MALAGA FAIR 2023. GUIDE & DATES

This is my guide to the Malaga Fair 2023, which has the following dates: 12th to 19th August 2023 in Malaga capital, starting the night of Friday, August 11th to Saturday, August 12th with the traditional fireworks at 0:00 on Friday 11th. This is the official start of the Malaga Fair 2023.

Here you will find the dates of the Malaga Fair, its history, the poster, where it is held, the venues of the Center and Teatinos (Cortijo de Torres), how to get around, transport options and, of course, the best advices. Basically, the most complete guide to the Malaga Fair 2023.

The Malaga Fair and the Holy Week (Easter Week) are the two most important events in Malaga.

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If you´re visiting Malaga, these links will be really useful for you:

• What to see in Malaga in 1 day.
• What to see in Malaga in 2 days
• Top 10 Restaurants in Malaga.
• Tapas tour in Malaga city center.
• Top 10 Best Beaches in Malaga.
• What to eat in Malaga? Typical foods.

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Brief history of the Malaga Fair.

The main thing is to know that the Malaga Fair, also known as the August Fair, celebrates and recalls the capture of the city by the Catholic Monarchs on August 19th, 1487, incorporating it into the Crown of Castile.

The first celebration, after the formation of the Malaga City Council, took place on August 15th, 1491 with a procession. The following year the date was moved to the remembered August 19. The fair was held every year and in the 17th century there were already carts and fireworks displays (something that continues to take place at the current Fair).

On August 19th, a historical parade is celebrated remembering that day, recalling with costumes and clothing of the time the taking of the city by the Catholic Monarchs and which later culminates in a processional parade through the city to the Cathedral.

One of the peculiarities of the Malaga Fair is that we have two celebration zones: the Day Fair, in the center of Malaga, and the Night Fair, held in the Cortijo de Torres (Teatinos area), although this fairground already It has activities all day. You have more details in each section of the Fair.

When is the Malaga Fair 2023? Dates.

The Malaga Fair 2023 is celebrated from August 12th to August 19th, with a duration of 7 days. The important thing is that August 19th is always included in the week of celebration, as a historical date as a commemoration of the Reconquest of Malaga by the Catholic Monarchs and its incorporation into the Crown of Castile.

• August 19th is a local holiday and August 15th is a national holiday, so there are two holidays included in the Malaga Fair 2023.

Who gives the proclamation of the Malaga Fair 2023?

Before starting with the fireworks, someone important in the city (Estrella Morente, Antonio Banderas or Pablo Alborán) makes the so-called Fair proclamation, with a few words dedicated to the city and those days.

This 2022 the announcement will change its location and format and will take place on the first day of the Malaga fair, on Saturday, August 12th , coinciding with the lighting of the Real de la Feria cover in Cortijo de Torres.

• 21:30 Proclamation by María Peláe to inaugurate the Fiestas in Avenida de las Malagueñas (main entrance).
• 22:00 Inauguration of the artistic lighting with the intervention of the municipal music band of Malaga.

The proclamation can be heard on the main stations in the city (Cadena Ser, Cope, Onda Cero), so you can tune in and listen to it.

In this very special year, the herald of the Malaga Fair 2022 will be the singer and songwriter from Malaga, María Peláe, who, in the words of the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, “will give a magnificent proclamation and that we will value her creativity, her art even more and, of course, his love for our city.” The singer has expressed on social media her joy at being named the Fair’s town crier and has declared that “I will try to make the pencil and paper that I already have in my hands do justice to such an honor!”

We are waiting to find out who will give the proclamation of the Malaga Fair in 2023.

The fireworks of the Malaga Fair 2023.

The fireworks give the official starting signal for the celebrations and are held in the early hours of Friday, August 11th (0:00) to Saturday, August 12th. They last approximately 20 minutes.

That night there is no Fair as such, but many people take the opportunity to go out at night in the center of Malaga, being a pre-fair and the preview of what begins on Saturday 13th.

The fires are launched from the Malagueta area and the port of Malaga and are visible from many points in the city, even from Torremolinos or Rincón de la Victoria we can see it. The ideal place, used mainly by families and locals, is the beach, with the Misericordia and Malagueta beaches being the most popular.

If you want to see it from the center of Malaga, you will have to look for an elevated site (Coracha or Castillo de Gibralfaro) or one with good views of the bay such as Muelle Uno.

Drones at night of the Fires of Malaga.

The Malaga Fair 2023 will begin with new features, since two armies of 120 computer-controlled drones will join the usual fireworks, which will begin at 11:50 p.m. to fly over the sky of Malaga.

In addition, the drones will fly and perform their show in two areas: La Malagueta, from where the fireworks are launched and in the western area of the city (Huelin beach), where 120 drones will draw figures of all kinds in the Malaga sky.

Therefore, the fireworks of the Malaga Fair will be as follows in the Malagueta area:

• The drones will take flight.
• A welcome rocket will be launched.
• The drones move into position.
• The fireworks and the Malaga Fair 2023 begins.

Malaga Fair 2023.

