The memory of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica is one of the events that mark Basque culture every April 26th. This event is best known internationally for the famous “Guernica” by Picasso; a painter who coincidentally died on April 8th. With Aitor Delgado Tours you will be able to learn all the details of the context and the bombing in the Basque city itself. 45 years ago, the Basque composer José María Iparragirre, creator of the zortziko “Gernikako Arbola”, died on April 6th. An eight-verse song dedicated to the Tree of Guernica, the most venerated by the Basques.

Another recurring activity in April is Holy Week. Although the best known in Spain are those of Andalusia; in the Basque Country you can appreciate some very local religious traditions. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, don’t miss the Lantern Procession with its beautiful polychrome glass pieces and discover the excellent collection of the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in the New Cathedral. In April there are also the Festivities in honour of San Prudencio and Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz.

The Itzulia Basque Country – Cycling Tour of the Basque Country 2025 will be from April 7th to 12th. The Basque people are very fond of cycling. From its start in Irún it will pass through Kanbo, Azpeleta, Altzsasu,…. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Amorebieta Etxano, and ends in Eibar. Almost 1000 kilometres through a truly paradisiacal landscape. Contact me if you would like to discover the Basque Country on the two wheels of a bicycle with a locally made wooden frame. 90 years ago, the first edition of the Vuelta Ciclista a España (Cycling tour of Spain) was held on April 29th.

In the year of the 130th anniversary of the birth of the Basque fashion designer Balenciaga, I invite you to see the exhibition “Louvre Couture. Art and fashion: statement pieces”. At the Louvre Museum in Paris, from January 24th to July 21st. You will also see outfits by John Galliano for Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen and Hubert de Givenchy in conversation with objects. Did you know that the first public art exhibition was also in Paris on April 9th, 1677?

World Art Day, promoted by UNESCO, is celebrated every April 15th. On the same day, 110 years ago, Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla premiered at the Lara Theater in Madrid. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will be 155 years old this April 13th. And the International Day of Monuments and Sites, every April 18th, reminds us of the importance of historical heritage and its conservation and protection. And the days of the Chinese (April 20th), English and Spanish languages. The latter every April 23rd, the day of the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes.

A month of April full of art. Also enjoy art with the personalized and exclusive tours designed by you together with Aitor Delgado. And with the events that Basque culture gives us in this April 2025:

 

Basque culture proposals in Bilbao and Biscay

  • Tarsila do Amaral. Painting modern Brazil. A central figure of Brazilian modernism, she paints an “authentic”, multicultural and multiracial Brazil. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. From February 21st to June 1st.
  • in situ: Refik Anadol. Exhibition of the immersive, architectural and multisensory work of Turkish video artist Refik Anadol. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. From March 7th to October 19th.
  • ‘Miami 1990’ Tour. Café Quijano. Concert. Latest work by the Leonese bolero and traditional pop band. Euskalduna Palace. April 6th.
  • Mario Biondi: Crooning undercover. International soul/jazz. Musicians such as Franco Luciani, Paolo Fresu, Mario Schiavone and Rosario Giuliani, among others, collaborate. Arriaga Theater. April 11th.
  • Unpublished. Presentation tour. From the successful Spanish singer David Bustamante. Campos Elíseos Theatre. April 11th.
  • Omenaldiak- Tributes. Premiere and other works. Soprano, San Juan Bautista Abesbatza Choir and Municipal Music Band. Euskalduna Palace. April 13th.
  • Paris – Spain. Concert that shows the influence of Spanish music in 19th century Paris: boleros, tiranas, seguidillas, habaneras, etc. Franco-Spanish soprano Inés Lorans and pianist Rubén Fernández Aguirre. Arriaga Theatre. April 23rd.
  • “Hotel Morgan” new album. Hotel Tour 2025. Morgan Band. Euskalduna Palace. April 26th.
  • Tarab Tour. Film Symphony Orchestra. The best film music in concert: Dune, Inception, Oppenheimer, Troy, The Little Mermaid, Gravity, Frozen, The Mummy Returns, Schindler’s List, Legends of the Fall, Forrest Gump, The Martian, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker or Fantastic Beasts, more. Euskalduna Palace. April 27th.
  • Mari-Eli. Zarzuela by the Basque composer Jesús Guridi. Bilbao Choral Society. Zarzuela with catchy melodies and comic passages. Arriaga Theatre. April 30th and May 1st.

