Marbella’s Miraflores neighbourhood celebrates its fiestas from 8 to 12 October

The Miraflores neighbourhood will once again celebrate its traditional fiestas from Thursday 8 to Monday 12 October in honour of the Virgen del Pilar. Over five days, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy a programme combining live music, dance, children’s activities, popular food and religious events.

Many of the activities will take place at the festival area on Calle José Luis Morales Marín, which will become one of the main meeting points in the neighbourhood throughout the celebrations.

The 2026 edition will also have a particularly emotional element. The opening speech will be dedicated posthumously to Gema Piña, a dancer and local resident who was closely connected to Miraflores and to the organisation of its festivities.

Five days of celebrations in one of Marbella’s best-known neighbourhoods

The Miraflores fiestas will begin on Thursday 8 October and continue until Monday 12.

The programme has been organised by the Vázquez Clavel Residents’ Association, with support from Marbella Town Hall.

The aim is to preserve a celebration with a long local history while creating a meeting place for neighbourhood residents and families from other parts of Marbella.

Throughout the five days there will be activities for different age groups, ranging from children’s games to music, dance, food and religious traditions.

The opening speech will remember Gema Piña

The official opening will take place on Thursday 8 October at 8:00 pm.

One of the most important moments of this year’s celebrations will be the opening speech dedicated to Gema Piña, who passed away after years of close involvement in Marbella’s cultural and festive life.

The dancer took part in numerous local activities and maintained a strong connection with the Miraflores neighbourhood and the organisation of its fiestas.

The tribute will recognise her involvement and the affection she shared with local residents.

After the opening speech, the traditional coronation of the festival queens and ladies will take place.

A neighbourhood competition to open the celebrations

The first evening will also include several activities organised by the residents’ association itself.

Among them will be a competition aimed at mothers and local women linked to the association.

Activities like these help preserve the community character of the fiestas, where much of the programme is organised directly by people from the neighbourhood.

Thursday will therefore serve as the official opening before the celebrations gather pace over the weekend.

Friday will be Children’s Day

Friday 9 October will be particularly focused on younger visitors.

The traditional Children’s Day will take place on Friday, making it easier for families to attend.

One of the main activities will be a large children’s piñata at 6:30 pm.

Dance will then take centre stage with performances by several local academies.

Three dance schools will perform on Friday

The programme will feature performances by María la Flamenca, Alba Urbano and Alba Donoso.

The shows will showcase the work of young dancers and local groups within a festival that has strong links with Marbella’s associations, cultural organisations and dance schools.

The evening will finish with live music.

At 10:30 pm, Gisela Escola is scheduled to perform.

Children’s entertainment to start Saturday

Saturday 10 October will begin with another programme designed for families.

At 12:30 pm, children’s entertainment activities will get underway.

The aim is to keep the festival area active from lunchtime and offer a space where families with children can spend time before the afternoon performances begin.

Shortly afterwards, one of the main food events of the programme will take place.

Free chorizo tasting at 2:00 pm

At 2:00 pm on Saturday, there will be a free popular chorizo tasting.

Food has traditionally played an important role in neighbourhood fiestas, and this activity will bring residents and visitors together around a shared meal.

It will also be one of the main community moments before the afternoon music programme begins.

Dance, live music and DJ set on Saturday afternoon

Saturday will continue with several performances.

New Dance will take part, together with the Ciudad de Marbella castanet academy and choir.

The group Ciaoco is also scheduled to perform.

Later in the evening, DJ Mikel Lombarte will take over, with support from Marbella Town Hall’s Youth Department.

Saturday is therefore expected to be one of the most music-focused days of the entire festival.

Chocolate and churros to begin Sunday

Sunday 11 October will start with one of the most traditional activities on the programme.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a popular breakfast of hot chocolate and churros.

The morning will continue with games and activities for children.

Among the planned entertainment is an appearance by Mimosín, together with other family activities.

Foam party and children’s activities

Sunday morning will also include a foam party.

This type of activity has become a popular feature of family celebrations and will extend the children’s programme through the middle of the day.

The idea is to allow families to spend much of the day at the festival area combining games, food and music.

Popular paella at a symbolic price

Sunday will also feature a popular paella.

Portions will be available at a symbolic price.

The initiative will once again bring visitors together for a shared meal before the afternoon programme begins.

Food therefore remains a recurring feature throughout the weekend.

Zumba, Latin dancing and a flamenco evening

Sunday afternoon will continue with a zumba demonstration by José Rueda.

There will also be a programme of Latin dancing.

The day will finish with a performance by Raúl Romero, who will lead the evening’s flamenco programme.

Flamenco will therefore play an important role in closing the main festive programme before Monday’s religious events.

