For six days in September, the whitewashed streets of Mijas Pueblo fill with horses, flamenco dresses and music until dawn. Here's everything you need to know before you go.
If you only see one feria on the Costa del Sol, make it this one. The Feria de Mijas runs from 7 to 12 September 2026, held up in Mijas Pueblo — the whitewashed village on the mountainside above the coast — and it manages something the bigger city ferias can't: it still feels like a village celebrating itself, even with thousands of visitors in the streets.
What's actually being celebrated
This isn't a tourist event that grew into a fair. It's the fiestas patronales — the patron saint's festival — in honour of the Virgen de la Peña, Mijas's patron. Everything else, the casetas and the concerts and the fairground, is built around that.
The pregón (the opening speech that formally starts the feria) takes place on Saturday 6 September at 21:00 in the Miguel González Berral auditorium, given this year by the Mijas journalist Mari Carmen Jaime. It's free, it's warm, and it's a lovely way to see the village at its most itself before the crowds arrive.
Who is the Virgen de la Peña?
The patron of Mijas, whose image is kept in a small sanctuary carved into the rock — la peña means "the rock" — just below the village. The story goes that the image was found there in the 16th century by two children, guided by a dove. Whether or not you're religious, the shrine is worth the short walk: it's cut straight into the stone, cool and candlelit, with the coast spread out far below.
Monday 8 September is the día grande, the big day. At 11:30 the bells ring out at the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción, followed by a mass in the Virgin's honour. Then at around 21:00 the image is carried in procession through the most beautiful streets of Mijas Pueblo. If you see one thing at this feria, see this — the village at night, candles and incense, the whole place out on the street.
Feria de día and feria de noche
Andalucian ferias have two lives, and Mijas does both properly.
By day, the village centre is the stage: women in traje de flamenca, families out together, sherry and rebujito, guitars, and horses moving through streets that were never built for them. It's relaxed, sociable and very family-friendly.
By night, everything moves up to the fairground and the casetas — the marquees where the dancing goes on until the early hours — plus rides and stalls for the children, and the noise and lights of a proper feria.
The 2026 concerts
The music is a real draw this year, and it's all at the caseta municipal:
- Wednesday 9 September, 23:00 — Camela. The much-loved Spanish duo, and the night most locals circle in the calendar. Free entry until the venue is full, so arrive early.
- Thursday 10 September, from midnight — Medina Azahara. Andalucian rock royalty, and a very different crowd.
- Friday 11 September, from 23:30 — Marta Quintero.
- Saturday 12 September — noche joven, closing the feria with Alba Dreid alongside DJ Michael Stiven and DJ Cohelo.
Programmes are finalised by the town hall close to the dates, so it's worth a last check before you set off.
Going as a family, or as a couple
With children: go in the daytime and early evening. The day feria in the village is gentle and welcoming, the fairground rides open before the late crowd builds, and the 8 September procession is genuinely memorable for kids.
As a couple: go late. Have dinner in the village first, walk the mirador while the sun drops over the sea, then let the casetas take care of the rest. Mijas Pueblo after dark, in feria week, is hard to beat.
Getting there
Mijas Pueblo sits about 30 minutes up the hill from Fuengirola. There's a regular bus from Fuengirola, and taxis are straightforward — but during feria week parking in the village is genuinely difficult, so if you're driving, come early or park below and walk up. Coming from further along the coast, the simplest route is the train to Fuengirola on the C-1 line and a bus or taxi from there.
A few notes for visitors from abroad
- Things start late — the concerts don't begin until 23:00 or midnight. Eat late, nap in the afternoon, and don't expect the good stuff before dark.
- The casetas at a village feria like this are open to everyone; you don't need an invitation.
- Dress how you like, but plenty of people dress up — and nobody will look twice if you do.
- Take a light layer. Mijas is 400 metres above the sea, and the evenings are noticeably cooler than on the beach.
Staying nearby
Feria week fills the village and the coast below it. Staying in Mijas Pueblo puts you in the middle of everything; staying down in Mijas Costa or Fuengirola gives you the beach by day and a short hop up to the feria at night.
If you'd like a hand finding somewhere for feria week, tell us your dates and we'll point you to what's available — start with our holiday rentals, or if Mijas is somewhere you've been thinking about more permanently, browse properties for sale in Mijas and our Costa del Sol guides. We're just down the hill in Fuengirola, and we're happy to help.
The GR Estates Team
The best experiences on the Costa del Sol
Written with AI assistance and reviewed by the GR Estates team before publication. AI transparency
