) and Italy (11%). Among national visitors, Málaga, Madrid, and the Valencian Community were the main origins.
During these days, nine cruises, with a combined capacity of over 19,000 passengers, also docked at the Port of Málaga. Hotel occupancy stands at 93.57%, according to the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), a figure very similar to the 93.62% of the previous year.
The municipal museums and monuments surpassed 60,000 visits in the eight days of the Fair. The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro remained the most frequented spaces, while among the exhibition centers, the Museo Casa Natal Picasso stood out with 3,356 visits, followed by the Centre Pompidou Málaga with 3,145, and the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga with 1,273.
More than 5,000 elderly people from the 11 districts of the city participated in the programming of the municipal booth "El Rengue," and the Sports in Fair program reached 2,015 participants in 12 activities.
Digital boost and virtual assistant
The digital aspect of the festivities has also yielded significant figures. The social media of the Málaga City Council recorded 6.7 million views and 188,470 interactions during the Fair, while the specific profiles of the Feria de Málaga accumulated nearly 5.98 million impressions and 239,950 interactions, practically double the impressions of 2025. The community of followers of these profiles already exceeds 55,000 users, about 6,000 more than the previous year, and a total of 1,760 publications were generated among posts, reels, and stories.
Likewise, the virtual assistant "TuFerIA", driven by the City Council of Málaga and Internalia Group to provide real-time information through WhatsApp, recorded 8,000 exchanged messages with around 800 people. This service, operational 24 hours a day and available in a dozen languages, mainly addressed inquiries related to the location of booths, transportation, and the fair schedule.