Noche de San Juan: fireworks, bonfires and a midnight dip in the sea
On the night of 23 June every year, the Malaga coast is lit up, both literally and metaphorically, as thousands of people head to the beaches to enjoy the Noche de San Juan (Saint John’s Eve).
This festival, which marks the beginning of the summer, is full of pagan rituals centred around fire and, of course, water.
As part of the festivities, you have to jump three times over one of the blazing bonfires which are seen for miles along the coastline. They are lit to ward off evil spirits, and doing so will (supposedly) rid you of your problems.
After this, a midnight dip in the sea, which according to tradition, is purest on this night, will clean and purify your soul.
Also at midnight, huge firework displays mark the arrival of the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, whose feast day is actually on the 24 June (though in most countries the festivities are held the night before).
It’s interesting to note that this is one of the few saints’ days which commemorate the anniversary of the birth, rather than the death, of the saint.
Celebrating San Juan in Malaga
Celebrations are particularly lively on La Malagueta beach, given its proximity to Malaga city centre, where the evening gets started at around 9pm.
Also lively will be the much bigger La Misericordia and El Palo beaches, to the west and east, respectively, albeit with a less international feel and more local vibes.
This is one of the bigger fiestas and includes fireworks, pyrotechnics, live music and entertainment, which continues until the early hours.
Given the timing of the event, the Fiesta de San Juan attracts a lot of university students who use the opportunity to burn their study notes following the exam period!
Another element to look out for is the burning of ‘juas’ (effigies) which are normally a nod to the big local news stories of the year.
Daryl is the co-founder of Malaga Guru. He is a copywriter, editor and translator who moved to Malaga a decade ago having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found this site in 2016.