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Agenda Donostia-San Sebastian En


 


 


 

 JANUARY 20 

SAN SEBASTIAN DAY

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

It is the most important festivity in the city: at midnight starts a great drumming in which thousands of people participate with parades throughout the city for 24 hours non stop. Without a doubt the best day to know the soul of Donostia - San Sebastián.


 

 JULY 

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

JAZZALDIA

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

The San Sebastian Jazz Festival (today called Heineken Jazzaldia) began on September 10th, 1966, and is, today, the oldest jazz festival in Spain and one of the oldest in all Europe. In over fifty years, all the great international jazz musicians have passed through this Festival.


 

 AUGUST 

SEMANA GRANDE - ASTE NAGUSIA

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

During the week of the 15th of August, the Virgin's Day, this festivity is held combining the International Firework Competition right in the middle of La Concha Bay.

The traditional cannon shot fired is the starting point of the festivity and takes place at the Alderdi Eder gardens at 19.00 hours.

One of the most important elements of the Semana Grande is, without a doubt, the International Fireworks Contest, which includes the participation of companies from different parts of the world.


 

 AUGUST 

SAN SEBASTIÁN'S MUSICAL FORTNIGHT

The Donostia-San Sebastián Musical Fortnight is the longest standing classical music festival in Spain and one of the most time-honoured in Europe.


 

 31 AUGUST 

COMMEMORATION PARADE

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

6 p.m. (on the Boulevard)

On August 31st, it will be exactly two hundred and three years to the day that Allied Anglo-Portuguese troops marched into San Sebastian and the city was burnt to the ground and completely destroyed in a tragic episode of the Napoleonic Wars. For decades, the citizens of San Sebastian have made it their duty to pay homage to all those who, in 1813, in the course of those tragic events, with courage, determination and great civic spirit, were able to rise above the tragesy and undertake the rebuilding of the city.


 

 SEPTEMBER 

REGATTAS AT LA CONCHA

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

The regattas or boat races of San Sebastian take place on the first two Sundays of September in La Concha Bay at noon. The Thursday before the first Sunday, up to 24 crafts from the Cantabrian coast compete to obtain one of the seven positions of one of the most prestigious rowing competition of the season. These crafts have a thirteen-man/woman crew: twelve oarsmen and a cox. They are an adaptation of the traditional fishing craft for sporting purposes.

Since 2008 women's regattas are celebrated. The organisational scheme is similar to the male modality. A positive evolution in this sporting discipline has been found in our environment.


 

 SEPTEMBER 

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

ZINEMALDIA

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

The San Sebastián International Film Festival (Spanish: Festival de San Sebastián; Basque: Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival. 

Since its creation in 1953 it has established itself as one of the most important cinema festivals in the world, being one of the 14 "A" category competitive festivals accredited by the FIAPF. It has hosted several important events of the history of cinema, such as the international premiers of Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock (who attended the Festival) and Melinda and Melinda by Woody Allen and the European premier of Star Wars. Actors and directors such as Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, Gregory Peck, Glenn Ford, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Charlton Heston, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Richard Gere, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mel Gibson, Demi Moore, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt have attended the festival since its inception. It was the first festival attended by Roman Polanski and has helped advance the professional careers of Francis Ford Coppola or Pedro Almodóvar, for instance.

In the current competitive context of international festivals, San Sebastián, which has one of the lowest budgets, has established itself as the most important in Spain and the Spanish-speaking countries.


 

 OCTOBER 

 CULINARY CONGRESS

SAN SEBASTIÁN GASTRONOMIKA

 


 

 NOVEMBER 

BEOBIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

SOMPETITION

Second Sunday of November

20 km

The Behobia-San Sebastián is more than just a race. Above all, the Behobia-San Sebastián is a feeling, which has been built up over more than 100 years thanks to the effort, sensations and enthusiasm of thousands of athletes like you and the hosting of a land that understands sport, that values it and knows how to enjoy it like few others.

In the Behobia race, you will experience emotions that you probably haven't felt in other races. You'll feel the excitement from early in the morning while riding the trains full of fans heading towards the border. You'll continue to feel it at the starting line and until you reach the finishing line of San Sebastián Boulevard while running the last stretch between two tight walls of admirers.


 

 21 DECEMBER 

SANTO TOMÁS DAY

DONOSTIA - SAN SEBASTIÁN

The famous celebrations for Saint Thomas's Day take place every December 21st. The city turns into an enormous country market of which the absolute star is the txistorra (fresh chorizo-like sausage). Stalls are set up all over the city, offering all sorts of food and craft wares, mostly produced by the people from the local farmhouses. These include cheese, honey, txistorra sausage, cider and cakes.


 

· BASQUE COUNTRY SPIRIT ·

· D O N O S T I A - S A N S E B A S T I A N · R E G I O N ·