This year's Whale Day celebration holds special significance, as May 14, 2026, will mark 125 years since the last whale was captured off the Basque coast, specifically in Orio. To commemorate this anniversary, the Orio Town Council, in collaboration with local stakeholders, has prepared an almost month-long program of events running from April 24 to May 17.
The program will feature special concerts, conferences, a popular dinner, a craft fair, and a children's show, among other cultural activities. The main event, the grand celebration of Whale Day, will take place on May 16.
On Whale Day, popular theater will be the central focus. From 11:45 AM, there will be theater performances in the streets of Orio, and at 12:30 PM, the whale hunt, its arrival at the pier, and the popular festival will be re-enacted with theater, dance, and music. Afterwards, the Town Council will provide tables and chairs in the Herriko Plaza for those who wish to dine there. In the afternoon, attendees can enjoy guided dances by Ttipika and a romería with Itzal, while at night, DJ Osto will provide music to extend the festivities.
“"This year we are making a special effort in preparing Whale Day so that the anniversary has the significance it deserves."
One of the highlights of this year's program will be a tribute concert to the Orio musician Benito Lertxundi. Although Lertxundi stopped performing concerts in 2024, his prolific artistic career will be recognized within the context of Whale Day. As a tribute, the Et Incarnatus symphony orchestra and four children's choirs from Euskal Herria will take the stage to perform some of Lertxundi's greatest hits. The concert will feature 150 participants, with 50 musicians in the symphony orchestra and 100 in the children's choir.
The concert was originally scheduled for Friday, May 15, but due to a strike by sound technicians, the Orio Town Council and participating agents have decided to support their demands. Therefore, the performance has been postponed to Sunday, May 17, starting at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday, April 24, from 5:00 PM at the tourist office, and from Tuesday, April 28, they can be purchased online. A total of 1,000 tickets are expected to be sold, 700 at the tourist office and 300 online, priced at 20 euros per ticket.
In addition to the tribute concert, Arraunetxe will host a colloquium with Benito Lertxundi on May 7, starting at 7:00 PM. Free invitations for this session will be available at the tourist office on Wednesday, April 29, from 5:00 PM.
Beyond the main events, a dozen sessions have been scheduled between Friday, April 24, and May 17. The aim of these initiatives is to immerse the public in the atmosphere before the May 16 celebration, while sharing knowledge about the local maritime heritage and creating meeting points for citizens.
This week will feature the children's show Arrainak bihotzean and the screening of the documentary Errio, on Friday and Saturday at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM respectively, at the kultur etxea. Additionally, on April 29, May 5, and May 12, three talks on the history of fishing have been scheduled. Furthermore, on May 8 at 8:00 PM, a popular singing dinner will be organized for the first time in the Herriko Plaza. Tickets for this dinner will be available on Tuesday, April 28, from 5:00 PM at the tourist office.
Finally, on May 14, a bertso-afaria will be held at the Balea society, organized by members of Errikotxia. Tickets for this dinner will go on sale this Friday at Kolon Txiki and Kutixi for 25 euros.
