The Best Basque Culture Highlights in October 2021

You can complement your leisure by enjoying some culture or sports activities in October 2021, during your visit or stay in any Basque province.

I have selected for you the Basque Culture events in October 2021 that I believe make you understand and know the locals better.

It is very likely that the events have some adjustment due to the Covid-19 regulations. I did not forget it.

Basque Culture events in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Alava in October 2021

• Azkena Rock Festival – Special Edition 2021. It presents the different currents of rock’n’roll, from rock, punk or rockabilly, both with established names and younger voices. Mendizabala, next to the Mendizorroza Sports Center. From September 22nd until October 3rd.
• Brahms Fest – Symphony Orchestra of the Basque Country. Principal Theater. September 30th and October 5th.
• 46th International Theater Festival. From classical to the most avant-garde theater. From September 30th until November 28th.
• BioneAraba. Fair of ecological production. Exhibition of producers and sale of organic food of the Basque Country and its surroundings. Alavesa Association of Ecological Agriculture. October 2nd.
• XXII Great Fund Test “Hiru Haundiak 2021”. Popular and multitudinous mountain race that crosses three emblematic summits. Distance of one hundred kilometers with an ascent gradient plus descent of ten thousand two hundred meters in a maximum of 24 hours. October 9th. In Gorbeia, Anboto and Aizkorri.
• Great Week of Pintxo de Álava. Competition between the pintxos (Basque tapas) that are presented in the competition. Tasting phase: from October 9th to 18th. Final phase: October 22nd.

Great Week of Pintxo de Álava. Vitoria-Gasteiz

• A love story, by Alexis Michalik (French theater prodigy). Contemporary Theater Productions Main Theater. October 10th.
• World Press Photo. The most important international photojournalism contest. Every year, the great and the good of journalism and the best international agencies compete. Montehermoso Cultural Center. From October 15th until November 14th.
• Miniature Pintxos Congress 2021: Haute cuisine in miniature. Almost 400 congressmen and 30 speakers. Program of professional activities and for the general public, with experiential dinners, pintxos routes, technical demonstrations, workshops… Europa Conference Center. From October 16th to 27th.
• XVI Basque Country-Navarra Pintxos Championship. Euskal Herria Championship of Pintxos. They will make the pintxos live. Various prizes are awarded. Europe Conference Center. From October 18th to 20th.
• KlasikAT. Euskadiko Orkestra and Kalakan. Folklore and classical world merge to vindicate and enhance traditional Basque music. Principal Theater. October 21st.
• VIII National Gastronomy Contest. Contest of kitchen and pastry professionals from Spain, who will participate in teams, representing the different autonomous communities. Europe Conference Center. From October 24th to 26th.

Enjoy Basque Culture in San Sebastian and Gipuzkoa in October 2021

• Exhibition “Alaïa & Balenciaga. Sculptors of the form”. More than 100 works by both creators – Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) and Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972) – belonging to the collections of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation in Paris. Tenth anniversary of the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. From April 30th until October 31st. In Getaria.
• Tàpies in Zabalaga. Exhibition focused on the large-format sculptures of the Catalan artist. Chillida Leku Museum. Free guided tour from June 12th to September 30th. From June 10th, 2021 to January 10th, 2022. In Hernani.
• IX edition “The hidden treasures of the Ignatian Land”. Cultural activities and visits to the heritage of the regions where Saint Ignacius Loyola lived. From June 12th to December 31st. In Antzuola / Aretxabaleta / Arrasate / Mondragón / Azkoitia / Azpeitia / Bergara / Eskoriatza / Ezkio-Itsaso / Ezkio-Itsaso / Legazpi / Leintz Gatzaga / Urretxu / Zumarraga.
• Exhibition: “The longest trip. The first round the world”. In commemoration of the first circumnavigation of the earth by Magellan and Elcano. San Telmo Museum. From June 26th to October 24th.
• Half marathon. 20th anniversary. 21 kilometers through emblematic places of the city. Another option is the 10 kilometers. October 3rd.
• Donosskino: Donostia Short Film Festival. 300 jobs of various nationalities. Awards. Principal Theater. From October 5th to 9th.
• Maestrissimo. Adventures and misadventures of a string quartet in an indeterminate period between the 17th and 18th centuries (Baroque and Neoclassicism). Victoria Eugenia Theater. October 8th and 9th.
• Brahms Fest – Symphony Orchestra of the Basque Country. Kursaal Auditorium. October 8th and 13th.
• Vigor Mortis. Surrealist show, where poetry, movement and narrative fit. OtraDanza Company. Victoria Eugenia Theater. October 15th.
• CARMEN.maquia. Recognized as Best Dance Show in the 2019 Valencian Performing Arts Awards. Titoyaya Dansa. Victoria Eugenia Theater. October 17th.
• Baserritarra Day and XXXVIII Basque Country Shepherd’s Cheese Contest. Sale of cheese and homemade products, workshops and exhibition of local cattle. IX Exhibition of cattle and products of the town. Different activities. Popular food. October 17th. In Idiazabal.

