Málaga to hold 18th Blood Donation Marathon on 22 October: times, location and how to take part

Málaga will once again turn City Hall into a major donation centre on Thursday 22 October. The city will host the 18th Blood Donation Marathon, a solidarity event designed to strengthen blood reserves for hospitals across the province and encourage more people to become regular donors.

The event will take place at the Patio de Banderas at Málaga City Hall, inside the Casona del Parque, and will run continuously for 12 hours.

This year’s target is to reach 500 donations.

When and where is the Blood Donation Marathon?

The event will take place on Thursday 22 October 2026.

The donation point will be:

Patio de Banderas, Málaga City Hall
Casona del Parque
Avenida de Cervantes, 4

Opening hours will be continuous from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.

The long timetable is intended to make it easier for people to attend in the morning, during the day or after work and study commitments.

Blood and plasma donations will both be available

The event will not be limited to conventional blood donations.

People who meet the relevant requirements will also be able to donate plasma.

To keep the process moving efficiently, organisers will install 20 beds for blood donation and four dedicated plasma donation stations.

The venue will be divided into several clearly organised areas.

What will the donation process look like?

The event will be arranged into four main sections:

• reception;
• medical assessment;
• blood and plasma donation;
• refreshment area.

Before donating, each person will undergo a medical assessment to make sure they meet the necessary requirements.

After the donation, participants will be able to spend a few minutes resting and having refreshments before leaving.

More than 20 professionals will attend donors

A large healthcare team will be working throughout the day.

A total of 26 professionals will provide direct assistance, including doctors, nursing staff and driver-orderlies.

In addition, three mobile units will support the event.

The setup is designed to allow a steady flow of donors throughout the 12-hour programme.

You can also register as a bone marrow donor

The marathon will also provide information about bone marrow donation.

People who meet the criteria will be able to request registration as potential donors.

One of the main requirements for joining the register is being between 18 and 40 years old.

Registering does not mean making a bone marrow donation on the same day. Instead, it means joining a database of potential donors who could later be matched with a patient in need of a transplant.

Who can donate blood?

In general, blood donors must be in good health and meet a series of medical requirements.

Before every donation, healthcare staff carry out an interview and individual assessment.

Eligibility depends on factors such as age, weight, medication, recent illnesses and travel history.

For this reason, even if someone attends intending to donate, the medical team will make the final decision on whether they can safely do so that day.

Free bus travel for donors

One practical feature of the event is the collaboration of EMT Málaga.

People travelling to donate will be able to receive two free bus journeys, one outbound and one return, on 22 October.

The system will work through a personalised QR code.

The measure is intended to make it easier to reach the city centre and prevent transport from becoming a barrier to participation.

EMT will also help promote the campaign

The Málaga public transport company will also help publicise the event.

Information about the campaign will appear on screens inside buses and at bus shelters across the city.

This will allow the message to reach thousands of public transport users in the days leading up to the marathon.

Thousands of regular donors will receive information

The organisers are also launching a large communication campaign.

A total of 2,056 letters and 6,920 emails will be sent to regular donors, volunteers and members of different organisations.

Around 12,500 mobile messages are also expected to be sent.

Hundreds of posters and notices will also be distributed to schools, pharmacies, health centres, religious brotherhoods, associations and public institutions.

A partnership dating back to 2008

The Blood Donation Marathon is jointly organised by Málaga City Council and the Málaga Blood Transfusion, Tissue and Cell Centre.

The two institutions have worked together on the initiative since 2008.

Over the years, the event has become one of the city’s main annual campaigns promoting blood donation.

The target: 500 donations

For this 18th edition, organisers hope to reach 500 donations during the 12 hours of activity.

That requires a continuous flow of donors throughout the day and a highly organised system across the donation stations.

Beyond the final number, the event also aims to attract first-time donors who may continue giving blood in future campaigns.

Málaga has already recorded more than 33,000 donations in 2026

By 30 September 2026, Málaga had recorded 33,465 donations.

These contributions help supply both public and private hospitals across the province.

However, the need for blood is not limited to specific periods of the year.

Surgery, accidents, cancer treatment and many other hospital procedures require a constant supply of blood products.

Why blood reserves must be maintained all year round

Blood cannot be manufactured artificially.

Its different components also have limited storage times, meaning blood banks need a continuous supply of new donations.

For this reason, even after particularly successful campaigns, regular donations remain essential.

Large events such as Málaga’s Blood Donation Marathon help strengthen reserves while also reminding the public that donating blood is most effective when it becomes a regular habit.

One donation can help several patients

The full donation process usually takes relatively little time.

The blood draw itself is only one part of the procedure, which also includes registration, a health interview and a short recovery period afterwards.

Different blood components can be separated from a single donation and used for different treatments and patients.

That means one donation can potentially contribute to several medical needs.

An event open to the whole city

With 12 hours of continuous activity, free public transport for donors and a large healthcare team, the 18th Blood Donation Marathon is designed to make participation as easy as possible.

The event will take place on Thursday 22 October, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, at the Patio de Banderas at Málaga City Hall.

Anyone who has never donated before will also have the opportunity to ask healthcare professionals questions and consider becoming a regular donor.