Every year, at the end of May, Córdoba holds a nine-day fair on the banks of the Guadalquivir. It is a huge party: lights, casetas, music, horses, fairground rides and fireworks. We went for a few days, and it is one of the things we most want to go back to.
I was there
We went to the Feria for a few days. Every year we say we have to go back, but so far it hasn’t happened.
What the Feria is like
We went to the Feria for a few days, and it was great fun. Our memory is of well over a hundred party tents, each with different music, so you walk from one world to the next. It feels like a small village of its own: families, children and groups of friends everywhere, and a very friendly atmosphere. Everyone is nicely dressed, and many of the women wear flamenco dresses. On top of that there is a big fairground with rides, so it is part party, part funfair.
It is hot in May, and the locals say so too, but nobody stays away because of it. It is simply one big party week.
How many tents are there?
Our own memory is of more than a hundred tents. The numbers the city and local press give for recent years are lower: the 2026 fair was reported with between 82 and 84 casetas, which was a few more than in previous years. The exact count depends on what you count, and it changes from year to year.
When is it?
The city council lists the 2026 fair as 22 to 30 May 2026. The 2027 dates had not been published when we checked on 1 October 2026; a calendar site gives an estimate of 22 to 29 May 2027 and says the city normally announces the dates in spring. The fair opens on the first night with the lighting ceremony: the council describes nearly 300,000 bulbs lit at the same moment, with fireworks.
Where is it, and how do you get there?
The fairground is El Arenal, a wide plain of more than thirty hectares beside the Guadalquivir. It is just outside the old town: from the historic centre it is about a 20 to 25 minute walk along the Paseo de la Ribera, which is how we usually went, and it is easy to walk from La Ribera or the centre. Pedestrian entrances include the Puente del Arenal. According to local press, the city bus company Aucorsa also runs special services during the fair, including at night, and taxis are available.
The casetas
According to local press in 2026, all casetas are open and free to enter, under local rules that have been in place for more than 40 years, and the official page describes them as open to the public. Entry to the fairground is free. A calendar site adds that there are no members’ lists or invitations.
What to wear
There is no strict dress code. Córdoba’s feria is described as more informal than Seville’s or Málaga’s, where men wear jackets and ties and women formal dresses. Many women wear a traje de flamenca, especially in the daytime, and the guides recommend light fabrics because of the heat. Men do not need a short jacket: good trousers, a shirt and a light jacket are fine. Comfortable shoes matter, because you spend a lot of time standing and the fairground has little shade.
Tips
Expect afternoon heat and evening crowds. Book accommodation early, since the Feria falls just after the Patios Festival and the Cruces de Mayo, so May is the busiest month of the year in Córdoba. See our events calendar and weather guide.
Mercado Victoria and the old Feria
Until 1994 the Feria was held in the Jardines de la Victoria, and the old caseta there is now the Mercado Victoria food hall.
Sources
Sources: Córdoba City Council: Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud; Córdoba BN: the 2026 Feria will open with 82 casetas; El Mira: everything about the 2026 Feria; Córdoba 24: what to wear at the Feria; Eventos Córdoba: Feria 2027. Information checked on 1 October 2026.
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