XXXVIII Basque Country Shepherd’s Cheese Contest in Idiazabal

• Organic salt day. V Ecological fair in collaboration with BIOLUR. Guided tours of the museum. October 17th. In Leintz-Gatzaga.
• La Clásica Salto 15k Donostia – popular pedestrian. 4 different modalities: Roller, HandBike, Wheelchairs or pedreste race. For the center of the city the participants will complete a distance of 15 kilometers. October 17th.
• NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester of Hamburg. Scottish Fantasy for Violin by Max Bruch, inspired by Pablo Sarasate. Kursaal Auditorium. October 25th.
• P. Gaigne and P.I. Tchaikovsky – Symphony Orchestra of the Basque Country. Kursaal Auditorium. October 28th and 29th.
• 32nd Fantastic and Terror Film Week. With parallel activities: exhibitions, cycles, children’s activities… October 29th until November 5th.
• Ardiki Eguna. Sheep day. Popular festival since 1994. Mondejus Championship (a kind of local white blood sausage) and the Aralar Shepherd Cheese Contest. A multitude of animals (pottokas, sheep, rams…) and products such as sheep meat, cheese and land. October 31st. In Zaldibia.
• XXIII San Sebastian Gastronomika – Euskadi Basque Country. World congress of high gastronomy (bringing together the best chefs on the planet), off (parallel congress dedicated to the world of the room and wine), Popular (aimed at citizens) and Market (a spectacular fair). Rediscover the French culinary reality and poses a new dialogue between French and Spanish cuisines. Digital and live. Kursaal Palace. From November 14th until 17th.
• “Arima Hotel Conference – REIH® Plan – Passivhaus. Topics: Tourism, Construction and Sustainable Mobility, Passive House Certification. First largest hotel in the world pre-certified International Passivhaus”. ARIMA Hotel. November 26th.

Basque Culture activities in Bilbao and Bizcay in October 2021

• ABC: The alphabet of the Bilbao Museum. Exhibition for its 110 years of inauguration. Museum of Fine Arts. From October 6th, 2018 until December 30th, 2021.
• Exhibition “Ibarrola in the estuary, water, iron, fire and air”. Exhibition by the Basque Agustín Ibarrola (Basauri, 1930) with 17 large-format oil paintings and 20 drawings on maritime and industrial themes of the Bilbao Estuary. From May 11th until January 31st, 2022.
• The line of wit. Selection of works from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao’s Own Collection whose common features are humor, wit and experimentation. From June 11th until January 16th.
• Expovacations. Trends and experiences. Giveaways, exhibitions, tastings and other activities. Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC). From October 1st to 3rd.
• XI Humor Festival. Ja! Bilbao is a festival that highlights the importance of humors in the arts, particularly in literature. Sala BBK, Alhóndiga Bilbao, Mercado de la Ribera, Campos Elíseos Theatre. From October 1st until 10th.
• European Heritage Days in Bizkaia. Music, dance, games, sports and pilgrimages. Squares, theaters, frontons, bullrings and carts, music kiosks and church porches. From October 1st to 31st.
• Brahms Fest – Symphony Orchestra of the Basque Country. Euskalduna Palace. From October 2nd to 6th.
• XXXIX Conference of Performing Arts. Sample of quality Basque theater productions. Muxikebarri Art and Culture Center. From October 4th until 28th. In Getxo.
• SUMBilbao 2021. International conference on solutions for sustainable mobility from a local perspective. Euskalduna Palace. October 6th and 7th.
• Theater: With how good we were. Company Nine of Nine. A duel between what we want and what we must do. Each choice has its price. Arriaga Theater. October 7th.
• Zacharias and Shuman – Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. Euskalduna Palace. October 7th and 8th.

