An Expert Selection of Basque Culture for September 2026.

The extraordinary light of August has faded, but Basque culture in September 2026 maintains its brilliance. The total solar eclipse that captivated thousands of observers across the Basque Country now becomes part of its living memory, while summer gradually gives way to a quieter and more reflective season. September invites travellers to discover another side of Basque culture—one shaped less by celebration alone and more by artistic creation, intellectual curiosity, and the pleasure of lingering a little longer. It is a month when cities regain their natural rhythm, vineyards prepare for harvest, cultural institutions unveil new seasons, and visitors can experience the Basque Country with a greater sense of intimacy.

Cinema takes centre stage. From 18 to 26 September, San Sebastián once again becomes one of the world’s great cultural capitals with the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival (Zinemaldia). Few festivals combine international prestige with such an elegant atmosphere. In 2026, legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog receives the prestigious Donostia Award, celebrating a lifetime devoted to cinematic storytelling while presenting his latest film. Throughout the week, actors, directors, producers, journalists and film lovers from every continent gather in a city where cinema has become part of its cultural identity rather than simply an annual event.

Meanwhile, Vitoria-Gasteiz celebrates creativity through two remarkable festivals that perfectly reflect its cultural personality. FesTVal, Spain’s leading television festival, brings together the country’s most influential broadcasters, production companies, actors and audiences to present the television programmes that will shape the coming season. Shortly afterwards, Magialdia, one of Europe’s most respected international magic festivals, transforms the city into an open stage where illusion, imagination and artistic excellence inspire audiences of every generation. Together, both festivals demonstrate how contemporary culture continues to flourish alongside centuries of history.

September also becomes a month of thoughtful anticipation. The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum temporarily closes its galleries while completing the final technical preparations before unveiling its ambitious Agravitas expansion by Norman Foster and Luis María Uriarte. Rather than marking an absence, this pause announces the beginning of a new chapter for one of Spain’s finest museums, whose grand reopening in October will celebrate both architectural innovation and the generosity of collectors such as Plácido Arango, whose legacy continues to enrich Basque cultural heritage. At the same time, the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles reminds us that storytelling, visual culture and artistic imagination continue to shape the dialogue between cultures worldwide—a conversation to which the Basque Country contributes with remarkable vitality. Contemporary creativity also finds its place through the opening concerts of the XVII Musikagileak Contemporary Music Circuit, presenting newly commissioned works by Basque and international composers and confirming the region’s commitment to artistic innovation.

The carefully curated experiences below invite you to discover how Basques embrace September: through cinema, music, architecture, performing arts, gastronomy and cultural traditions that continue to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in their identity. More than a calendar of events, this selection offers a gateway to understanding one of Europe’s most distinctive cultural landscapes.

Curated Basque culture experiences in San Sebastian and Gipuzkoa – September 2026

• “Cristóbal Balenciaga: Technique, Material, and Form”. A profound and educational exploration of the couturier’s work, influence, and legacy. Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. March 7th, 2025 – January 10th, 2027.
• Exhibition “Elcano-Urdaneta: The Discovery of the Oceans” Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Juan Sebastián Elcano’s little-known second voyage. Basque Maritime Museum. December 4th, 2025 to October 4th.
• Exhibition “The Givenchyaga Family”. A meeting of the works of Cristóbal Balenciaga(1895-1972) and Hubert de Givenchy (1927-2018). A tribute to Givenchy for his friendship, aesthetic and business affinity, and for preserving the legacy of the Basque couturier. Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum, Getaria. From March 28th to February 22nd, 2027.
• The Soul of Things. Temporary exhibition by Quebec sculptor and puppeteer Noémi Bélanger. She creates theatrical scenes that work at the intersection of visual and performing arts. International Puppet Centre– TOPIC, Toulouse. April 2^nd to September 20^th.
• Exhibition “Black Goya, Black Motherwell.” A dialogue between two works separated by more than a century, yet united by a shared reflection on violence, pain, and collective memory. It brings together “The Disasters of War,” Francisco de Goya’s celebrated series of 80 prints, alongside “Iberia,” the monumental black canvas created in 1958 by Robert Motherwell. San Telmo Museum. May 16th – September 27th.
• Geometric Bodies. An exhibitionthat analyzes both the geometric sculptural object and the scale relationship the work establishes with the space that surrounds it. Works by Chillida and two guest sculptors: Nora Aurrekoetxea and Larry Bell. Chillida-Leku Museum in collaboration with Hauser & Wirth and other leading cultural institutions. Visit the permanent collection of works by the Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. June 25th to October 26^th.
• Flag of La Concha. Traditional regattas in La Concha Bay. This spectacle has been held since 1879 as a complement to the San Sebastian festivities. From September 6th to 13th.
• Mikel Urdangarin. Concert – an intimate dialogue between the Basque artist, his guitar, and the audience. Zabalaga Farmhouse, Chillida-Leku Museum. September 11th.
• La Gran Vía. Zarzuela by Federico Chueca transports us, celebrating the “birth” of Madrid’s Gran Vía. Sasibill Lyric Association. Victoria Eugenia Theatre. September 12th.
• 74th Zinemaldia. San Sebastian International Film Festival Director, screenwriter, producer, and actor Werner Herzog will receive a Donostia Award in recognition of his career during the opening gala. Kursaal, Teatro Principal, Tabakalera, Cines Príncipe, Antiguo-Berri – Velódromo Antonio Elorza, and Teatro Victoria Eugenia. September 18th–26th.
• MAHLER 2: Revival. Mahler’s Second Symphony. Euskadiko Orkestra (Basque Country Orchestra), soprano, mezzo-soprano and Orfeón Donostiarra. Kursaal Palace. September 29th and 30th.

