Lorraine Williamson
Fuengirola is preparing for one of the Costa del Sol’s busiest spring events as the Fuengirola International Fair 2026 opens this Wednesday, bringing five days of food, music, folklore, and cultures from around the world to the town’s fairground.
The 30th edition of the Feria Internacional de los Países, still widely known by many residents as the Feria de los Pueblos, runs from Wednesday, April 29, to Sunday, May 3. Fuengirola’s tourism department describes the event as a multicultural celebration created to showcase the customs, food, music and traditions of the many nationalities represented in the town.
A five-day fair with a more daytime feel
This year’s fair will open daily from 12 noon until 2.00 am, with music stopping at 1.30 am in both the casetas and attractions. The town hall says the revised timetable is designed to encourage more daytime and early-evening visits while also helping residents rest later at night.
The opening day, Wednesday, April 29, will also be Día del Niño, with fairground attractions offered at 50% of their normal price. A daily quiet hour will run from 5.00 pm to 6.00 pm, when noise will be reduced to make the fair more accessible for people with autism spectrum disorders and others who may find the usual fairground sound levels overwhelming.
Entry to the fair is free. Visitors can expect international food, craft stalls and live performances inside the country casetas and around the wider recinto ferial throughout the five-day event.
Thirty-three delegations and a first for Iceland
The Fuengirola International Fair 2026 will feature 33 countries and communities, with Iceland taking part for the first time. Several countries also return this year, including Thailand, Ecuador, Palestine and Finland.
Argentina, one of the fair’s long-standing participants, will also be represented again. The official FIP programme lists delegations including Brazil, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Finland, Hawaii, Spain, Romania, Cuba, Paraguay, Australia, Mexico, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Japan, Peru, Senegal, Iceland, Turkey, Colombia, Germany, Costa Rica, Argentina, Venezuela, Thailand, Sweden, Greece, Palestine, Chile, Great Britain, Belgium, Uruguay and Italy.
For Fuengirola, the event is more than a tourist attraction. It reflects the town’s international make-up and has become one of its most recognisable cultural events since it was first launched in 1994.
The big parade takes place on May 1
One of the main highlights will be the traditional parade on Friday, May 1, expected to bring together more than 1,500 participants and around 30 vehicles.
According to Fuengirola town hall, the parade will begin at 11.00 am from Plaza de España. It will continue along Avenida Condes de San Isidro, Calle Alfonso XIII and the Mercacentro area before finishing at the fairground via Paseo Jesús Santos Rein.
The parade is usually one of the most colourful and crowded moments of the fair, with groups in traditional dress, music, dance and national flags filling the town centre before the casetas open.
Extra trains on the C-1 line
Renfe has announced a special Cercanías plan for the fair, with extra services on the C-1 Málaga Centro Alameda–Fuengirola line. From April 29 to May 2, the evening frequency will increase from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes, with seven services in each direction.
Trains from Málaga Centro Alameda towards Fuengirola will run at 9.30 pm, 9.50 pm, 10.10 pm, 10.30 pm, 10.50 pm, 11.10 pm and 11.30 pm. Special return services from Fuengirola will leave at 10.20 pm, 10.40 pm, 11.00 pm, 11.20 pm, 11.40 pm, midnight and 12.20 am.
Renfe will also run three late-night trains from Los Boliches to Málaga between April 30 and May 3, leaving at 2.30 am, 3.00 am and 4.40 am.
Parking, buses and security measures
Fuengirola town hall says the urban bus line 1, which connects Miramar with Carvajal, will extend its service until 2.30 am during the fair. Two extra parking areas will also be available in La Loma, on Avenida de Andalucía, signposted as “Aparcamiento Feria de Los Países” on Google Maps.
A taxi rank will be installed near the arches of the fairground in the direction of Los Boliches.
The security operation will include a coordination centre at the Palacio de la Paz, bringing together Local Police, National Police, firefighters, health services and the Punto Violeta. Fuengirola will also use additional CCTV cameras at the fairground, while all casetas will have capacity controls.
Police will also carry out alcohol and drug controls on access roads into the town, with locations and times changing during the event.
A major week for Fuengirola
The feria arrives at a key moment for the Costa del Sol, just as spring tourism gives way to the busier early summer season. For local bars, restaurants, hotels and transport services, the Feria Internacional de los Países is one of the first major tests of the year.
It is also one of Fuengirola’s clearest statements of identity. Few towns on the coast have such a visible mix of resident communities, international visitors and long-settled foreign families. For five days, that diversity becomes the main attraction.
With new hours, extra trains and a full programme across the recinto ferial, the 2026 edition is expected to draw large crowds once again. Those planning to visit are being advised to use public transport where possible and to check official updates during the week.
Fiestas, Ferias, and Celebrations throughout Spain 2026