La Feria de San Bernabé is an annual festival observed in the month of June in honour to Marbella’s patron saint San Bernabé. It’s a week-long affair of celebration and merrymaking in this southern most Costa del Sol resort town Marbella, Spain. This is the time, when the town comes to full festive mood with numerous activities, including fireworks and mass processions.

The fiesta in relation to Marbella’s town saint has a long history that goes with the life of Saint Bernabé. Born with the name Joseph, the apostles awarded him the name of San Bernabé after his generous act of giving money to the poor. The name stands for “Son of Exhortation” or “he who makes an effort” or “he who encourages others”.

According to Biblical legend, it was saint Bernabé who gave apostles money to distribute to the poor. As mentioned in the chapter 4 verses 34-37, Bernabé sold his farm and belongings to help the needy. The Bible in the book of the Facts of the Apostles, praises Bernabé as such: “Bernabé was a good, full man of faith and Spirito Santo”.

Originally a Jew, he received support from other apostles to gain acceptance from the rest of apostles in Jerusalem. Later he became an apostle for the first Church Fathers (Padres de la Iglesia) and travelled many places in a number of missionary journeys.

Today including Marbella of Malaga province, there are some other Spanish towns like Logroño, Pétrola, Bacor, El Escorial (in Madrid), Peñarrubia, and Arenas de San Juan whose patron saint is St. Barnabas. Talking about Marbella, the second week of the month of June is the most happening day with religious as well as modernistic festive fervour.

Marbella is the only city in Andalucía to observe and celebrate the holiness of Saint Barnabas with the weeklong San Bernabe Fair. The festival, ever since it came into existence, has been attracting numerous tourists from all over the world who witness the richness of the festival while participating in several fascinating activities like music, dance, concerts, and religious procession from noon to dawn.

Due to the greatness of the saint, Marbella has adopted him as their patron saint centuries ago and celebrates it as a pilgrimage week. Plaza de San Bernabe (named after Saint Bernard), located in the centre of the town, takes centre stage in the annual June festival with display of the best of Andalusia culture including the flamenco music, bullfighting, parades of horse carriages etc.

The festival is not only a sacred celebration dedicated to the name and work of Saint Barnabas, but also a testimony to the great culture of this region. As people of Marbella pays homage to the saint on the designated day of June 11^th, another historic event also marks the day when Catholic Kings conquests the region from the moors in the year 1485.

In that sense, too, La Feria de San Bernabé holds a significant turning point in the history of Southern Spain with the Commemoration of the Christian Conquest over the Arabs. Hence, the Marbella Feria is a double celebration for the locals. The change of Muslim rule to the Christian control is celebrated with much importance.

Determined by San Bernabé Day, the Feria starts with religious procession as spectators awaits on both sides of the streets to take a glimpse of the image of the patron saint, carried by participants through the town. In honour of San Bernabé, there is also religious activities taken place in all churches of the town.

Besides, on this day, people also took a separate procession to commemorate the Reconquista. Grand procession with music and dance shows the character and pride of the Marbella. During the feria week, both men and women prefer their traditional flamenco dress or some colourful attire to get in to the mood of the festival by parading on the streets.

Other than the processions, many other events take place during the Marbella Feria like the feria queen election, flamenco shows, fireworks, modern dance and music that are major crowd pullers. Amid much fanfare, the festival also exhibits the hospitality of Marbella with good food, wine and dancing that sets it apart from any other place. The enthusiasm of locals can well be observed from their active participation in various activities.

As history reads, Saint Barnabe certainly holds much significance to the culture of the town of Marbella. While the mass procession represents a sign of brotherhood going with the character and good works of St. Barnabas, those colourful and energetic jubilation activities stand for the wealth of tradition and custom of the region. Both the San Bernabé Day and the Reconquesta has their own connotation to the history of Marbella and hence it is quite natural to witness such a grandiose event.

This years marbella feria poster has been design by Juan Francisco Castro Fernández

This year, 2010, the Marbella feria is being held from 7th of June until 13th of June to celebrate San Bernabé.

