Córdoba festivals and events 2026 — month by month

May is the peak. The Crosses of May, the Patio Festival, and the Feria all land within roughly four weeks, which is why it is the single strongest month for a festival-focused trip. If you want the full picture before booking, the Córdoba in spring guide covers how the three events stack up and which dates to prioritise.

The Patio Festival of Córdoba has been on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2012. The patio competition itself dates back to 1921, the UNESCO inscription is 2012. The patio festival guide covers the competition rules, the best streets to walk, and how to plan your visit around the judging schedule.

Most headline events are free or mostly free. Patio Festival entry is free, though guided patio tours may be paid. Holy Week street viewing costs nothing. The Feria fairground is free to enter. FLORA and Christmas in Córdoba are largely free to browse. For a full breakdown, see free things to do in Córdoba.

No. Most Feria casetas are public, but not all of them. That still makes Córdoba more accessible than some Andalusian ferias, where private casetas dominate much more strongly. The Córdoba Feria guide explains which areas to head for and what to expect once you are inside.

Yes. May is built for it. With dates spanning late April through late May, you can take in the Crosses of May, the Patio Festival, and the Feria in a single spring stay. The Córdoba in spring guide maps out the exact sequence and recommends how many nights to allow for each event.

Yes. The Guitar Festival programme mixes classical, flamenco, jazz, and contemporary music, so the strongest nights are not limited to classical guitar audiences. If flamenco is what draws you, the flamenco in Córdoba guide puts the festival in context alongside year-round venues.

The International Guitar Festival runs 1 to 11 July 2026 at the Gran Teatro, Teatro Góngora and outdoor venues in the historic centre. The programme covers classical, flamenco and jazz guitar; Gran Teatro nights sell out fastest.

Yes. The Montilla Wine Tasting (usually late April) is the main food and drink festival, celebrating the DO Montilla-Moriles wines with free entry and paid tasting packs. The Feria de Córdoba in late May also has a strong food culture; rebujito and tapas flow freely in the public casetas.

The Feria de Córdoba fairground is free to enter, and most casetas are open to anyone who walks in. The horse parade, outdoor stages, and the main paseo all cost nothing. Some casetas, those belonging to political parties or professional associations, require membership or an invitation, but public casetas far outnumber them. Drinks inside are bar-priced. The only paid element worth noting is the grandstand for the opening-night fireworks. The Feria guide covers the public caseta map and how the nights actually run.

The Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba 2026 runs 4 to 17 May. Private courtyards across the Judería, San Basilio, and the Historic Centre open daily along six marked walking routes for two weeks. Competing patios are free to enter; the judging happens in the first week, so early visitors catch the patios at their most prepared. The Patio Festival guide covers which routes to walk in which order and how to manage queues during peak hours.

Semana Santa in Córdoba runs 28 March to 4 April 2027. Holy Week dates shift year to year because they follow the ecclesiastical calendar, landing on the eight days before and including Easter Sunday. In 2027, Easter Sunday falls on 4 April. The 38 brotherhoods carry pasos through the city over eight nights; street viewing on every route is free. The grandstand on Calle Cardenal Herrero, in front of the Mezquita, is ticketed and sells out weeks ahead. The Holy Week guide maps the main routes and the best free viewpoints.

Layers are the practical answer. Late March into early April in Córdoba runs cool after dark, often 10-12°C by the time night processions pass. Wear something you can peel off by midday and put back on by 9pm. Comfortable walking shoes matter more than anything else: you will stand for long stretches on uneven cobblestones, often for 45 minutes or more at the main confraternities. Modest dress is not required on the streets, but if you are entering the Mezquita or nearby churches during Holy Week, covered shoulders are expected. Leave the heels at the hotel. The Holy Week guide covers the best viewing spots and the procession timetable.

Three events fit families well, each for different reasons. Cruces de Mayo (late April, early May) is neighbourhood-scale: decorated crosses in public squares, bars with terraces, relaxed timing. The Batalla de las Flores (late April) is a single afternoon parade near the Alcázar, easy to arrive for and leave when children tire. FLORA in October turns Córdoba's patios and public gardens into contemporary art installations, with several child-friendly pieces each year, low crowds, and mild weather. The FLORA guide covers what to expect and which installations suit younger visitors.

Most headline events have free access, but some elements are ticketed. Concert tickets for the Guitar Festival start around €15-25 and the best Gran Teatro nights sell out. The grandstand on Calle Cardenal Herrero for Holy Week processions is ticketed and fills weeks in advance. At the Montilla wine fair, fairground entry is free but tasting flights are sold by pack. Guided patio tours during the Patio Festival are paid; competing patios themselves are free to enter. The Feria fairground and public casetas cost nothing, though drinks are bar-priced inside.

For confirmed current dates, use the upcoming festivals strip at the top of this page, which shows the next three events in calendar order, and the festival dates comparison table below, which lists all 12 events with dates, duration, price, and crowd level. Each row links to a dedicated event page with full details. Both sections reflect confirmed dates rather than typical windows, so they are the most reliable reference on this page.

The main late-May fair is the Feria de Córdoba, formally the Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud. The Patio Festival is the Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba, or Concurso de Patios in competition context; it has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage register since 2012. The Crosses of May are the Cruces de Mayo. Holy Week is Semana Santa. Knowing the Spanish names helps when searching local news, official programmes, or hotel availability during festival weeks.

November is genuinely quiet, one of the few months without a headline event. That makes it practical for visiting without the infrastructure pressure of festival weeks: hotels are easier to book and the historic centre belongs more to residents than tour groups. January is similar, though the city is still winding down from Christmas. The Epiphany parade (Cabalgata de Reyes Magos) runs on 5 January, and Christmas illuminations stay up until after that date. Carnival in Córdoba starts in late January or early February, depending on the year. For month-by-month guidance, see the best time to visit Córdoba guide.