Italians, Dutch, English, Polish or Irish are mixing these days among booths and lanterns. Many scheduled their holidays to experience the festival; others stumbled upon it by surprise and ended up enchanted by its charms.
The Málaga Fair is not only a magnet for the locals. These days, tourists from around the world stroll through the Centre and the Real del Cortijo de Torres, who, with or without prior planning, end up catching the atmosphere of one of the most special events on the local calendar.
Flavia, who arrived from Pordenone (Italy), was clear that she wanted her trip to coincide with the festival. "It's amazing, amazing!" she celebrates, and what surprises her the most is seeing older people participate and keep traditions alive.
A few meters away, a group of girls from the Netherlands —including Maud and Zoe— also booked their getaway knowing they would find the fair on their first visit to the capital of the Costa del Sol. "This is incredible. Everyone is dressed wonderfully and there are parties everywhere; it's really great," they say in the middle of calle Larios.
From England, Katie has travelled with her daughter, who is already wearing a red and white polka dot dress with a white flower in her hair. "She loves it and I want her to enjoy Spanish culture because we love it," she explains. They will spend three weeks in Málaga, including the entire fair: "I just love Málaga wine, I love the music... I love everything!".
"I just love Málaga wine, I love the music... I love everything!"
Others, however, have stumbled upon the festival without looking for it. Anna, who arrived yesterday from Poland with her husband, admits she had no idea it was happening. "I realised when I got here," she says with laughter, and the surprise turned into enthusiasm: "It's amazing; there's a wonderful atmosphere."
Her compatriot Hanna had heard about the fair, but knew little. Her first impression couldn't be better: "Incredible because you can feel the authentic Spain here." The Dutch couple Wendy and Ryan also arrived by surprise and have already adapted: she wears a flower in her hair and describes it as a "great gathering" of people.
Claire and Peter, an Irish couple from Cork, booked their trip just a week ago and found themselves at their first fair. "The colours, the music... everything is amazing," they summarise, and they define it in three words: "Colourful, lively and noisy, but noisy in a good way, okay?".
In the Real, the experience is even more intense for foreigners. A Dutch couple watches in amazement as the carriages pass by and thanks the recommendation from the tourist office: "Someone told us: 'You have to be here in Málaga this week.'" They laugh as they compare these festivities to the Oktoberfest in Munich, "although this is ten times better," one of them points out, with goosebumps.
For Artemio and Mari, originally from Estonia, the fair is already a tradition: they have been living in Málaga for almost 13 years and have not missed a single one since they arrived, except for the pandemic years. They dress as gypsies and in short suits. "We come back year after year for the atmosphere, the good vibes, the dancing..." they explain, highlighting how "the fair brings together all generations."
Tom, a 74-year-old Scot, arrives at the Real in his traditional outfit. He has been coming to Málaga since he was 18 and has lost count of the fairs he has attended. "I love Málaga; I love its people," he says, repeating for "the atmosphere, the dresses, the suits, the kindness, the laughter, the fun, the joy..." And he concludes: "This could not be celebrated in Scotland. Nor in London. It could not be celebrated anywhere else; it's something exclusive to Spain, exclusive to Málaga." He describes it as an "essential, unique and unmissable" event.
Tom's impression is echoed by many foreigners these days, at a fair that, for them, is much more than just a party: it is the opportunity to experience authentic Spain.
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