San Sebastián celebrates Semana Grande with concerts, fireworks, Basque culture and family-friendly events. A magical week of summer by the Cantabrian Sea.

Festivities, Fire, and Sea in Donostia

San Sebastián doesn’t just celebrate summer — it ignites it. Every August, the city breathes deeper and stronger during its Semana Grande (Big Week). In 2025, from August 9 to 16, the breeze of the Cantabrian Sea blends with music, tradition, street art, gastronomy, and fireworks that paint the sky above the most iconic bay in the Basque Country. And although the lineup changes each year, one thing remains constant: that unmistakable feeling of being in the right place at the right time — where everything unfolds with an almost ritualistic ease.

The city transforms with the cañonazo (ceremonial cannon shot), which marks the start of the week from the Alderdi Eder gardens, right next to La Concha beach. From that moment, the days flow to the rhythm of txarangas (brass bands), concerts, fireworks, and reunions. Whole families wander the streets with ice creams in hand, teenagers gather at Zurriola Beach as their meeting point, and visitors are amazed by how tradition and modernity coexist so effortlessly. Nowhere else in Europe is a festival experienced quite like this — with feet in the sand, eyes on the sky, and hearts beating in community.

For eight nights, fireworks turn the city into a living spectacle. It’s not just about the competition — one of the most prestigious in the world — it’s the way the city stops to look up. Tens of thousands of people fill beaches, promenades, and balconies. The murmur fades, and the first spark breaks the silence. Each night, a different pyrotechnic company tells its own story through light, color, and rhythm. Reflected in the bay, the fireworks double in magic, and for a few minutes, nothing else matters.

But Semana Grande isn’t only about what happens in the skies — the ground vibrates too. Every night in Sagüés, music takes center stage. This year’s lineup includes artists like Morodo, Vicco, OBK, Sexy Zebras, and Leire Martínez. A sonic variety spanning pop, reggae, rock, and electronic, in a seaside venue that invites everyone to dance — lit only by the moon and stage lights. No tickets, no barriers — just the urge to enjoy.

Meanwhile, all over the city, things are happening. Parades of giants and cabezudos, Basque pelota matches, herri-kirolak (rural sports) exhibitions, local product fairs, food trucks in front of the Kursaal, folk dances, artisan markets, street theatre, kids’ zones in Plaza Gipuzkoa… Everything unfolds simultaneously — never overwhelming, never forced. It’s an open, generous city, celebrating with itself and anyone who wants to join.

The big new feature this year comes from Viveros de Ulia park, where a Dantz Point event will connect electronic music, nature, and dance in one of Donostia’s greenest settings. On August 15, a spectacular fusion of castellers (human towers) and giants will turn La Concha beach into a postcard of cultural unity between Basque and Catalan traditions — lifting human figures into the sky, as if they too were part of the nightly ritual of light.

Semana Grande in San Sebastián is more than a festival. It’s a way of understanding summer. A way of experiencing the city with all the senses. An opportunity to discover who we are when we share everything: the streets, the music, the silence, the wonder. Here, the sea doesn’t just accompany — it envelops everything. And when the last firework bursts, the music ends, the giants rest, and the children sleep, what remains is the memory of a week in which everything — absolutely everything — felt possible.

At Ziro Club, we’ll be following this edition with excitement, tuned in to every moment where the beach, local culture, and the free spirit of the Basque summer come together. Because some places are dressed up — and others are simply lived. And Donostia, in August, is lived with intensity.