The weekend of Halloween 2026 in Granada is just round the corner, bringing a range of diverse events. We examine some of the possibilities…
WITH nights drawing in and chestnuts on the trees it’s almost time for Halloween 2026 in Granada region. This year, All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos) falls on Sunday 1 November. Andalucía observes an additional public holiday on Monday 2 November, creating a three-day puente weekend of culture and celebration.
Unlike the ghoulish vibes of Halloween, All Saints’ Day is a traditional, religious occasion. On this day, families visit cemeteries and pay respects to their deceased relatives. It is a serious time, to reflect and preserve family traditions.
Halloween, on 31 October, has become intertwined with the All Saints celebration. Spooky costumes, witches, skeletons, cobwebs, and spiders coexist with traditional village gatherings. If you don’t want to dress up and paint your face, the traditional shots (chupitos) of anís (a seasonal drink) should create a sufficiently scary-looking expression. The name on the bottle, mono (one translation is “monkey”), says it all.
The weekend’s traditional celebrations include Lanjarón’s Gran Castañada on 31 October and Mecina Bombarón’s Fiesta de la Castaña from 31 October to 2 November. Vélez de Benaudalla has a Halloween event on 30 October, while Soportújar’s witch-themed streets attract visitors independently of its separately organised Noche de Brujas.
For adults wanting to dance until dawn during Halloween 2026 in Granada, the puente weekend has several, large electronic music events. DOMO Halloween takes place at Complejo Embrujo on Saturday 31 October, followed by Raveart Retro Halloween at the same venue on Sunday 1 November. Terror Bass is at Industrial Copera on Saturday 31 October, and Sierra Bass has also advertised a Halloween event in Órgiva on 31 October.
For an idea of what’s to come, check out our previous photographic retrospective of Halloween in Granada and how Soportújar established its witch-themed identity.
Castañas, anís and gachas
A popular part of the All Saints weekend is the traditional castañada celebration. At this ubiquitous event, the castañas (chestnuts) are roasted in the village plaza – over a fire or large pan. The castañas are usually served hot, sometimes in paper cones, and peeled by hand. Watch out for burnt fingers! And worms.
The castañada events during Halloween 2026 in Granada are generally accompanied by communal anís drinking. Anís is a potent, aniseed-flavoured Spanish spirit sold in sweet and dry varieties. It goes down ever so easily, and can be lethal when consumed in volume. Spain’s regulations distinguish the different types. The reporter recalls a horrendous incident when she over-indulged in the village plaza, offended a local official, and then lost her keys! Curb your enthusiasm.
Throughout the region, the castañada custom can vary from families “roasting their own” on 31 October to grand municipal events, with slightly flexible dates, and sometimes complete with TV reporters from Canal Sur. The Junta de Andalucía’s account of All Saints’ traditions in Salar describes families preparing castañas and other dishes such as gachas, for a shared evening meal – before visiting the cemetery the following day.
Gachas, picatostes and pastries
Popular in Andalucia, gachas dulces is a sweet, thick pudding made with flour, milk or water, olive oil, sugar and aniseed, and sometimes flavoured with lemon peel and cinnamon. Some people add a splash of anís (of course they do!) and recipes vary between families and villages.
A notable feature of gachas is the topping of picatostes. These are cubes or slices of bread, fried until golden and added with a dusting of cinnamon. They give a crunchy element to the soft mixture. Gachas can be eaten warm, at room temperature, or cold, when the mixture sets more firmly. If you want to cook this dish, Sabor Granada publishes a traditional recipe using milk, flour, aniseed, lemon, cinnamon, olive oil, and fried bread.
Other sweets linked to the Halloween weekend include huesos de santo – marzipan pastries that may be filled with sweetened egg yolk – and buñuelos. The latter are small, fried pastries that can be filled with cream, or other sweet mixtures, served as they are. Or with chocolate!
Halloween 2026 in Granada: traditional celebrations
Órgiva: Halloween and the castañada, Saturday 31 October
Órgiva traditionally marks Halloween with a programme focused on the Plaza de las Culturas. It generally includes a children’s costume procession, a passage of terror, and the municipal castañada. The ayuntamiento’s official report of last year’s celebrations describes the theme, while the Fiestas announcement page is where this year’s programme will appear (we hope!). The timetable for Saturday 31 October 2026 has not been confirmed.
Lanjarón: Gran Castañada, Saturday 31 October
Lanjarón’s official 2026 Halloween programme lists the festivities taking in Plaza de la Constitución (the main plaza). Renowned local drumming group, Batuka Santuka, will lead a procession from the El Miramar hotel/roundabout at 20hrs, followed by the municipal castañas at 21hrs and gachas at 23hrs. The programme also includes sweets for the kids (or big kids!), a passage of terror, and music from La Jaula. Expect to see half the town dressed in spooky costumes. For background on this event, see our earlier report on the Alpujarra castañada.
