Fuengirola becomes more international than ever when, every year, it celebrates the International Festival of Nations on the town’s festival ground. This is a celebratory and cultural festival that takes place around the May bank holiday weekend, and virtually offers a trip around the world. Every day, there are food and drink tastings, craft exhibitions and live folk music and dance performances by different groups in their respective pavilions. Admission is free.
The next Fuengirola Feria Internacional de los Pueblos will be the thirtieth, if we include the 2020 online festival that the organisers were forced to resort to because of the pandemic. The Festival was reborn in 2022 as the Feria Internacional de los Países, and is one of Fuengirola’s star events. This is an important meeting point for nations and cultures from all over the world.
- History of the Fuengirola Feria de los Países
- When is the Fuengirola Festival held? Useful information
- Activities and events
History of the Fuengirola Feria de los Países
The Feria Internacional de los Países began in 1994, getting off to a tentative start with only eight countries participating. However, as the years have gone by, its popularity has grown, with more and more nations wanting to participate. Currently, 33 nations have a presence at the festival, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
The Feria de los Pueblos has become a flagship multicultural event in Spain. Each nation has its own themed pavilion at the Festival, where visitors can enjoy its typical gastronomy, from Uruguayan grilled dishes to Valencian paellas, Japanese sushi to Mexican tacos. Folk music and dance shows and craft demonstrations are also put on in the pavilions.
In a nutshell, the Feria Internacional de los Países is a unique opportunity to enjoy cultural diversity in a festive atmosphere.
When is the Fuengirola Festival held? Useful information
When is the Fuengirola Feria de los Pueblos held? It is normally held in early May. The 2025 festival ran from 30 April until 4 May. It is normally open continuously from 1.00 p.m. until 4.00 a.m. The music stops at either 2.00 a.m. or 3.00 a.m., depending on the day of the week, so that local residents can get some sleep.
The Fuengirola Feria gets underway with a flamboyant, colourful opening parade or procession of over 1,000 people representing all the different nations with a presence that particular year. The procession route begins in the Plaza de España, and continues along Avenida de los Condes de San Isidro, Avenida Sáenz de Tejada, Calle de Alfonso XII, and Paseo de Jesús Santos Reina, before reaching the festival site, the Recinto Ferial de Fuengirola. Participants wear traditional costume, and march to live music. This is one of the most famous and most photographed events in the Feria de los Países.
Entry to the Feria is free.
The following countries took part in the latest Feria: Germany, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, United States, Great Britain, Greece, Hawaii, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Morocco, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Senegal, Turkey, Uruguay, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
Activities and events
Although the Fiesta de los Pueblos Fuengirola has some regular events that are repeated every year, the festival also tries to be innovative and to improve on the previous year. So the 2025 Festival introduced some new features. The organisers have succeeded in improving accessibility for people with limited mobility, with specially adapted areas and specific signage at various points of the site. And they have improved the toilet facilities and increased the number of onsite staff. For the latest Festival, themed rest areas were introduced, and in some pavilions cultural workshops were held — including Hawaiian dance classes, demonstrations of Indian cooking, and an introduction to African drumming. And there is always a specific programme for young children, with storytelling, crafts and participative dancing.
Visitors need to bear in mind that on the one hand, there is an official programme designed by Fuengirola Town Hall, with different experts who try to promote the gastronomy, folklore, customs and music of the participating regions of Spain and nations. But also, each of the nations and autonomous regions organises another programme of activities in its own particular pavilion, where they can display and sell typical products.