Bilbao Symphony Orchestra- Euskalduna Palace, Bilbao

• Antton Valverde: ‘Gaua, absent in itzala’ (Night, shadow of absence). One of the great references of Basque music in a concert full of poetry. Arriaga Theater. October 8th.
• The BAD Festival of Theater and Contemporary Dance, focuses its attention on new trends in the performing arts, with special attention on the works of living authors and the dialogue between the arts and other mediums such as music, video and performance. From October 14th until 24th.
• The magic Flute. Your first opera. Opera Divertimento. Mozart shares his last opera with the whole family. A show from 2 years. Campos Eliseos Theater. October 16th.
• Open House. Festival of open doors of Bilbao in more than 25 buildings to better understand the city through its architecture and urbanism. Free guided tours. From October 16th and 17th. In Barakaldo / Bilbao / Getxo.
• Bilbao Seriesland. Basque Country International Festival of Digital Series. Meeting between creators of independent content. From October 18th until 23rd.
• Band Music – Bilbao municipal band of txistularis. October 18th, November 8th, December 29th, January 17th and 31st, 2022; and February 9th, 2022.
• Joanna Connor Band. Blues-rock singer and guitarist. BBK Room. October 19th.
• “Guernica” by Agustín Ibarrola. This new acquisition is an emblematic work of Basque art and of the painter’s production, and it was also one of the most significant episodes in the museum’s recent history. Museum of Fine Arts of BIlbao. From October 18th until March 27th, 2022.
• Jerry Bergonzi Quartet. A reference saxophonist in the modernity of Jazz at an international level. Bilbao Jazz Club. Arriaga Theater. October 19th.
• KlasikAT. Euskadiko Orkestra and Kalakan. Folklore and classical world merge to vindicate and enhance traditional Basque music. Arriaga Theater. October 22nd.
• Tricicle presents Carles Sans: Finally alone! Occurring and funny professional and personal anecdotes lived. Campos Eliseos Theater. From October 22nd until 24th.
• Basque DokFestival. Documentary photography festival. Exhibitions, workshops and conferences. Bizkaia Aretoa. From October 22nd until 25th. Pending date.
• Women of abstraction. Contribution of women artists to abstraction. Exhibition that comes from the Center Pompidou in Paris. Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. From October 22nd to February 27th, 2022.
• Food Fair. L International Putxeras Competition during the San Severino festivities. Popular festival since 1971. Popular contest based on beans, bacon, chorizo, rib and blood sausage. October 23rd. In Balmaseda.