Mecina Bombarón: Fiesta de la Castaña, 31 October–2 November
In the eastern Alpujarra, the village of Mecina Bombarón celebrates its Fiesta de la Castaña across three days. The programme includes music from Zirux DJ, costume competitions for children and adults, homemade buñuelos from the Asociación de Mujeres El Castañar, and a guided walk beside the acequias and centuries-old chestnut trees. There is also a verbena with Trío Caribe Show and seasonal food, including pumpkin stew. Free roasted chestnuts will be served on Sunday 1 November from 20:00. The organisers are the San Miguel festival committee, with the support of Alpujarra de la Sierra council.
Vélez de Benaudalla: Halloween, Friday 30 October
Vélez de Benaudalla celebrates Halloween on Friday 30 October, as listed in the council’s cultural agenda. The event appears on the official calendar, although a detailed programme is not provided.
Soportújar: Noche de Brujas
Soportújar’s witch-themed streets and sculptures are a family attraction throughout October, and the rest of the year. The spooky village’s Noche de Brujas is a separate celebration: around 8,000 people attended in November 2025, when the event was held a week after Halloween. This year’s Noche de Brujas is on Saturday 7 November. The published programme lists a craft and food market from 11:00, a witches’ procession at 18:00, a performance about witches and the Inquisition at 20:30, queimada at 21:00, a costume competition at 22:00, fireworks at 22:30 and live music from Voltaje at 23:00.
Saleres, Valle de Lecrín: patron saint traditions
Saleres, in El Valle, has traditional patron saint celebrations associated with the final Sunday of October. The council describes the procession, communal meal and afternoon verbena. The previously quoted dates of 30 October–1 November have not been confirmed in a current municipal programme, so the village should not be listed as a confirmed Halloween-weekend event.
Electronic music events in Granada
Raveart Retro Halloween: Sunday 1 November, Complejo Embrujo
For followers of the older rave and breakbeat scenes, Raveart Retro Halloween at Complejo Embrujo in Las Gabias is a highlight of the weekend. Taking place from 18hrs on Sunday 1 November until 7hrs on Monday 2, it has 52 artists across four arenas: Only Vinyl, Universal, Old School and Anniversary. The line-up is ideal for those into the 90s rave revival that is becoming increasingly popular.
The line-up features: Altern8, Baby D, 2 Bad Mice, Deekline, Krafty Kuts, Chris Carter and Slag Brothers. Over-18s only. Full programme and tickets.
Terror Bass: Saturday 31 October, Industrial Copera
Industrial Copera, in La Zubia, hosts the 14th edition of Terror Bass, billed as the final edition of the drum-and-bass Halloween event. Two rooms are planned, with doors opening at midnight and tickets advertised from €10. The line-up is still to be announced. Entry is restricted to over-18s and ID is required. Official event information.
Tiki Tiki Hot Halloween: Saturday 31 October, Sala El Tren
Sala El Tren lists Tiki Tiki Hot Halloween for Saturday 31 October. Consult the venue’s programme for more information about this reasonably priced DJ session.
DOMO Halloween: Saturday 31 October, Complejo Embrujo
DOMO runs from 21hrson Saturday 31 October to 07hrs on Sunday 1 November at Complejo Embrujo. Across three areas, the programme covers techno, hard techno, hardcore and breakbeat, with Rebekah, Mad Dog, Malke, Dannae and Freddy K amongst the artists. Over-18s only. Programme and tickets.
Sierra Bass Halloween: Thursday 29 October, Órgiva
Sierra Bass brings drum and bass, techno and breakbeat to The Chunk in Órgiva on Thursday 29 October, from 21:00 until 03:00 on Friday 30 October. See Sierra Bass on Instagram for information.
Away from the madding Halloween crowds
If you don’t want to mingle with the local ghouls, there are plenty of alternative activities for the Halloween weekend. On the Costa Tropical, Playa San Cristóbal in Almuñécar makes a good choice for a seafront walk and reasonably priced lunch.
In the eastern Alpujarra, the villages around Laroles and Picena offer a quiet day out, with mountain scenery, fresh air, and traditional bars. See our guide to the eastern Alpujarra and Puerto de la Ragua.
For a woodland walk, it’s hard to beat the recreation area of Puente Palo in the pine forests above Cáñar, which is surrounded by marked walking trails of various lengths and difficulties. You could equally choose the established trails above Capileira, on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. For a higher-altitude outing on the Granada side, trails involving the peaks, such as Veleta, are beautiful in autumn. The first flakes of snow are possible at this time of year, depending on the weather. Read our feature on Mulhacén and Veleta and the reporter’s feature on Sierra Nevada for more ideas.
Granada itself offers exhibitions, museums, and sight-seeing as an alternative to the weekend’s festivities. The Alhambra has exhibitions at the Palace of Charles V and the Taller de Cordelería, while the city’s Feria del Libro Antiguo y de Ocasión (book fair) runs into November. For a different day out, the Parque de las Ciencias has its museum, planetarium and BioDomo. Check individual venues for times and prices.
Our previous guide to experiences in La Alpujarra has more ideas for a day out.
