It’s a ten-day long hedonistic street party filled with a healthy sprinkling of flamenco, a liberal dash of bull fighting and lubricated with plenty of Spanish wine. We are of course talking about the exuberant and hotly anticipated Málaga Fair that kicked off on Friday (August 16th) and runs ten nights and nine days. The event originally started as a celebration back in 1487, after the Catholic King and Queen re-took the city from the Moors, and since then it has grown in size with each successive year and is now reported to attract over a million revellers annually.
During the event thousands of people take to the streets each day to let their hair 
down and party until the early hours of the morning, and in some cases well into the next day with a glass of something strong or two to keep them going. The castanet-clicking fiesta is filled with beautiful women in traditional flamenco dresses and everyone drinking, dancing and soaking up the distinctly Andalusian atmosphere. By day the fair is centred upon the city’s historic centre where the streets are decorated with paper lanterns and charming floral displays. The day fair lasts from 12pm to 7pm and includes a multitude of performances for families and people of all ages, while decked out horses and carriages try to make their way through the mayhem.
However, the party really gets going around 9pm at a purpose built fairground just outside the city in the Cortijo de Torres district, where temporary booths serve large amounts of food and drink to the accompaniment of loud music. Here you’ll find dancing, fairground rides, live performances and people clapping, dancing and generally showing a love for life that’s endearing to see. Throughout the event it is also possible to see bull fighting every afternoon at La Malagueta, if you fancy experiencing this very Spanish tradition. So if you want to savour a slice of Spanish life and culture at its best, head down to the feria for an experience you’ll never forget.