12 October will be the main religious day

Monday 12 October, the feast day of the Virgen del Pilar, will bring the celebrations to a close.

The programme will take on a more traditional and religious character.

During the morning, a floral offering to the Virgen del Pilar will take place at her chapel.

It will be one of the most symbolic moments of the fiestas.

Floral offering at the Reina de Aragón chapel

The floral offering will take place at the chapel in the Reina de Aragón area.

Residents and visitors will be able to bring flowers during the morning and take part in the tribute to the Virgen.

The event is one of the most established traditions of the Miraflores fiestas.

The celebrations will continue later in the day with the procession.

Procession from the Church of La Encarnación

In the afternoon, the image of the Virgen del Pilar will be carried through the streets accompanied by residents, festival queens and ladies.

The procession will leave from the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación and finish at the chapel in Pilar Miraflores.

The municipal programme sets the departure time at 7:00 pm.

The procession will bring five days of festivities to an end.

The Virgen del Pilar at the heart of the celebrations

Although much of the programme is made up of music, food and entertainment, the origin of the fiestas lies in the celebration of the Virgen del Pilar.

12 October is the central day and the symbolic conclusion of the event.

The floral offering and procession preserve the traditional character of a festival that has gradually added more activities for families and younger residents.

A celebration organised by the neighbourhood itself

One of the defining features of the Miraflores fiestas is the strong involvement of local residents.

The Vázquez Clavel Residents’ Association is responsible for organising much of the programme.

The collaboration between residents, associations, dance schools and Marbella Town Hall makes it possible to maintain a programme that combines tradition with more contemporary entertainment.

This type of model is common in many of Marbella’s neighbourhood festivals, where residents’ associations continue to play an essential role.

Miraflores, a neighbourhood with its own identity

Miraflores is one of Marbella’s best-known residential neighbourhoods.

Its location, close to the city centre, makes the festivities easy to reach both for local residents and for visitors coming from other parts of Marbella.

For five days, the José Luis Morales Marín festival area and other neighbourhood locations will concentrate much of the activity.

The programme offers events in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Programme for Thursday 8 October

The fiestas officially begin on Thursday 8 October.

8:00 pm: official opening.

This will be followed by the opening speech in posthumous tribute to Gema Piña.

The coronation of the festival queens and ladies will take place afterwards.

The evening will also include participatory activities organised by the residents’ association.

Programme for Friday 9 October

Friday will be particularly focused on children.

6:30 pm: large children’s piñata.

This will be followed by performances from María la Flamenca, Alba Urbano and Alba Donoso dance academies.

10:30 pm: live performance by Gisela Escola.

The day will therefore combine family activities in the afternoon with dance and music at night.

Programme for Saturday 10 October

Saturday begins around midday.

12:30 pm: children’s entertainment.

2:00 pm: free popular chorizo tasting.

During the afternoon there will be performances by New Dance, the Ciudad de Marbella castanet academy and choir, and Ciaoco.

The programme will continue later with DJ Mikel Lombarte.

Programme for Sunday 11 October

Sunday will begin with a popular breakfast of hot chocolate and churros.

During the morning there will be children’s games, activities with Mimosín and a foam party.

A popular paella at a symbolic price will also be served.

In the afternoon there will be a zumba demonstration by José Rueda, followed by Latin dancing.

The evening will finish with a flamenco performance by Raúl Romero.

Programme for Monday 12 October

The final day will be dedicated mainly to the Virgen del Pilar.

During the morning there will be a floral offering at the Reina de Aragón chapel.

At 7:00 pm, the procession will begin.

The image will leave from the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación and make its way through the streets accompanied by residents, queens and ladies before reaching the chapel in Pilar Miraflores.

A local plan for the October holiday weekend in Marbella

The fiestas also coincide with one of the main October holiday weekends.

Monday 12 October is a national public holiday in Spain, meaning many people will have more time to visit Marbella.

The Miraflores celebrations offer a more local alternative to some of the city’s better-known tourist attractions.

Families with children, flamenco fans and anyone interested in experiencing one of Marbella’s traditional neighbourhood festivals will find activities spread across five days.

Five days of community, tradition and remembrance

The Miraflores fiestas will once again combine some of their most traditional elements with activities designed for younger generations.

There will be children’s games, popular food, dance schools, live music, a DJ set, zumba, flamenco and religious events.

But the 2026 edition will also include a special moment of remembrance.

The tribute to Gema Piña will allow the neighbourhood to remember a local resident and artist who played an important role in these celebrations.

The fiestas begin on Thursday 8 and end on Monday 12 with the procession of the Virgen del Pilar back to her chapel.