Festivals in Alcalá de Henares
Discover the main festivals, celebrations and traditions of Alcalá de Henares, municipality of Madrid, in Madrid.
Local festivals in Alcalá de Henares
Usual celebration
Alcalá's Fairs and Festivals are usually held in late August and last about a week. Plaza de Cervantes, the historic centre, Huerta del Obispo and the Isla del Colegio fairground host the opening speech, the Giants and Big-heads troupe, the peñas, stalls, concerts and theatre. The city's calendar also includes the Santos Niños Justo y Pastor festivities around 6 August and Cervantes Week around 9 October.
Programme for 2026
The municipal programme for the 2026 Santos Niños festivities ran from 3 to 9 August in the historic centre. It opened with the Pincel y Cincel exhibition, a talk by the city's official chronicler and a Mass; the week also included children's activities, music and the traditional events honouring Justo and Pastor. That year's Fairs and Festivals were announced for the last part of August at the fairground and municipal cultural venues.
Local public holidays in 2026
The official labour calendar declared 6 August and 9 October as paid, non-recoverable local public holidays in Alcalá de Henares. These two non-working dates are not the full duration of either the August festivities or Cervantes Week.
Other events
Holy Week, Cervantes Week and Don Juan en Alcalá complete the city's main cultural and festive calendar, with events in Calle Mayor, Plaza de Cervantes, the Corral de Comedias and other venues in the historic centre.
Sources
- Alcalá City Council: Fairs and Festivals
- Alcalá City Council: 2026 Santos Niños programme
- BOCM: local public holidays for 2026
Detailed information on individual celebrations: