Santander Party Calendar 2026-2027: The Big Nights Month by Month

In Santander, Spain, the big nights are Halloween (30–31 October 2026), New Year's Eve, Carnival (13–15 February in 2026), Baños de Ola and Semana Grande in July and La Semanuca in August; 2027 dates go up here once announced.

Our rule for this page is simple: if a 2027 date hasn't been announced, we don't guess it. We write "pending" and tell you when it was in 2026, so you know roughly what to expect. We also mark the public holidays and long weekends, because in Santander the night before a holiday counts as a weekend night: clubs can stay open until 06:00.

Month by month

Sources: each venue or organiser for the parties, the BOC (Cantabria's government gazette) for holidays (calendar published on 11 December 2025) and Festivales de España and Planomato for the 2026 editions. Last checked: 11 October 2026. We review this page every three months.

Autumn: UC Fest and Halloween

The term starts with UC Fest, the University of Cantabria's welcome party: Thursday 15 October 2026 at Escenario Santander, from 13:00 to 21:00, with tickets at €3 (€6 with food) and a university card required. Two weeks later comes Halloween, which this year falls on a Saturday. As of 11 October four parties have a published date: Kudéta on Friday 30 (18+), SYNCIO at Escenario that same Friday, La Santa Muerte at Escenario on Saturday 31 from 18:00 and Sala Kaya's Halloween on Saturday 31 from 23:59. Sala Kaya's autumn also includes Remember Reggaeton XXL on 16 October and Héctor Oaks on 6 November.

Winter: the December long weekend, Christmas and Carnival

In 2026 Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 December are both public holidays in Cantabria, which makes for a long weekend. Under Cantabria's opening-hours decree, the night before a holiday counts like a Friday or Saturday, so Sunday 6 and Monday 7 are nights when clubs can stay open until 06:00. Check each venue's agenda: whether they open is up to them.

From 24 December to 6 January the summer timetable applies every night, and on three nights (24 to 25 December, 31 December to 1 January and 5 to 6 January) venues can extend closing by up to three hours if they notify the City Council in advance. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve both fall on a Thursday this year. As of 11 October no venue in Santander has announced a party for either night; our New Year's Eve page is updated every week as they come in.

Carnival 2027 has no dates yet. In 2026 it ran from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 February: a gala at the Palacio de Deportes on Friday, the big parade on Saturday 14 at 18:00 with 18 groups and more than 1,400 people, starting in Gamazo and crossing the centre, then prizes in Plaza Porticada around 20:00 and a free show there from 20:30 to 01:00. Sunday was for families and ended with the Burial of the Sardine. During Carnival, clubs also get the summer timetable.

Spring: Easter, Virgen del Mar and San Juan

In 2027 Easter runs from Maundy Thursday 25 March to Easter Monday 29 March, and those nights also get the summer timetable, so clubs can open until 06:00. The 2027 public holidays haven't been published yet (they come out at the end of the year). In 2026 Santander's two local holidays were 25 May, for the Virgen del Mar, and 25 July, for Santiago. San Juan is always the night of 23 June; the 2027 programme hasn't been published.

Summer: Baños de Ola, Semana Grande, festivals and La Semanuca

From 1 June to 30 September the summer timetable applies every night, and summer is when Santander fills its calendar. It starts with the Baños de Ola, a recreation of 19th-century sea bathing in El Sardinero with period-costume parades, concerts and fireworks, free and declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest; in 2026 it ran from 2 to 5 July. On Sunday 19 July 2026 the Bahía Sun Festival brought an afternoon-to-night format to the Campa de La Magdalena.

Then comes Semana Grande, the big July fiesta around Santiago. In 2026 it ran from 17 to 26 July: opening rocket on Friday 17 at 21:30, ticketed concerts on the Campa de La Magdalena, free gigs in Plaza Porticada and fireworks on Friday 24 at 23:00 at the Segunda Playa of El Sardinero. On 25 July, Santiago, Santander has a local holiday, and 28 July is the Día de las Instituciones de Cantabria, a regional holiday. We'll publish a full Semana Grande 2027 guide as soon as the City Council announces the dates.

August closes the season. In 2026 the Negrita Music Festival was on 27 and 28 August at the Playa de la Virgen del Mar, with Ana Mena, Juan Magán and Metrika. And La Semanuca, the fiesta of the city's patron saints, San Emeterio and San Celedonio (30 August), ran from 25 to 30 August: free concerts every day in Plaza Porticada, the Callejeando Food Fest with DJs in Plaza de Pombo and fireworks at the Segunda Playa. It is also a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest.

Reggaeton, urban, techno, house, rap/trap and concerts · Nueva Montaña, SantanderSee Sala Kaya Santander →

Mixed: commercial, urban, electrolatino, house · Puertochico, SantanderSee Kudéta Santander →

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