Feria de Mijas Pueblo – tradition in double

2023 edition

August 30, 2023
Feria de Mijas Pueblo

The Feria de Mijas Pueblo (Mijas Pueblo’s Fair), also know as Feria de La Virgen de La Peña, will happen between September 5th and September 10th in 2023. You can expect to be delighted by Mijas Pueblo’s traditional Spanish lifestyle and architecture, as well as by its gardens and… cuteness. With its white-washed buildings, cobblestone streets, and breathtaking views, Mijas Pueblo is a destination that has long captivated the hearts of locals and travelers alike.

Feria de Mijas Pueblo being prepared: illumination being placed. Photo by MamaMalaga

During the Feria, the town prepares to show itself to the world. If you haven’t been to Mijas Pueblo yet, or if you have and are looking forward to seeing it again, the fair days are the best time to go!

I have translated the program to English below, to help make these days even more magical. I got the program from the page of the Ayuntamiento de Mijas; you can also find there the full book (libro completo) of the Feria, with pictures of previous Ferias – some of which illustrate this post.

Program

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*** Every day from 19:30 to 21:00, music and sounds typical of the fair attractions will be turned off, so that kids with special needs can enjoy the fair without acoustic barriers. ***

The Feria de Día (Day fair) activities will happen in the Muralla area of the city; the Feria de Noche (Night Fair) atractions and the Caseta Municipal (Municipal tent) will be located in the Plaza Virgen de La Peña. Both locations are shown ahead. This information is not always clear on the program, but I asked at the Information Center in Mijas Pueblo. 😉

September 05

The fair will start with the dia del niño (a tradition of Spanish fairs, when attractions for kids are offered at a lower price). On this day, the attractions on the Recinto Ferial (Fairgrounds)- which is the Plaza Virgen de la Peña, shown below – will cost 2 euros each.

17:30 – enrollment of kids that want to participate of the Giants and Big Heads parade.

Feria de Mijas Pueblo
Big heads in parade in a previous Feria de Mijas Pueblo. Photo by Ayuntamiento de Mijas

18:30 – Giants and Big Heads parade, starting from the Town Hall (shown below)

21:00 – Novena dedicated to the patroness saint of the city, Virgen de la Peña, at the Inmaculada Concepción Church (shown below)

In the Caseta municipal (Municipal tent):
22:00 – Inauguration of the fairgrounds and of the fair illumination
22:30 – Shows of the dance groups of the popular university. Teachers Juan Jesus Leiva, Victor Rojas and Remedios Fernandez.
23:30 – Election of the King and Queen of the fair

September 06

21:00 – Novena dedicated to the patroness saint of the city, Virgen de la Peña, at the Inmaculada Concepción Church

In the Caseta municipal (Municipal tent):
21:00 – Dinner in honor of the third age
The dinner will be offered to all the third age citizens inscribed in the Municipal department for the Third Age that have collected their invitation in advance.

September 07

12:00 – Bells will ring across the town announcing the opening of the fair celebrations!

Day fair
14:00 – Oficcial inauguration of the day fair in La Muralla de Mijas Pueblo (the Wall of Mijas Pueblo), shown below

Shows with Alboreá, Silverio Soto and Señor Mirinda
Activities for children and election of the kid’s Queen and King of the fair in La Muralla.
20:00 – End of activities of the day fair.

21:00 – Novena dedicated to the patroness saint of the city, Virgen de la Peña, at the Inmaculada Concepción Church

In the Caseta municipal (Municipal tent):
22:00 – Show with La Jaula
23:30 – Show with Los Inhumanos
Free entrance up to the place’s capacity.

September 08

11:30Mass in honor of the Virgen de la Peña at the Inmaculada Concepción Church

Day fair
14:00 – opening of the day fair in La Muralla
Show with Kalima
18:00 – End of the day fair
19:00 –Parade of the music bands that will participate in the procession. The parade will depart from the Town Hall and go to the Inmaculada Concepción Church.
21:30 – Procession of the sacred image of the Virgen de la Peña, departing from La Muralla.

Feria de Mijas Pueblo. Procession.
Photo by Ayuntamiento de Mijas

September 09

Day fair
14:00 – opening of the day fair in La Muralla
Shows with Alboreá and Alejados
19:00 – Confinement of bulls, departing from the Cañada de Gertrudis (shown below). But don’t worry; the bulls are inflatables!!!

20:00 – End of the day fair
From 23:00 to 03:00 – Punto Violeta (Violet dot) of the department of equality and diversity. Punto Violeta is a governmental initiative to deal with sexism, particularly in the context of leisure activities. They work with prevention and intervention and by offering of a safe space for women.

In the Caseta municipal (Municipal tent):
From 21:30 to 00:30 – Free photo booth, so that you can take your photo as a souvenir from the Feria de Mijas Pueblo 2023. (That’s so nice!)
22:00 – Show with Adri y Salva ‘La Voz’
23:30 – Show with Lérica
01:00 – Show with Kafé Kanalla
Free entrance up to the place’s capacity.

September 10

10:00 – Enrolment to participate in the traditional bike stroll route through de streets of Mijas, departing from the Town Hall. It doesn’t say if you have to bring your own bicycle or if they will have some to rent or anything of the kind, unfortunately.

Feria de Mijas Pueblo

Day fair
14:00 – opening of the day fair in La Muralla
Shows with Sirope, Malabar and Longplay
From 16:00 to 20:00 – Punto Violeta (Violet dot) of the department of equality and diversity.
18:00 – Chocolate and buñuelos (Spanish traditional donut-like snacks) for free!
Election of the male and female fun-lovings of the day fair!
20:00 – End of the day fair

In the Caseta municipal (Municipal tent):
22:30 – Show with Salma Días
23:30 – Show with José Mercé
Free entrance up to the place’s capacity.

Above: Flamenco Singer José Mercé

How to get to the Feria de Mijas Pueblo by bus

From Malaga: bus line 112
From Benalmadena or Torremolinos: bus lines 112 and 121
From Fuengirola: 122 or 221
There are no direct bus lines from other coastal towns (at least that I could find)! I guess the best way would be to get a bus to Fuengirola or Málaga, and then take the respective bus. There is also no train to Mijas.

Safety first!

You can ask at the civil protection outpost at the Feria for purses like the one shown below, for your kids or for other people at risk of disorientation. They will collect your contact information and if a person wearing a purse is found alone or lost, they will contact the person associated with that purse. Simple yet effective, right?

Picture by Procteción Civil, Mijas, at the Libro Completo of the Feria de Mijas Pueblo 2023.

Mijas Pueblo is a lovely, absurdely enchanting city. It is completely worth a visit, and during the Feria, the expectation is that it will be even more amazing. Do you want to know a bit more? Check our post about Mijas Pueblo – if you haven’t yet, you’ll fall in love with Mijas Pueblo for sure!

Next: Carnival in Mijas 2024