Cantabrian Wars in Los Corrales de Buelna
The Cantabrian Wars turn Los Corrales de Buelna into a setting for historical recreation. Cantabrian tribes and Roman legions occupy their camps and represent, through theater, parades and rituals, the conflict that culminated the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Date and place of celebration
The party usually occupies two weekends between the end of August and the beginning of September. The programme distributes the events between the festive camp, the Agora, the amphitheater, the temple of Janus, the Sacred Land, the period market and different urban spaces of Los Corrales de Buelna.
View the programme of the Cantabrian Wars 2026, scheduled for 28 August to 6 September.
The celebration does not in itself imply a public holiday. Non-working days depend on the state and regional calendar and the local holidays approved for the municipality.
History that is represented
The festival recreates the Asturian-Cantabrian wars, which took place between 29 and 19 BC. The confrontation between the peoples of the northwest of the peninsula and Rome closed the process of Roman conquest of Hispania and left a memory of resistance that serves as the narrative thread of the representations.
It is not a direct survival of Antiquity, but rather a contemporary celebration that turns that historical episode into popular theater. The 2019 edition was the nineteenth and in 2026 the organisation announces the twenty-fourth.
Campamentos, tribus y legiones
The participants are grouped into Cantabrian tribes and clans and into Roman legions. Their cabins, shops, clothing, banners and weapons create two settlements open to visitors. Characters such as Corocotta, Augustus, Agrippa, Drusilla, Selenia, Minerva or the Goddess Cantabria articulate the festive story.
The Cantabrian Wars Association (AGUECAN) organises the work of the groups during the year, with institutional support from the Los Corrales de Buelna City Council and the Government of Cantabria.
Main events and traditions
- Concentration of tribes and legions, delivery of banners and lighting of the sacred fire.
- Theatrical chronicles that link the opening, the battle, the council, the invasion and the surrender.
- Stage combats, parades, senates, rituals, weddings and night marches with torches.
- Experimental archeology workshops, conferences, vintage market, games and competitions.
- Great final parade of tribes and legions along Cantabria Avenue.
Participación y público
The festival is built with the neighbourhood participation of actors, extras, artisans, camp managers and volunteers. Visits to villages, workshops and children's shows allow the public to learn about the trades and daily life represented, while the large scenes bring together the different groups.
Festival of International Tourist Interest
The Secretary of State for Tourism granted the Cantabrian Wars the declaration of Festival of International Tourist Interest in 2019. It was the first celebration in Cantabria to achieve this distinction; It had previously obtained national recognition in 2008.