Corpus Fair

The Corpus Fair is Granada's main festival. It grew out of the Corpus Christi celebration, first held by royal decree more than five hundred years ago, and over time a week-long fair with marquees, rides, horses and bullfights has been added to the great religious day.

Because it depends on Corpus Christi, its dates change every year following Holy Week, and it usually falls at the end of May or in June. The municipal fairground bylaw states that, unless the Local Government Board decides otherwise, the fair takes up the week of Corpus Thursday: it starts on the Saturday before and ends in the early hours between the following Saturday and Sunday.

Unlike other Andalusian fairs, in Granada public marquees are interspersed with private ones, so many of them can be entered freely.

The fairground is in the Almanjáyar district, in the north of the city, bounded by Calle Joaquina Eguaras, Calle Casería del Cerro and Calle Casería de Aguirre. It has a marquee area, a fairground rides area and spaces for caravans. The main gateway, where the lighting-up takes place, faces Calle Casería del Cerro.

Outside the fairground, the Corpus programme is spread across the centre: Plaza de Bib-Rambla, the City Hall courtyard, the Corral del Carbón, the Teatro Isabel la Católica, the Auditorio Manuel de Falla and the bullring. The closing fireworks are held on the esplanade of the Palacio de Congresos.

You can get to the fairground by city bus, with special lines running during the fair, or by metro. During Corpus the Metropolitan Transport Consortium reinforces the bus lines linking Granada with the surrounding towns and extends night services. On opening day parking around the fairground is banned from the morning.

The fair kicks off with the alumbrao: on Saturday night, after a show with the Municipal Regional Dance Group and fireworks, the thousands of bulbs on the main gateway are switched on all at once. During the week the fairground fills with flamenco dresses, horse-drawn carriages and riders, and the marquees offer music, sevillanas and food; there is an official marquee run by the City Council and the Provincial Council with concerts every night.

The week includes the bullfighting fair, the exhibition of traditional carriages at the bullring, a children's day with reduced prices on the rides and noise-free sessions designed for people with autism. La Reja is the folk dance associated with the fair. On the last Saturday the Municipal Music Band gives the closing concert and a fireworks display brings the festivities to an end.