Considered one of the most important fairs in Spain, the Malaga Fair is a key event to get to know the culture of the city and a must if you have never been to the city. It is estimated that in the week of celebration (August 12th to 19th) 1 million people visit it.

It has nothing to do with the Seville Fair, where the booths (of the night fair) are mostly closed/private, here almost everything is open to everyone, so you just have to want to have a good time.

The first thing is to know that in Malaga there are two fairs, one during the day and one at night, which can be combined on the same day, held on separate days or opt for just one of them. I explain how each of them works and the most important thing you should know.

• The Malaga City Council has a website with all the official information about the Malaga Fair and its entire program of celebrations.

Day fair (fair in the center of Malaga 2023).

The center of Malaga is decked out for its big festival and from Saturday, August 13th, the streets of the historic center, starting with Calle Larios with its imposing doorway (which varies every year), are decorated with lanterns and floral decorations.

Here we can find the classics of a fair, people dressed in flamenco dresses, verdiales singing and entertaining the streets and people, many people. The atmosphere is very special and everything comes together in the Plaza de la Constitución, where you will find tents to drink and eat, a stage for musical performances and you can move through the other important streets of the center.

If you are looking to integrate more with the atmosphere of the fair, you will have dozens of stalls selling hats, scarves, glasses and everything you need to experience the atmosphere of the fair in the center of Malaga.

The hours of the Day Fair are, as a general rule, from 12:00 to 18:00, at which time the music in the street turns off and many people begin to enter the bars and pubs in the area.

For the fair forget the car and use public transport or walk from your home or accommodation, there is no better option.

Where to move in the Fair of the Center of Malaga?

Knowing that the main street is Calle Larios and that the only option is to walk, other important places where you will find atmosphere and a fair are:

• Plaza de las Flores, behind Calle Larios, where they set up a stage and concerts from 4pm to 6pm.
• Granada Street.
• Constitution Plaza.
• Comedias Street.
• Plaza del Obispo
• Alcazabilla Street.
• Uncibay Square.
• Mitjana Square.

A good option to have food, drink and party in the same place and in the open air is the Colegio de Arquitectos (College of Architects), located in the Plaza de la Constitución.

In general, the entire center is decorated and with an atmosphere, although consider the limit of the Cervantes Theater as the last place where you will find a fair in the center.

At the same time, in Calle Larios there will be performances by verdiales bands every day and a stage for popular Malaga folklore. Finally, the Peña Juan Breva will host the most flamenco programming in the Historic Center.

Where to eat at the Malaga Center Fair?

The usual thing is to eat on the street in one of the booths available, where you can taste classic Spanish and Malaga food: potato omelette, montaditos de pringá, chorizo, ham, migas, paella, etc. and you can also buy drinks, being the classic Malaga sweet wine: Cartojal, although you can also buy bottles in nearby shops and get beer and other drinks in nearby bars and bars.

Rebujito (sweet wine with Sprite/lemon-lime drink) is not common in Malaga, but you can find it without any problem.

If you are looking for some classic places to enjoy the Malaga Fair and its tapas, you can consult: My classic tapas route through the center of Malaga.

Park at the Malaga Fair.

For the fair, forget the car and use Malaga’s public transport or walk from your home or accommodation, there is no better option.

If you still want to try to park as close as possible to the center of Malaga (not advisable), I leave you this information:

• The car parks of the Municipal Car Park Network that the city has will be available, and which specifically in the center and its surroundings, offers a total of 5,002 spaces, distributed in the car parks of Plaza la Marina, San Juan de la Cruz, Tejón , Alcazaba, Camas, Andalusia, Cervantes and Salitre.
• Check my article: Where to park for free in Malaga?

Day/night fair (Cortijo de Torres fairgrounds).

Until a few years ago, the Cortijo de Torres Fairgrounds, in the Teatinos area, only hosted events at night, but that has changed and the activities program of the fairgrounds during the day is becoming more extensive. The Malaga fairgrounds have two entrances with two different covers, which are illuminated for the first time on the night of Saturday the 13th, one on Avenida Ortega y Gasset and the other on Camino de San Rafael.

This enclosure is where the classic stalls of a fair, mechanical attractions and stalls, many stalls, clubs, associations, bars, political parties, press, individuals, etc. are located.

Today, the Cortijo de Torres Enclosure is where the horses and harnesses are located, but not only that, but they have tried to create an environment at noon so that it is something to visit for the whole family.

One of the ways to attract more public during the day is that the booths offer free food (usually paella) from 1 to 3 p.m.

What to do in the Cortijo de Torres?

Here the usual option is to visit different booths, which we can choose depending on the music and atmosphere they offer. There are casetas (booths) that only offer food and drinks and others that are more like classic bars, with a cocktail bar and a dance floor.

• In the area opposite the booths is the area called “youth area“, but I do not recommend visiting unless you really want to party and are under 20 years old.
• The mechanical attractions and the classic fair stalls are located between the booths and the youth area.

Also, next to the Fairgrounds is the Municipal Auditorium, where every day there are concerts with local and national artists. The program will be updated on the official website.

Map of Casetas of the Malaga Fair in the Fairgrounds.

