Cordoba Festivals Andalucia © Michelle Chaplow |
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Cordoba - May festivities
May is a month of endless festivities in Cordoba, with a feast for the senses on offer, as flowers fill patios and balconies, and adorn crosses throughout the city, music is played, food and drink is served, and springtime exerts its intoxicating influence on allcomers. A stroll through night-time Cordoba in May, with its balmy temperatures, beautifully lit courtyards, secret corners, floating guitar songs and infectious atmosphere, is an experience every visitor to Andalucia should enjoy.
Here is a list of flower and spring-themed festivals in Cordoba which you can experience every year during the month of May.
BATTLE OF THE FLOWERS (BATALLA DE LAS FLORES)
This one isn't usually in May, but in Andalucia such details are irrelevant - it's the opening event of the May festivities. The first of the big four, it usually takes place on the last Sunday of April but sometimes on May Day holiday. The ´´battle'' consists of a procession of floats making its way along the city`s Paseo de la Victoria (Av. de la República Argentina) in other word a couple of circuits around Jardines de la Victoria, with local women dressed in gypsy outfits, singing 'Soy Cordobes' by the Argentine singer Rodrigo 'El Potro'. The floats are decorated with paper flowers, the typical horseshoe-shaped arches as seen in the city's Mezquita, and images of the city's patron saint, San Raphael. Some floats come from the Linares and Santo Domingo pilgrimages
At 12 midday the floats' passengers throw flowers (140,000 carnations, to be precise) into the crowds, accompanied by a brass band. The parade, which last over an hour, first took place in the 1940s, followed by a long hiatus until the mid-1980s, when Spain had come to life again after the dictatorship. More >
 Thousands of carnations are thrown, during the battle of the flowers. © Michelle Chaplow |
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CROSSES OF MAY (CRUCES DE MAYO)
The second of the big May celebrations in Cordoba, this festival takes place at the beginning of May (3 May is Dia de Santa Cruz, St Cross Day), and lasts four days. Crosses are decorated with flowers by hermandades (Catholic brotherhoods) and neighbourhood groups, competing for prizes. The local tourist office will give you a special market map to help you find the crosses. More >
PATIO CONTEST (CONCURSO POPULAR DE PATIOS)
The third, and most famous, of the four annual spring-time events, the Festival of the Patios is in early to mid-May, and lasts for 10 days. Home-owners compete for a prize for the most beautifully decorated patio. It's a rare chance to see inside these 40 or so traditional courtyards, some of which are always viewable through cancelas (iron gates), are as most of them are only actually open to the public during this festival. More >
 Most beautifully decorated patio contest. © Michelle Chaplow |
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SPRING FAIR (FERIA)
Similar to the Seville Feria de Abril (April Fair, or Spring Fair), this fourth May festival takes place during the last week of May, at the municipal fair ground, El Arenal, by the river. The main difference at Cordoba's Feria is that the casetas (tents), run by families and associations, are open to all. More >
Find about more about the Cordoba Festivals.
Battle of the Flowers (Batalla de las Flores) isn't usually in May but end of April. The "battle'' consists of a procession of floats making its way along the city`s Paseo de la Victoria
The Patio contests is sponsored by the Córdoba City Hall and began in 1918. But to really understand why a contest of this type was created in Córdoba you must know something about the local… More →
The May Crosses Festival (Cruces de Mayo) is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially in Latin America and Spain. In Cordoba festival holds special importance and is the best known of the… More →
The Cordoba Spring Fair, or Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of the Health), takes place during the last week of May. Its venue is the municipal fairground on the north bank of the… More →
Festival dates 2023
2023 festival dates were confirmed at a council meeting in September 2022.
Jan 5 - Procession of the Three Kings.
Jan 27 to 29 - Medieval Market.
Jan 31 to Feb 11 - Competitions of the Carnival groups.
Feb 18 to 26 - Carnaval
April 2 al 9 - Semana Santa.
April 16 - Fiesta of the Habas en las Ermitas.
April 23 - Romería de Santo Domingo.
April 19 to 23 - Montilla-Moriles wine tasting.
April 27 to 1 May - May Crosses.
April 30 - Battle of the Flowers.
May 7 - Romería de la Virgen de Linares.
May 2 to 14 - Fiesta de los Patios.
May 20 to 27 -Cordoba Feria.
June 17 - Noche Blanca del Flamenco.
June 29 to 1 July - Feria in district of Los Ángeles.
Julio Second fortnight - Festival de la Guitarra.
July 5 to 9 - Feria El Higuerón.
July 12 to 16 - Feria de Villarrubia.
July 17 to 23 - Feria de Santa Cruz.
July 19 to 23 - Feria de Cerro Muriano.
August 2 to 6 - Feria de Alcolea.
August 10 to 15 - Feria de Trassierra.
Sept 7 to 10 - Velá de la Fuensanta.
Sept 14 to 17 - Cabalcor.
Sept 30 to 8 Oct - Cosmopoética.
Dec 1 to 6 Jan - Christmas Programme.
Dec 31 - New Year eve celebrations.
