The Fairs and Festivals of Alcalá de Henares 2026 will take place from August 22 to 30 with over 300 events spread across the neighbourhoods. Music, festive groups, and theatre will be at the centre of a programme that will kick off with the opening speech by APHISA.
The Fairs and Festivals of Alcalá de Henares 2026, which will be held from August 22 to 30, will feature over 300 activities across nearly fifty locations in the city. The official programme, presented this Thursday, once again highlights music, family-friendly events, and festive groups, which will organise more than 150 of these events.
The Alcalá tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages, dictates that the Fairs are held for San Bartolomé. They will officially commence on Saturday, August 22, with the offering from the festive groups, the presentation of the Festival Ladies, and the opening speech from the balcony of the Town Hall, delivered by the APHISA Association in celebration of its 50th anniversary and its work with disabilities. They will conclude on Sunday, August 30, with a parade of floats and a fireworks display.
The Councillor for Festivals and Popular Traditions, Antonio Saldaña, has invited residents to participate:
“I invite you to experience these Fairs and Festivals intensely, with responsibility, respect, and a spirit of coexistence, making Alcalá an example of participation and hospitality once again.”
The epicentre will be the Fairgrounds at Isla del Colegio, which will open on the afternoon of Friday, August 21. The Day Fair will be set up in Cervantes Square, featuring music from dusk until midnight. The Huerta del Obispo, O'Donnell Park, and the Historic Centre will be other venues, and the festivities will reach all five districts with parades of Giants and Bigheads, children's parks, and tournaments in the municipal sports centres.
In the cycle ‘The Concerts of the Wall’, at the Huerta del Obispo, Loquillo will perform on Saturday, August 22; the Muralla Pop Fest will take place on Thursday, August 27; the Muralla Camp on Friday, August 28, featuring Chenoa, Fangoria, and Coyote Dax; and it will close with Vanesa Martín on Saturday, August 29. The Sementales Park will host music every night with local artists such as the Zarzuela Group, Juanjo Espinosa, Manuel Alejandro, or the band Fórmula Pop. There will be daily dancing in Cervantes Square, with concerts by Efecto Pasillo on the 22nd and Rosa López on the 29th.
The Teatro Salón Cervantes will offer a programme that includes ‘La pasión infinita’ with Pepón Nieto (21 and 22), ‘Alcalá Comedy Show’ (23), ‘Gool’ by Yllana (26 and 27), ‘Canadá’ with Santiago Molero (28), and ‘Mejor no decirlo’ with Imanol Arias and María Barranco (29 and 30). In the Patio de Santo Tomás de Villanueva de la Cisneriana, there will be a cycle of music and dance featuring the Flamenco Ballet of Cristian Díaz, the Camino de Vuelta Company, the Esquivel Company, and other local groups.
The First Deputy Mayor, Isabel Ruiz Maldonado, has highlighted that the programme is made possible thanks to the work of all the departments and the commitment of entities and festive groups:
“An extensive and varied programme thanks not only to the work of the Department of Festivals but also to all areas and the commitment of regional houses, cultural associations, and, very especially, the festive groups.”
This year's Fairs will be celebrated with a focus on coexistence and participation, as requested by Councillor Saldaña. The complete programme is available on the municipal website and at tourist information points, so residents can plan their nine days of celebration.
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