These events planned for 2023 in Bilbao Bizkaia will not leave anyone indifferent, as there is something for everyone: whether you like it cold or hot, music or sport... choose from one of the events held all over Bizkaia. Here is a taste of the most important events.

2023: SPORT, MUSIC AND CULTURE

Music

Bilbao BBK Live

Bilbao BBK Live is a renowned national and international music festival. With 115,000 attendees from 75 countries and 10,000 campers in 2022, it has broken all attendance records. It was first held in 2006, and since then it has grown and featured many well-known bands and musicians and artists such as, among others, The Police, Coldplay, Radiohead, The Killers and Rosalía. On 6, 7 and 8 July 2023, Bilbao BBK Live hopes to repeat and even surpass its success with already confirmed artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine and The Chemical Brothers, and more names to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

BIME

This festival hosts the most prominent artists of the music industry for two nights, as well as a blend of future local, national and international promises, making it one of the main festivals in Europe. It also hosts an international meeting of the music industry, including talks, round tables, debates, conventions, workshops and presentations.

BILBAO BLUES FESTIVAL 2023

If 2022 was the year of the launch of the Bilbao Blues Festival, 2023 will be the year of consolidation. After it was first held last July in the Arenal area attracting more than 65,000 people, Bilbao is again preparing to welcome the lovers of Blues, Soul and Rock with a free festival open to all audiencesbetween July 28 and 30.

Sport

Tour de France Grand Depart Pays Basque 2023

On Saturday 1st July, Bilbao Bizkaia will be wearing yellow to welcome the first stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France, one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world. The cycling event features three stages in the Basque Country. With a legendary tradition and spirit, this event creates a unique atmosphere and inspires great passion in the fans.

Night Marathon

On 21 October 2023, Bilbao will once again host an event full of spectacle, one of its kind in Europe, the TotalEnergies Bilbao Night Marathon, a race for athletes and amateurs alike. It is considered one of the 50 best races in the world and its night-time route leads through Bilbao's most emblematic buildings and is accompanied by live performances and fireworks.

Be Basque

Bilbao Basque Fest

As every year during Easter, Basque culture and innovation stand out at the Bilbao Basque Fest 2023. The city is transformed into an oasis of art, sport, gastronomy and culture with more than 200 events, most of which are free and combine the modern with the traditional in impressive places such as the Arenal and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. There are also specific activities for children, art fairs, Basque dances, traditional sports and food tastings.

Aste Nagusia

Aste Nagusia is our most important festival week: 9 days where you will meet Marijaia, the main icon of the festival, dancing in her traditional attire and headscarf. The festival includes concerts, children's activities, food competitions, attractions, parades of giants and big-heads, theatre, musicals, fireworks and an extensive programme on Basque culture with recitals of Basque verse singing, traditional Basque dancing and sports. A fiesta that goes on until dawn in the beer tents on the river banks, the Plaza Circular and the Jardines Albia.