Carmen Festival 2026 – Markina-Xemein

Zerdago's note

Markina-Xemein is no ordinary town: they call it the "university of pelota" for the sheer number of players it has produced. So its Carmen festival (around 16 July) tastes of the fronton court — but also of street parades, concerts, Basque rural sports and dancing till the small hours, deep in the Lea-Artibai valley. A plan for everyone: events for little ones, for groups of friends, and for those who'd rather watch a great pelota match from the stands. Getting there: it's an inland Bizkaia town; by car on the BI-633 or by Bizkaibus from Bilbao, Durango or Ondarroa. Small town, the real festive deal, and almost everything free.