Bilbao comes to life in the summer. Take advantage of the sunshine and good vibes during your visit to the Basque city.
Where to find the best parties, the most picturesque beaches and some top local tips, here are ten ideas for things to do when you visit Bilbao in the summer months.
1. Aste Nagusia
Summer is party season in Bilbao and throughout the Basque Country. Each week from May to October, every town and neighbourhood organises its own week or two of festivities (called ‘fiestas’ in Spanish and ‘jaiak’ in Basque).
These are dates for fiestas in different towns across the Basque Country during the 2026 summer.
The big one is Bilbao’s Aste Nagusia, which literally translates to ‘The Big Week’. For nine days at the end of August, Bilbao transforms into a music and culture festival. The daytime is normally reserved for more family-friendly activities, such as theatre productions, cooking competitions and poetry slams, whilst the night is more of a party, with huge pop-up bars offering cheap drinks and music concerts.
Check out our Aste Nagusia 2026 guide for more information.
2. Jazz concerts by the Guggenheim
One of our favourite summer activities. Right next to the Guggenheim Museum there’s an outdoor bar called ‘Cafe Ona’ with a massive terrace. Sometimes during the summer, they employ a jazz band to play live music as customers sip on their beers and txakolis.
If you’re looking for a chill evening with a bit of background music and stunning views of the Guggenheim Museum and Deusto University, we recommend heading here.
3. Casco Viejo
Bilbao’s cultural and historical epicentre. Spend a morning or afternoon wandering the narrow streets of the city’s famed Casco Viejo (Old Town).
Visit the Mercado de la Ribera, learn about Basque history at the Euskal Museoa, or simply soak up the sun and people watch with a cold beer at Plaza Nueva.
Find out more about what Casco Viejo has to offer.
4. San Mames tour
Athletic Club will most likely be in their off-season as LaLiga fixtures don’t start until late August, but San Mames is open to visitors all the year.
If there’s a match scheduled at San Mames during your visit, we highly recommend trying to get tickets. The stadium’s nicknamed ‘The Cathedral of Football’ for a reason. Match days in Bilbao are an unbelievable experience.
Visit this unique club’s brilliant museum and take a stadium tour to learn more about what makes Athletic so special in the world of football.
5. Txakoli tasting
Head to the Txakoli Museum in Bakio (a 40-minute drive from Bilbao) to discover more about the Basque Country’s favourite wine and its regional varieties.
The Txakoli Museum is a small centre but it’s immersive and some tours have tastings included. You could even combine this stop with a visit to the nearby monastery San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, also known as Dragonstone.
Take a look at Basque Country Tourism website for more information.
Many private tours going out to Gaztelugatxe included stops at the museum in Bakio. If you don’t fancy going out to Bakio but still want to learn more about txakoli, there are some tasting activities available in Bilbao too.
6. Beach day in Plentzia
One of the Basque Country’s most spectacular beaches, Plentzia is a brilliant day out for anybody looking for some rays and waves.
The town is easy to get to from Bilbao as it’s the last stop on the metro’s Line 1. Once you get to Plentzia’s it’s a short 15-minute walk from the metro station to the beach. You can cut through via the main road, but we prefer to follow the river around to the coast.
If you plan on driving to Plentzia, bear in mind that the beach is very popular and parking can be hard to find on summer days.
7. BBK Live
Every July, normally on the second weekend, Bilbao’s Kobetas mountain becomes the setting for a major music festival featuring some of the world’s greatest acts, like Bad Bunny, Rosalia, Kendrick Lamar, Mumford and Sons, Robbie Williams and many others.
Click here for more information about dates, acts, location and prices.
8. Hike up Artxanda
Take in some breathtaking summer-day views of Bilbao and its surroundings by heading up Mount Artxanda.
You can reach the viewpoint at the top via a brief hike from the city centre or by getting on the historic Artxanda Funicular.
If you fancy a more strenuous hike, there are plenty of different options in Bilbao and the province of Bizkaia. For example, Mount Pagasarri, which is easy to get to from the city centre, or Santurtzi’s Mount Serantes, the mountain seen from the Port of Bilbao.
9. Puerto Viejo
A picturesque seaside neighbourhood in Algorta, Puerto Viejo is famed for its green and white houses as well as its stunning views of Bilbao’s Port.
Easy to get to on the metro, spend a morning exploring the quaint village, grab a pintxo in the main square and sit on the steps by Bar Itxas Bide as you take in the landscapes with a tasty txakoli.
10. Eat chicken at a cervecera
An absolutely classic Bilbao and Bizkaia tradition. Head to a cervecera (a beer hall) for lunch or your evening meal and tuck into a rotisserie chicken along with sides like fried peppers, chips, chorizo, black pudding and mixed salads. Wash it all down with a pitcher of beer or a bottle of Basque cider.
There are lots of cervecera’s all over Bizkaia but our favourite is Cervecera Cobetas, up in the mountains right next to BBK Live, just for its panoramic views of the city.
A lot of the best cerveceras can be found outside the city. For example, we also love Portuondo (in Mundaka), Arriolane (in Plentzia) and El Molino (in Berango).
Some cerveceras are only open in the summer months, whilst others stay open all year round, check properly before making plans.
