This summer is packed full of fresh, so get ready to make the most of what Bilbao Biscay has to offer, which includes a coastline dotted with dramatic cliffs, quiet beaches, and fishing villages; a hilly inland surrounded by legendary mountains and villages with the most deep-rooted traditions; cities replete with history and exciting places to discover; and last but not least, mouth-watering local dishes.

Apart from all that, July has come with a broad cultural programme, which is full of events and designed to suit all tastes.

Music: Bilbao Biscay is a festival destination. You can’t miss the Bilbao BBK Live on 7, 8 and 9 July, a festival that will take the music by well-known bands like The Killers, J Balvin, LCD Soundsystem, Moderat, Stromae, and Pet Shop Boys to the foothills of Mount Kobetamendi. The event will also give you an opportunity to experience an incomparable atmosphere and enjoy impressive views over Bilbao at the same time. Besides, at the end of the month, a star studded international line-up will fill the streets of Bilbao with the best blues music during the Bilbao Blues Festival.

Do you want more? The BEC in Barakaldo will be welcoming artists for everyone’s taste too: Juan Luis Guerra and 4.40 will be there on July 7th, Alejandro Sanz on 16th, Camilo on 23rd, and Rosalía, on her Motomami World Tour, will be there on July 27th.

Exhibitions: Soaking up art has never been easier thanks to the many exhibitions housed in the museums of Biscay. Under its spectacular titanium shell, the programme offered by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao includes interesting exhibits like ‘Jean Dubuffet: Ardent Celebration’, ‘Serra/Seurat. Drawings, ‘The Otolith Group. O Horizon’ and the outstanding ‘Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture’. The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is no slouch, featuring displays ‘Between the Visible and the Invisible, ‘Milton Glaser. Posters, ‘“Guernica”. Agustín Ibarrola’ or ‘Women in the Museum’.

This month, you will be able to visit many other unique exhibitions. If you are in Bilbao, don’t forget to pay a visit to the Azkuna Zentroa to see ‘SCIENTIA. Grimanesa Amorós’ and ‘Memory of shape. Antonio Fernández Alvira’, or to stop at the Archaeological Museum to enjoy ‘Castillos medievales en Vasconia’. At the Orozko Ethnographic Museum, the photography exhibition ‘Las venas abiertas de Gorbeia’ allows visitors to admire the landscapes of Gorbeia Natural Park; and at the Plasentia de Butrón Museum you can immerse yourself into ‘Prehistory in Uribe Kosta’.

Performing Arts: With the arrival of good weather, the streets of Bilbao Biscay turn into a huge open-air stage that hosts shows for people of all ages. Performing arts also take over Lekeitio during the Kaleka Festival, held from 8 to 10 July.

The theatres in Bilbao Biscay also have an interesting summer programme. The Campos Elíseos Theatre in Bilbao welcomes ‘3 en impro’, by Impro Impar and ‘Nena, no te compliques’, brought to you by Patri Psicóloga and Cristina Mitre. Meanwhile, at the Muxikebarri, Getxo Art, Culture and Congress Centre, Imanol Arias will star Arthur Miller’s classic ‘Death of a Salesman’.

Sport: If you want to know more about the sports people in Bilbao Biscay are truly passionate about, you must attend a trainera race. These exciting competitions can be found all over the coast as well as in the Estuary of Bilbao. On July 17th the XXXIX. Bandera Petronor takes place in Zierbena; on 24th the Santurtziko XLIII. Ikurriña will be held in Santurtzi; followed by the XXI. Bandera Ayuntamiento de Sestao on 25th; and, the XXXVII. El Correo Ikurriña - Kutxabank SN in Lekeitio on 31st.

To experience the fascinating world of Basque pilota, we recommend you to watch an Emakume Master Cup game live in Lekeitio. If you are more keen on riding on two wheels, you should join the Circuito Ciclista Memorial Hermanos Otxoa, which is annually held in Getxo.

Basque Character: Bilbao Biscay has its own identity, a distinctive character you will immediately fall in love with in the local produce trade shows held in Lekeitio, Arrieta or Zamudio; in Mungia’s cattle fair; or after watching the recreation of a traditional Basque wedding parading the streets of Lekeitio.

Part of our personality is defined by the way we understand gastronomy. Just go to Getxo on a Sunday to try Basque artisan foods, join an avant-garde cooking master class, have a memorable experience at the Txakolingunea in Bakio, or visit a txakoli winery in the Udaibai Biosphere Reserve.

If this is not enough for you, have a look at the Bilbao Biscay July cultural programme. Here, you will find more music events, exhibitions, theatre shows, sports, routes, guided tours, birdwatching or shepherding experiences, yacht or sailing boat trips along the coast, recommendations to discover the region’s geological wonders, and action-filled activities such as bungee jumping from the Vizcaya Bridge.