There will be a special day of celebration on Sunday 30th of May with activities and processions starting at 0830hrs until 1900 hrs.

Click below for the Feria Schedule in English

• Schedule for Marbella Feria 2010 – June 7th until 13th

Further down you will find the daily schedule for each day of the actual “party” feria from Monday 7th of June until Sunday 13th of June.

OK….Just who is Saint Bernabé?
According to the Biblical legend, Saint Bernabé gave money to the Apostles for them to give to the poor. His original name was Joseph, but the new name given by the Apostles means “he who makes an effort” or “he who encourages others”.

So, the people of Marbella celebrate San Bernabé by way of a weeks long celebration (commonly known as a feria) every year and is a big part of the social and religious calendar and the festivities range from processions, outdoor parties, dance shows, music concerts and of course, some bullfighting.

Feria Schedule for 2010 in English

• Schedule for May 30th – Romeria de San Bernabé
• Marbella Feria Schedule for 7th June – 13th June 2010

Feria Schedule for 2010 in Spanish

The pdf download below is from the Marbella Council who have put together a really nice pdf this year with all the schedule etc so if you understand a bit of Spanish, then download it and have a look, otherwise just click on the links a little further down which link through to a schedule of what’s happening for each day.

La Feria de San Bernabé is a festive week long fair that brings peoples (and work!) are cast to one side for the locals. Schools are on holiday,  from all around the world together each June in celebration of Marbella’s town saint, San Bernabé. It is a time of year that all worriebusinesses shut down and the working world is asleep while the town centre and fairgrounds are abuzz with activity from noon to dawn.

This colourful event is a riotous combination of flamenco, typical dances of Andalusia, bullfighting, parades of horse carriages and music for the young and old. Yet, it is on June 11th that the towns people of Marbella comes alive to pay homage to the life of San Bernabé.

According to the Biblical legend, Saint Bernabé gave money to the Apostles to distribute to the poor. Born with the birthname of Joseph, it was after this generous act that the apostles awarded him the name San Bernabé which means “he who makes an effort” or “he who encourages others”. The Bible in the book of the Facts of the Apostles, praises Bernabé as such: “Bernabé was a good, full man of faith and Spirito Santo”.

San Bernabé continued assisting the poor throughout his lifetime and thus became a legend in the villages that he visited. It is this great saint that Marbella has adopted as their patron saint centuries ago and he who Marbella pays homage to on the designated day of June 11th.

San Bernabe definitely takes center stage in the Marbella feria each June but, in fact, there is an additional event that is also being celebrated during these festivities. It is the Commemoration of the Christian Conquest, a significant turning point in the history of Marbella, and of Southern Spain.

On the 11th of June they remember the final defeat of the Arabs in this area in the year 1485. This was led by the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Ferdinand, known as Los Reyes Católicos, who expelled the Arabs and regained control of the kingdom. The resulting significance was the change of Muslims ruling to a Christian ruling. On June 11th locals place lights on balconies and in doorways in remembrance of this day.

What feria would be complete without a grandiose procession? On this day, the 11th of June, the masses of spectators take to the shaded streets to stand and await the patron saints image which slowly and majestically makes its way through the town, carried on the shoulders of important townspeople. There are two separate processions; one in the morning to commemorate the Reconquista, or Reconquest and in the afternoon, there is another procession in honour of San Bernabé.

To the town of Marbella, this is their time to shine, to present to all the visitors from near and far the importance and glory of their town’s history. The music, dance, food and events are all just one way to show their pride in Marbella. Their enthusiasm is contagious and everyone leaves the La Feria de San Bernabé a bit exhausted and a bit better.

One of the most popular beach destinations on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain is Marbella which is home to many of the rich and famous. The wonderful Spanish sun and Mediterranean beaches attribute to much of its desirability amongst visitors. It is a great town that is buzzing with activity but, at the same time, the city center has retained its unique Spanish charm and tranquility.

Marbella’s origins date all the way back to 1600 BC, when it was founded by the Romans and called “Salduba”. In the year 711, the Moors invaded and conquered much of the Iberian Peninsula and under their rule Marbella became a prosperous town called “Marbi-la”.

