Music Festivals Donostia

Music accompanies us at different times of our lives, but… is there anything better than a live concert to enjoy it? In our city we know that live music is something unique, so we have different music festivals in Donostia so that everyone can enjoy the type of music they prefer and discover new artists.

Miramar Gauak

The CaixaBank Miramar Gauak Festival is a cycle of concerts that takes place in the Miramar Palace, one of the most emblematic places in the city. It has two stages: one located under the palace on the beach of La Concha and the other in the gardens of the palace itself.

Only two editions have been held (including this year’s) and the artists who have participated have been local and national proposals, among others, Valeria Castro, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Andrés Calamaro, Olatz Salvador and Siloé. In the short term, we are thinking of collaborating with international artists. The aim of this festival is to hold concerts respecting the natural environment and the local people.

Jazzaldia

The San Sebastian Jazz Festival was founded in 1966 and is the oldest jazz festival in Spain. Since then, if you are a jazz lover, Donostia will be the perfect place to go to every third week of July.

This festival hosts around 100 concerts in just five days, both paying and free. Different venues in the city are used for the private concerts: the Kursaal Auditorium, the Plaza de la Trinidad, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and the cloister of the San Telmo Museum. The free concerts are held in the open air on Zurriola Beach, the terraces of the Kursaal, the Náutico and in other areas that have been prepared for this purpose.

Its importance is unquestionable, as it has received several awards during its history and has achieved international recognition. Among the artists that Donostia has counted on for the Jazzaldia are names such as Jamie Cullum, Chick Corea, Iñaki Salvador, Diana Krall, The Yellojackets, The Beach Boys and Melody Gardot.

Quincena Musical

The San Sebastian Music Fortnight has been held in the city for no less than 86 years at the beginning of August. In the mid-20th century, the city’s citizens promoted the creation of different events to expand the tourist offer, such as the San Sebastian International Film Festival and this festival.

Various symphony orchestras, conductors, ballet companies and vocal soloists have attended this event, including Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballé, the Berlin Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, La Scala in Milan and the New York City Ballet. Since 2007, these works have been performed in the official venues of the Musical Fortnight: the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and the Kursaal Auditorium.

Dantz Festival

At the end of August and/or beginning of September, the Dantz Festival takes place in Donostia. It is an electronic music festival created by the Dan-tz brand, which tries to create cultural projects with this type of music as the main element. In addition to the festival, they carry out other types of experiences such as congresses and trainings and even have their own brand of clothing.

Since the first festival in 2017, a wide range of artists have taken part: Telmo Trenor, Annete Krebs, Reykjavik606 & Inesfera, Dj Python, Ellen Allien, Nina Kraviz… Several venues in the city have been used for the concerts of this event, from the Tabakalera and Gasteszena cultural centres to the Miramón amphitheatre and Illumbe.

Boga Boga Festibala

Boga Boga Festibala is one of the city’s newest festivals; it started in 2023 with the intention of promoting independent and local music. It takes place in September in different areas of the city such as Aiete Park, the terraces of the Kursaal, Kutxa Fundazioa Kluba and even in the Chillida Leku museum located on the outskirts of Donostia.

In addition to various concerts, it is usually complemented with street markets and different summer courses. All of this is carried out with the support of the Dabadaba space and the Ginmusica events company. In its short history, it has featured several artists who stand out on the current Basque music scene: Sara Zozaya, Belako, J Martina, Gorka Urbizu, Malakias, Toc, Verde Prato, Anari, etc.