International Putxeras Competition in Balmaseda

• Diva (María Callas), by Albert Boadella. Opera drama. Arriaga Theater. October 23rd.
  EDP Bilbao Night Marathon. Three different tests: the marathon (42 kilometers), the half marathon (21 kilometers) and the popular race (10 kilometers) through the heart of the city. Departure: San Mamés. Arrival: Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. October 23rd.
• Opera season: Les Contes D’Hoffmann. Euskalduna Palace. October 23rd, 26th and 29th; and November 1st.
• Monographic fair on the apple. Manual and mechanical apple chopping, pressing, juice extraction and tasting. Other activities related to the apple. Exhibition and sale of products. October 24th. In Laudio / Llodio.
• BIME Live and Pro 2021. Bizkaia International Music Experience is an international gathering of professionals from sectors that work around music. Concerts, talks, round tables, debates, conventions, presentations, fair and training are the ingredients that make up this international event for the unedited music industry in Spain. Euskalduna Palace and Bilbao Arena. From October 27th until 30th.
• Diego Cigala: sing to Mexico. The most international artist of Spanish Flamenco. Eusladuna Palace. October 28th.
• Candlelight by Campari Tonic: Film music under the candles. Musical show with the most recognized and emblematic soundtracks of all time. Bilbao Exhibition Center. October 30th.
• Swan Lake. The company The Russian National Ballet. Euskalduna Palace. October 31st.
• Punta Galea Challenge. Surf Party. It is one of the 7 tests that are part of the prestigious Big Wave Surfing World Circuit, Big Wave Tour, this being the only one of them that is organized on European territory. Waiting period from October to February. In Getxo.

Basque Culture in Biarritz and French Basque Country

• Exhibition “Gauargi – The Lantern of the night”. Gauargi invites the public to explore Basque rites and traditions: the Compagnie Maritzuli thus offers an original route made up of around thirty costumes accompanied by accessories and numerous iconographic documents. Historical Museum. From July 3rd to October 23rd.
• 8th Biennial of Contemporary Art. The Anglet Biennale of Contemporary Art has found its place nationwide in France with the presence of major artists who share their artistic creations with the public. Chambre d’Amour beach. From August 7th until October 31st. In Anglet.
• Exposition Bleu, la Galerie: “Ports de la Baie” by Eric Bourdon. “It is a stroll that the artist offers the viewer, a physical stroll around the three ports that surround the bay but also a stroll through time…”. Bleu, la Galerie. From September 4th until October 20th. In Saint Jean de Luz.
• Peter Harper “Space Party”. Songwriter and performer. La Luna Negra. October 1st and 2nd. In Bayonne.
• Basque cake festival. Competition for the best amateur Basque cake, a parade of the brotherhoods, a pastry workshop, a sweet walk, concerts and sale of Basque cakes. First Sunday in October. October 3rd. In Cambo-les-Bains.

Basque Cake Festival in Cambo les Bains

• 8th International Film Festival. Cinema Le Sélect. From October 4th until 10th. In Saint Jean de Luz.
• Eolya. Originally from Occitanie. With him, you will travel from the Scandinavian countries to the Celtic countries, passing through the Aboriginal and Eastern lands. Share his Love for Nature, Humanity and Life, touch the hearts of people, plant seeds in consciousness, with his very particular and unusual style. La Luna Negra. October 7th. In Bayonne.
• Ham Fair. Sixty local exhibitors. The competition for the best farm ham, the best omelet… with ham. Esplanade Roland-Barthes, the quays of the Nive and the carreau des Halles. From October 7th to 10th. In Bayonne.
• Jazz & Swing Biarritz invites Rix & Wonder Land. Meal + concert. Radisson Hotel. October 9th.
• Canto general. The Choir of the Principality of Laàs. Admirable fusion between the poetry of Pablo Neruda and the music of Mikis Theodorakis. Gare du Midi Theatre. October 10th.
• The Invitation to Travel, li (v) re on stage. The city in the colors of literature. “The ocean”: such is the theme chosen for this 6th edition. Municipal casino. From October 11th to 17th.
• Autumn sale. Nearly 150 stores in Biarritz offer the biggest brands at discounted prices. Downtown. From October 22nd to 24th.
• Pepper Festival. Local events, Concert, Parade Procession Parade, Fair or show. From October 23rd to 24th. In Espelette.
• David Hallyday – Eternal Tour. Two years after having made a triumph at the Trianon in Paris, David Hallyday sets off a new series of concerts. Municipal Casino. October 24th.
• Pigeon hunting with nets. Feast of the Dove. This ancient custom begins every year on September 29th, Saint Michael’s Day, and ends on November 11th, Saint Martin’s Day. In Sare.

You can also ask us about Basque Culture activities if you have booked or are enjoying any of our personalized and private excursions in October 2021.

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