Throughout its long history Marbella has offered its visitors a typical Andalusian style village, with narrow cobbled streets, charming whitewashed houses, historical town squares decorated with sweet smelling orange trees and the warm blue Mediterranean lapping at its beaches. A paseo (stroll) through the lovely Alameda (park) and Marbella’s promenade, Paseo Maritimo, will give you a good idea of the town’s quaintness and history.

La Feria de San Bernabé in June (7th-13th) is the grandest and most popular fair in Marbella, drawing as many as a million visitors from near and far. The fair celebrates and pays homage to the town’s patron saint, San Bernabé, June 11th being the official feast day. Additionally, Marbella remembers this week as the Commemoration of the Christian Conquest. The lively day includes two processions: one for the Reconquista (Reconquest) and one for San Bernabé.

This colorful feria is a lively combination of bullfighting, flamenco music, traditional dances of Andalusia, parades of horsemen and music for the young and old. For one week Marbella will be awash with makeshift bars, frilly flamenco dresses and major partying from noon until dawn. The Feria only comes to Marbella once a year, but boy do they make the most of it!

Head to the Old Town and lose yourself in the labyrinth of streets for a round of tapas, fino and dancing. Join the enthusiastic groups singing and clapping on every street corner, and soak up the festival frenzy hanging in the air. Dancing horses and their elegant riders trot gracefully through the streets. Feria goers who really want to get into the spirit of the “feria” dress up in their finery, the men in “traje de corto” (short jacket, tight trousers and boots) and the women in “farales” (flamenco style dress).

This is a time of year that all worries (and work!) are cast to one side for the locals of Marbella. Schools are on holiday, businesses shut down and the working world is asleep. For this reason, all of Marbella anxiously gathers on the Paseo Marítimo to await the impressive display of fireworks which officially kicks off the feria …..let the party begin!

Each day starts at 9am with a bang as rockets call for the attention of everyone to start the party. The Day time Fair gets going around noon (until 7pm) as thousands of people parade through the Alameda gardens and around the cobbled streets of Old Town. The Alameda, Avenida del Mar, Plaza de los Naranjos and the squares and of the old town are filled with the lively mood of fiesta. Strangers shake hands to show their friendship, toast each other with a glass of fino, and continue celebrating with a few new friends.

Even the crème de la crème of Spanish society, aristocracy, politicians, actors and artists parade through the town in traditional Andalusian horse carriages….it is a real “who’s who” spectacle.

As evening falls, the action moves to the Fair Ground where people of all ages spin around on the rides, eat cotton candy and enjoy the blend of music, dancing and laughter. The locals set up marquees known as casetas, people socialise, eat typical Andalusian dishes and drink, sing and dance sevillanas to celebrate San Bernabé. Each caseta is like an individual party where fino and manzanilla are served with plenty of chat and good cheer.

Famous Spanish artists are invited to entertain the thousands of feria visitors. You will have the opportunity to see and hear the likes of Niña Pastori, Diane Navarro, Ecos del Rocío, Queco, Junior, La Mala Rodríguez, Hakim, Melody, David Civera and José Mercé…..just to name a few. Concerts are held in Plazas José Palomo and Los Naranjos in the Old Town, and in the Alameda Park and at the Municipal Pavillion and new marquee tent at the feria grounds which holds an impressive 13,000 people. Best of all, these concerts are generally free, but arrive early to make sure you can find a spot.

The Marbella feria has an impressive program of bullfighters that appear to wow the audience with their fluid movements and bravado. Crowds cheer on the likes of toreros Manuel Diaz El Cordobes, Francisco Rivera Ordoñez and David Fandila. If you are a fan of the corrida, you will not be disappointed by the bullfights presented at this feria in the lovely Plaza de Toros El Toreo.

The Feria de San Bernabe is becoming increasingly international and attracting more visitors than ever before. That is because it is such a great atmosphere of jubilant crowds all there for the same reason, to have a good time. The great hospitality, great food and activities of Marbella keep people coming back from one year to the next.