How to experience Bilbao's Great Week: tips, plans and ideal accommodation

Bilbao’s Semana Grande — the iconic Aste Nagusia — is much more than a festival: it’s emotion, tradition, and Basque pride. From 16 to 24 August 2025, Bilbao will transform into a vibrant stage full of music, cultural events, and an unrivalled festive atmosphere. We’ll tell you how to enjoy it, which activities we recommend, and where to stay to make the most of it.

The start of the festival: txupinazo and Marijaia

There are moments you don’t explain; you feel them. And if there’s one instant that defines Bilbao’s Semana Grande, it’s the beginning of this celebration, which each year starts with two rituals that are already part of the emotional heritage of the ‘Botxo’: the txupinazo and the appearance of Marijaia. Two magical moments that unfold like this:

The txupinazo: the second when everything begins

At seven in the evening, from the balcony of the Teatro Arriaga, a rocket is launched to mark the official start of Aste Nagusia. The sky lights up as attendees wave red and white scarves to the rhythm of applause, kicking off these days of celebration.

Txupinazo of Aste Nagusia. Image taken from the official website of the Bilbao City Council.

Marijaia: the joyful spirit that’s contagious

After the boom of the txupinazo, all eyes look ahead: Marijaia takes the stage, with her contagious smile, arms open to the sky, traditional dress and pink scarf, representing the essence of the festival: freedom, music, and participation. From that moment, Bilbao doesn’t stop.

Txupinazo and Marijaia.

Highlighted activities during Aste Nagusia 2025

The main activities organised are concerts, gastronomy, theatre, comedy, and options designed to enjoy with family or friends.

Concerts every day

Music is, without a doubt, the soul of Aste Nagusia. More than 100 free concerts will be spread across different parts of the city, from major stages like the Arenal venue to more intimate squares like Doña Casilda Park, Europa Park, or Bilborock. Each day will feature local and national artists bringing to life a music lineup of very diverse styles. And the best part: they’re all free. You just have to go with the flow.

Gastronomy: a feast for the palate

Amid the aromas of the txosnas (temporary booths) and the offerings of the bars in the Old Town, with their famous pintxos, Bilbao’s gastronomy is enjoyed with all the senses. There will be no shortage of fried squid rings (rabas), cod al pil-pil, or traditional talos (flat cakes made from corn flour, water, and salt). If there’s a place where pintxos taste better, it’s at a festival like this.

Theatre, comedy, and art on the streets

Aste Nagusia is also experienced through the performing arts. Every day, Bilbao’s squares become open-air stages hosting street theatre, acrobatics, live music, and comedy shows. The Teatro Arriaga, the city’s cultural epicentre, will offer a special programme during these dates.

Key moments you can’t miss at Aste Nagusia

After the excitement of the txupinazo, the appearance of Marijaia, and the singing of the anthem “Gure Marijaia,” Bilbao’s Semana Grande continues with a succession of unforgettable moments that fill the streets with colour: the parade (kalejira) of giants and bigheads, the comparsas, and the fireworks:

Kalejira of giants and bigheads: tradition in motion

From the first day of the festival, the streets of the Old Town are filled with magic with the parade of giants and bigheads. These towering figures, accompanied by traditional Basque music, stir everyone’s emotions, bringing smiles wherever they pass. Watching them dance among the crowd is one of the most beloved spectacles for both children and adults.

Kalejira of giants and bigheads.

The comparsas: the popular heart of the festival

The comparsas are community groups that, throughout the week, organise concerts, games, cooking competitions, and all kinds of activities open to the public.

Fireworks: a unique show every night

The International Fireworks Competition brings together pyrotechnic experts from several countries and spectators who, night after night, enjoy this display of visual creativity. Each night is a postcard etched in memory.

The burning of Marijaia: an ending full of emotion and tradition

On the last day of Semana Grande, Bilbao bids farewell to its iconic Marijaia in a highly symbolic ceremony. At nightfall, her figure is set alight on the estuary, marking the close of the festivities and keeping alive the desire to experience them again. It’s a farewell that hurts, but a promise to reunite the following year.

Your ideal accommodation to experience Semana Grande: Vincci Consulado de Bilbao

Choosing where to stay is one of the most important aspects. Our hotel Vincci Consulado de Bilbao 4* stands out as the perfect choice, as it is on the banks of the estuary and just steps from some of the most important cultural and festive hotspots of Semana Grande. From here, you can walk to the Teatro Arriaga, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Seven Streets in the Old Town, or head straight to the areas where the comparsas and the most popular Aste Nagusia activities are concentrated. Book now at Vincci Consulado 4* and experience Semana Grande as it deserves.



You can also enjoy our Restaurante Kondutxo, where you can savour exquisite dishes inspired by Basque cuisine.

And since we know you’ll need to rest after an intense day of concerts, theatre, kalejiras, and pintxos, we’ve prepared a comfortable room with spectacular views for you.



Bilbao’s Semana Grande is a great opportunity for you to experience the city, connect with its people, and let yourself be carried away by the culture, music, and emotion that permeate every corner. From Vincci Hoteles, we invite you to live Aste Nagusia with all your senses. Because we know there are moments that deserve to be lived intensely… and accommodations that rise to meet those emotions.

Discover everything we’ve prepared at Vincci Consulado de Bilbao 4* for Aste Nagusia:



"Come. Be amazed. Discover over 40 four- and five-star hotels where every experience is unique. Open your eyes. Take a look. Enjoy the most privileged locations. See. Touch. Feel a design and style appreciated in every detail. Rest. Relax. Let yourself be cared for with a service where you are the centre. Dream. Smile. Live. You are at a Vincci."

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