Curated Basque culture experiences in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Alava – September 2026

• Exhibition “Fantasy and Reason: Prints by Goya in the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Alava.” A display of the four major series of prints by Francisco de Goya (1746-1828): Caprichos, Disasters of War, Tauromaquia, and Disparates. From May 18th, 2026 to February 2027.
• ‘Symbols of Our Lives‘. Concert by the Municipal Band. Open-Air Series at the Secret Water Garden. September 4th.
• Joseba B. Lenoir Gang. Belar Sounds Festival A band with a unique and highly distinctive sound that straddles the boundaries of rock, blues, and psychedelia. Outdoor music at the Falerina Garden, Montehermoso Cultural Center, September 5th.
• Enigma Group: Javier Blanco and David Palanca. A tribute to the 200th anniversary of the death of Basque musician J. C. Arriaga (for whom the Bilbao theater is named). XV Chamber Music Series 2026. Aula Magna / CM Jesús Guridi. September 6^th.
• ‘Landscapes for Band’. Music as an evocative tool for places, atmospheres, and soundscapes. Concert by the Municipal Band. Open-Air Series at the Secret Water Garden. September 11th.
• Bassadonna Group: Susana Rivero, Enara Susano, Noemí Molinero. Female double bass players who, with their talent and passion, seek to highlight the female figure in the world of classical music. XV Chamber Music Series 2026. Aula Magna / CM Jesús Guridi. September 13^th.
• FesTVal – 18th Vitoria-Gasteiz Television Festival. The largest television festival in Spain. The first of its kind on the Iberian Peninsula. Plaza de España, the Villasuso Palace, and the Teatro Principal, among other venues. September 7th-12th.
• Magialdia 2026. Vitoria-Gasteiz International Magic Festival. The meeting place for the most prestigious magicians from around the world. Galas, street magic, conferences, exhibitions, and activities for all ages. Various locations throughout the city. From September 14th to 20th.
• 13th Mercedes Benz Mountain Bike Race. The cycling race will once again traverse the Vitoria-Gasteiz Mountains. There is a long route of 53 km and a short route of 38 km, both open to the public. Start and finish at the Olarizu meadows (Casa de la Dehesa). September 20th.

Curated Basque culture experiences in Bilbao and Biscay – September 2026

• Ruth Asawa: A Retrospective. A highly gifted and prolific artist who emerged in the US after World War II. An exhibition organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA). Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. March 19^th– September 13th.
• Juan Luna Novicio in Portugalete. Works by the Filipino artist that bear witness to the industrial transformation and social change taking place in Bizkaia in 1893. Also see its permanent exhibition. Rialia Industria Museoa. From April 29th to December 30th.
• in situ: Igshaan Adams. Raising Dust: The Body Archive. Adams transforms humble materials like rope, beads, and wire into intricate compositions that explore how race, religion, sexuality, and memory intertwine. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. May 5th–November 1st.
• Jasper Johns: Night Driver 70 Years of Artistic Life. One of the most important figures in US art since the post-WWII era, through Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. May 29th–October 12th.
• Cabaret: The Musical.Cabaret features music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. An immersive musical. Euskalduna Palace. August 19th to September 6th.
• A journey through German Classicism and Romanticism: Beethoven’s ‘Egmont’ Overture, Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D Major, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Scottish’. Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. Muxikebarri, Getxo. September 5th.
• Street Talk (Kale Hizketak). Kukai Dantza Company. One of the most renowned Basque contemporary dance companies explores the street as a space for encounter, memory, and identity, combining dance, theater, and tradition in a performance that is both intimate and evocative. Streets of Getxo. September 13th.
• Opening concert. 17th MUSIKAGILEAK Contemporary Music Cycle, by the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. The Basque-Navarre Association of Composers selects the best newly composed works from around the world. At least half are Basque or Navarrese creations. Campos Eliseos Theatre. September 23^rd.
• Leon Benavente. Key bands of Spanish indie rock. Intense, elegant, and energetic sound, driven by direct lyrics and a powerful stage presence. Sirimiri 2026 concert series, at Sala BBK. September 23^rd.
• Eu vou Morrer de Amor ou Resistir (I will die of love or resist). Last fado album by the Lisbon singer and songwriter Carminho. Arriaga Theater. September 24th.
• “13 and 14” Two pieces from the choreographic series “Numerical Series” (2018), with its minimalist aesthetic, further codify the truth of the body’s movement. It showcases the beauty of simplicity and returns the gaze to the body and the ensemble of dancers. TAO Dance Theater, Beijing. Arriaga Theater. September 26th and 27th.

Every event included in this guide reveals only one part of the Basque story. The fullest understanding comes from experiencing the places, meeting the people and discovering the traditions that connect them. At Aitor Delgado Tours, every private journey is personally designed around your interests, combining celebrated cultural highlights with authentic local experiences that rarely appear in conventional itineraries. Because the finest way to discover the Basque Country is not simply to visit it—but to understand it.

Basque culture, personally curated.

Aitor Delgado