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Malaga Feria will be held from 13 to 20 August this year. Furthermore, usually this huge festival attracts around 2 million visitors. However, the last two years have been slightly different for reasons we all know. Moreover, InSpain News brings you 7 facts you may not know about this popular festival.
7 interesting facts about the Feria of Málaga
- Málaga feria’s origins date back as far as 1487, when Fernando and Isabella (Catholic Kings) rode triumphantly into the city to reclaim it as a part of Catholic Spain. The council subsequently decided to hold a celebration on August 15, 1491.
- There were various feria locations throughout its history. These sites included Pier Heredia (port of Malaga), the park of Malaga, and Teatinos.
- The feria lasts for about 8 – 10 days, starting on the 13th
- Málaga Feria starts with the ‘Pregón de la Feria’. This is the official announcement of the opening of the festival read out by a famous local celebrity.
- There are technically two fairs – the day fair and the night fair. By day activities are centred around Marques de Larios in the heart of the city centre. Women stroll around in flamenco dresses, and the procession of horses, riders and carriages is a wonderful sight. Impromptu dancing and singing breaks out in the streets and there’s plenty of sherry and Cartojal to keep people merry! However, the night session is at the Real de la Feria on the outskirts of the city. The Feria de Noche gets going at about 9pm and continues until dawn. This is a huge fairground with over 200 casetas each of which houses different groups of Malagueños, known as peñas. They also serve food and drink.
- The biznaga, one of the symbols of Málaga, was an integral element of the 2014 street decorations and 2017 Feria poster.
- There is an annual competition to design the poster for Málaga feria. You can see posters from bygone years on the Malaga Feria website. There are also some fine examples adorning the walls of El Pimpi restaurant in the city.