 

Basque culture events in San Sebastian and Gipuzkoa in April 2025

  • Ipuscua Exhibition: 1000 years. From Ipuscua to Gipuzkoa 1025-2025. Anniversary of the first mention of the name of the province. San Telmo Museum. From January 18th to May 11th.
  • Harri, Lurra, Huts (Stone, Earth, Void). Chillida’s exhibition from the perspective of earth and stone. Chillidaleku Museum. From February 6th to May 26th.
  • Maria Paz Jiménez. Revealing the mystery. Exhibition on the painter’s career and contribution to the history of art. Kursaal Palace, Sala Kubo. From February 7th to May 5th.
  • Cristobal Balenciaga: Technique, Material, and Form. An exhibition offering an in-depth and educational look at the couturier’s work, influence, and legacy. Cristobal Balenciaga Museum. From March 7th to January 11th, 2026.
  • San Sebastian International Half Marathon. About 21 kilometres, 2 laps of a flat circuit, and a single city. The fastest and most beautiful circuit in Europe. April 6th.
  • Jérémie Rhorer and Le Cercle de l’Harmonie with mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez. Arias from operas by Mozart, Gluck, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Bizet, Mendelssohn, Donizetti and Rossini. Kursaal Palace, Saint Sebastian. April 8th.
  • Tatiana Samouil + Josu Okiñena. Violin and piano. Works by W.A. Mozart, Aita Donostia, C. Saint-Saëns, J. Guridi and M. Ravel. Victoria Eugenia Theater. April 22nd.
  • AFRICA sings “The embrace between peoples”. African sound traditions. Orfeón Donostiarra. Choir, piano and percussion. Kursaal Palace. April 26th.
  • Camela + 30. Camela, techno-rumba vocal duo. 30th anniversary tour. Kursaal Palace. April 27th.
  • Pavel Gomziakov + Amaia Zipitria. Cello and piano. Works by N. Myaskovsky, M. Ravel, J. Guridi and C. Debussy. Victoria Eugenia Theater. April 29th.

 

Basque culture activities in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava in April 2025

  • The case of the house museum. Retrospective exhibition of the artist Joëlle Tuerlinckx (Brussels, Belgium, 1958). ARTIUM – Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basque Country. From November 15th, 2024 to April 27th.
  • A story of Judith and Holofernes. Exhibition of Peeter Sion (Antwerp, Belgium, 1624 – 1695), Flemish Baroque painter. Museum of Fine Arts of Alava. From February 20th to September 14th.
  • Bilduma, ikusgai. Collection, on display: The Visible Collection. Exhibition of recently acquired works of art. ARTIUM – Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basque Country. From February 21 to April 27th.
  • Exhibition of Inés Medina (Cáceres, 1950). Analytical plastic research by the artist in the USA and the Basque Country. ARTIUM – Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basque Country. From February 28th to June 1st.
  • Concert – Isabel Casanova “La Otra” and Jhana Beat. Vital Fundazioa Kulturunea. April 10th.
  • Lofácil – Umbrales Collection. Songs of pain and hope. Klaustro Sounds 2025. Montehermoso Cultural Center. April 13th.
  • Act! Concert by the Municipal Band of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the collaboration of Musikene (Higher Music Centre of the Basque Country). Europa Conference Centre. April 16th.
  • Lecture “Aldecoa: the poetic novelist of the mid-century generation” by Javier La Beira Strani. Ignacio Aldecoa Cultural Centre – Auditorium. April 23rd.

Treat yourself to the pleasure of getting to know Basque culture in April 2025. Complement your stay with Aitor Delgado Tours, either with your visits to the Basque heritage designed together with me or in these events selected for you.

February 25, 2025