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Diario Euskadi

Bilbao Basque Fest Attracts Over 58,000 Attendees During Holy Week

The festival successfully promoted Basque culture and tradition, with the new 'Basque Culture Square' at Arenal drawing 41,000 visitors.

Generic image of Bilbao Basque Fest, showing people and cultural activities.
IA

Generic image of Bilbao Basque Fest, showing people and cultural activities.

The Bilbao Basque Fest concluded successfully, drawing over 58,000 attendees between April 1st and 4th, solidifying its role in promoting Basque culture during Holy Week.

According to the Bilbao City Council, a new edition of the Bilbao Basque Fest successfully brought together over 58,000 people from April 1st to 4th. These figures refer only to activities that could be counted, excluding the various street activities held during a fair aimed at showcasing Basque tradition and culture during Holy Week.
Among the novelties of this edition was the 'Basque Culture Square', located on the Arenal pier, which managed to mobilize 41,000 people. This space featured participatory workshops, Herri Kirolak exhibitions, cooking classes, and a diverse program that “contributed to strengthening the social dimension of the festival, turning Arenal into a lively, dynamic, and representative environment of Basque culture”. Likewise, the Herri Kirolak exhibitions once again became “one of the festival's main attractions”, gathering nearly 17,300 people.
In addition to Basque rural sports, the musical program was another major draw of the fair. Nearly 18,000 people attended the performances scheduled at Azkuna Zentroa, Bilborock, Kafe Antzokia, and Arenal. Musicians such as Anje Duhalde and Niko Etxart, Olaia Inziarte, Neomak, Korrontzi, and Maren, among others, performed at these venues. Municipal sources state that “the success of the call has been constant across all stages, reflecting the public's interest in a program that connects tradition and modernity and positions Bilbao as a showcase for current Basque musical creation”. Furthermore, the program aimed at children received “an excellent reception”, with the participation of around 10,000 people.
Despite the bad weather that prevailed during the first days of Holy Week, the program remained almost intact. The meteorology only forced the suspension of the Urbasa show, a txalaparta activity, and a rowing competition on Thursday.
Regarding visitors, the tourism offices in Plaza Circular and the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum attended to a total of 3,774 visitors between April 2nd and 5th. Of this number, 49.6% were national, 40.41% international, and the rest, Basque. By autonomous communities, Madrid led the volume of inquiries, ahead of Catalonia, Valencia, Castilla y León, Andalusia, and Aragon. In the international sphere, France was the main source market, followed by Germany, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

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