El Burgo travels back to 1840 for three days of bandits, taverns and historical theatre

El Burgo will completely change its appearance this weekend as it travels almost two centuries back in time. From Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2026, this village in the Sierra de las Nieves will celebrate a new edition of Pasión Bandolera, a historical recreation that turns its streets into the setting for a story inspired by the year 1840.

Local residents and participants dressed in period clothing, bandits, taverns, parades, craft stalls and theatrical scenes will form part of a programme spread across three days.

The event reaches its 13th edition this year and is recognised as a Provincial Tourist Festival of Special Interest.

More than 300 people will bring the El Burgo of 1840 to life

One of the main attractions of Pasión Bandolera is that much of the recreation is performed by local residents themselves.

More than 300 people will take part wearing 19th-century costumes and helping transform different parts of the village.

El Burgo will become a large open-air stage where visitors can move among the characters and follow a story that develops through different scenes across the weekend.

This strong involvement from local residents is one of the reasons the festival has continued to grow over the years.

Agustina and José lead the 2026 story

This year’s plot once again places Agustina at the centre of the story.

On this occasion, Agustina and José arrive in El Burgo as part of a travelling theatre company, Las Finitas de Jerez.

From there, the story develops through secrets, conflicts, family relationships and the emergence of a group of bandits.

The plot will unfold through more than twenty theatrical scenes performed between Friday and Sunday.

Drama, humour and adventure are mixed with references to rural life and traditions from the Málaga mountains.

Friday begins with a large opening parade

The 13th edition will officially begin on Friday 9 October at 6:30 pm.

The first event will be an opening parade from Plaza de la Villa to the bandit village.

At 7:30 pm, the opening speech will take place, led this year by the different women who have played Agustina throughout the history of the festival.

The first theatrical scenes will follow.

During the evening, audiences will see performances including Sortilegio, Perdida en la Sierra, Las leyendas de Agustina and El Burgo y los Cómicos de la Legua.

The recreated village will remain open until the early hours.

Saturday will be the busiest day

Saturday 10 October will feature much of the weekend’s programme.

The day will begin at 10:30 am with a walking route through the village starting from the Tourist Office.

At midday, the 1840 settlement will reopen and the Romería de la Virgen de la Muñeca will begin from Calle Real.

From that point onwards, performances will continue throughout much of the day.

Scenes include Día de romería, A escondidas en la taberna, Ser bandolera, Rescate, La inocencia y el peligro and Nadie huye de su sino.

The programme will continue until after midnight.

Children will have their own historical performances

The organisers have once again reserved part of the programme for younger participants.

On Saturday afternoon there will be a first children’s scene entitled El Juego.

Children will return to the spotlight on Sunday with a children’s parade from Calle Real and a second performance entitled El teatro.

Their involvement helps younger generations become part of a celebration that depends heavily on the participation of local residents.

Sunday brings the story to an end

The final day begins on Sunday 11 October at 11:30 am with the reopening of the recreated village.

After the children’s activities, the main story will move towards its conclusion.

At 1:30 pm, El Plan Perfecto will be performed.

In the afternoon, the final two scenes will follow: Un Domingo de 1840 and Agustina y José.

The official farewell and closure of the 13th edition is scheduled for 6:00 pm.

Much more than theatre

Pasión Bandolera is not limited to staged performances.

Throughout the weekend, the streets of El Burgo will feature decorated spaces, taverns and stalls linked to local food and crafts.

This year’s edition also includes new craft stalls inside the bandit settlement, for which the Town Hall previously opened a participation process.

The result is an event that combines historical recreation, gastronomy, popular culture and tourism.

Bandit history and the Sierra de las Nieves

The choice of banditry as the main theme is closely connected to the history of this part of Málaga.

During the 19th century, the difficult terrain of the Serranía de Ronda and Sierra de las Nieves provided shelter for different groups of bandits and became the setting for numerous stories.

Over time, fact and legend blended together, turning the figure of the bandit into one of the most recognisable characters in Andalusian folklore.

The El Burgo recreation uses this historical context as its starting point while building its own theatrical story around fictional characters.

The land of Pasos Largos

El Burgo also has a special connection with one of the most famous figures of late Andalusian banditry.

The village was the birthplace of Juan Mingolla Gallardo, known as Pasos Largos, whose life became closely associated with these mountains during the early decades of the 20th century.

His story remains part of the popular memory of the Sierra de las Nieves and helps explain why banditry occupies such an important place in El Burgo’s cultural identity.

A village in the heart of the Sierra de las Nieves

The festival also offers an opportunity to discover the natural surroundings of the municipality.

El Burgo lies beside Sierra de las Nieves National Park and close to the Turón River.

Its surroundings combine mountains, woodland and hiking trails with elements of historical and rural heritage.

Places to visit include the Church of La Encarnación, several viewpoints and walking routes connected to the river and old irrigation channels.

Pasión Bandolera adds another reason to explore the village during these three days.

Pasión Bandolera 2026: programme at a glance

Friday 9 October

6:30 pm: opening parade.

7:30 pm: opening speech.

8:00 pm: theatrical performances begin.

11:30 pm: final scene of the evening.

1:30 am: bandit village closes.

Saturday 10 October

10:30 am: walking route through El Burgo.

12:00 pm: bandit village opens and Romería de la Virgen de la Muñeca begins.

1:00 pm: theatrical performances start.

8:00 pm: children’s scene.

10:00 pm: theatrical performances resume.

1:30 am: bandit village closes.

Sunday 11 October

11:30 am: bandit village opens.

12:00 pm: children’s parade.

12:30 pm: children’s performance.

1:30 pm: continuation of the main story.

4:00 pm: penultimate scene.

5:00 pm: final scene, Agustina y José.

6:00 pm: farewell and official closing.

A journey back to the 19th century without leaving Málaga

Pasión Bandolera has managed to turn the history and traditions of El Burgo into a collective experience.

For three days, visitors will find much more than a stage and a group of actors: an entire village involved in recreating another era.

El Burgo will once again fill with bandits, characters, music, taverns and theatrical scenes from 9 to 11 October, making it one of the most distinctive cultural events of the autumn in the Sierra de las Nieves.