Below you have the map with all the available services and booth locations at the Cortijo de Torres fairgrounds (Teatinos).

So you can find the following at the Malaga fairgrounds:

• Toilets.
• Amusement area.
• Verdiales booth, municipal booth, children’s booths
• Numbered booths.
• Youth area.
• Primary care area (Police, firefighters, civil protection, lost property, etc.)
• Transportation (Bus, taxi).
• Municipal auditorium.
• Equestrian exhibition area.
• ATM.

My advice is that you keep this photo of the map well to have it as a reference, because the first few times moving around the area and knowing where everything is is not easy.

We highlight the two access areas to the Malaga fairgrounds:

• Avenida de Ortega y Gasset through Portal 2 and entrance through calle de las bulerías.
• Camino de San Rafael that gives access to Portal 1 (main portal) and where the public transport services and the primary care area are.

• The detail of each booth and its correspondence in the numbering you have in the following document.
• I highlight booth 175 which is the INFORMATION BOOTH.

Transport at the Malaga Fair.

The most common and cheapest option to go to the Fair, whether it is the Center or the Real, is by bus, since there are services from many lines that connect with the center, both points and even shuttle buses that make that route. The price of the bus ticket is €1.40, rising to €2 for line F or the special services at 8:00 p.m. that connect districts with Real.

Another option is to go by taxi/Uber/Cabify/Bolt which will be faster, but also more expensive.

A good option to get to the Center of Malaga is the Metro, although we are waiting to find out if they open the Atarazanas stop that leaves in the heart of the city. Currently the closest stop is Perchel (Maria Zambrano train station).

How to get to Cortijo de Torres from the day fair? The F line.

The first thing to clarify is that the option of walking is not contemplated, since both areas are separated by more than 6 kilometers.

During the 2022 Malaga Fair we will have a special bus, line F, which directly connects the Center and the Real and will be operational 24 hours a day.

• The price of the trip is €2 and can be paid with a Visa or Mastercard on 100% of the buses on this line.
• This service (Line F) will be indicated on the large front electronic panels of the buses with the word “FERIA” and on the side and rear panel with “F”

Buses to Real de la Feria de Malaga.

Starting at 8:00 p.m., users are provided with 17 special lines that connect all the districts of the city with the Real, which run until dawn (6:00 am). You will also have taxis and VTCs available to make the journeys.

• These special direct services from the neighborhoods to Real will cost 2 euros.

As a novelty, most of the buses will have the possibility of paying the ticket with a Visa or Mastercard credit card. To facilitate the identification of the buses that have this novelty, some stickers have been installed next to the access door so that users can know in advance if they will be able to pay for the special ticket with a bank card

• The taxi rank at the Fairgrounds is located next to the main entrances on Avenida José Ortega y Gasset and Camino San Rafael.
• Taxi hours are from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Where to park in the Real de la Feria de Malaga?

The Mobility Area has enabled a total of 5,985 parking spaces in different areas of Cortijo de Torres and its surroundings. In this way, the car parks for the Malaga Fair are as follows:

• Aparcamiento de la Feria Norte/Palacio de Feria there will be a total of 495 spaces, of which 110 will be exclusively for people with reduced mobility.
• Los Prados, whose identifying color is orange will have a total of 1,895 places.
• In Huerta de Correo (blue): 1,355 places.
• Area of Teatinos (white color): 1,477 spots.
• Other locations 1,600 places.

You can download the complete map of the car parks at the Malaga Fair in pdf here.

Some information about car parks of the Malaga Fair.

• Each of these parking areas will be easily identifiable by its name and signaling colour.
• In addition, they will be supervised by parking control personnel.
• It is recommended to use the roundabouts to access them.

Concerts of the Malaga Fair 2023. Complete program.

I tell you everything about the complete program of concerts for the Malaga Fair 2023. Here you can download the complete program of the Malaga Fair 2022.

During the celebration of the Malaga fair we have two concert areas, one that is located in the main squares of the center of Malaga during the day fair and another, more official, in the Malaga Auditorium, in the Cortijo de Torres area. , at the Real de la Feria de Málaga 2023.

• 4 stages at the fair in the center of Malaga.

• • Plaza de la Constitución.
  • La Plaza de las Flores.
  • Plaza del Obispo.
  • Plaza de San Pedro Alcántara.
  • Calle Larios, con fiesta de verdiales y escenario de folclore popular malagueño

• Auditorium of Malaga, in the area of ​​Cortijo de Torres (Teatinos), in the Real de la Feria de Malaga 2023.

You have all the details about the artists and concerts of the Malaga Fair with its program here.

Municipal auditorium. Saturday, August 12th to Thursday August 18th.

• In the Municipal Auditorium located in the Cortijo de Torres, Teatinos is where the great concerts of the Malaga Fair 2023 are concentrated.
• On Monday, August 14th, the election of the queen and the king of the Malaga Fair will be held, organized by the Malagueña de Peñas Federation and which will include a performance by a local pop-rock or copla artist or group.
• In the Municipal Booth of Flamenco and Copla, there will be 40-minute performances, with hours of 2:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.