How to Celebrate Easter in Bilbao

Holy Week celebrations have taken place in Bilbao since 1554, when it is said that a splinter from Jesus’ cross arrived in the city and the Santa Cruz brotherhood was formed. Here’s are details of all the events that will be happening during Bilbao’s Holy Week in 2018, including everything you need to know about when and where the processions will be taking place.

The procession of Our Lady of Sorrows will take place at 8.30pm, starting from the Church of San Vicente de Abando on Plaza Done Bikendi. The procession will feature two main floats: Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Father Jesus of Sorrows.

On Passion Saturday, the Procession of Our Lady of Bitterness will begin at 7pm from the Colegio Jesuita Indautxu. This parade features many of the religious brotherhoods, and is characterised by the beating of drums through the streets, as well as floats.

On Palm Sunday, as well as the masses and palm fronds being carried through the streets, the Procession of the Little Donkey will take place at midday. It will leave from the Church of San Vicente de Abando and feature a number of floats, including Our Lady of the Palm. This one is a favourite with the local children.

In the evening, the Procession of Our Lady of Charity will be taking place at 6.30pm, starting from the Church of Santa Cruz. This is the only procession in the city where people will be carrying two floats on their shoulders, uphill towards the Begoña district.

The Procession of the Nazarene takes place on Holy Monday at 8.30pm, from the Church of San Francisco de Asís. It is one of the most popular processions during Holy Week because it is so colourful and displays the city’s multicultural side.

On Holy Tuesday, one of the highlights of the Bilbao Holy Week will take place with the Procession of Piety. Starting at 8.30pm from the Church of San Nicolás Bari, it features some of the most beautiful and artistic floats of the week.

Wednesday sees the Procession of Our Lady of Solitude setting off at 8.30pm from the Church of Santos Juanes. This is another of the most popular processions, featuring a number of stunning floats.

On Maundy Thursday, the Procession of the Holy Supper will be held at 7.15pm, also from the Church of Santos Juanes. This is one of the biggest processions of Bilbao’s Holy Week and features a great number of floats, including depicting the Last Supper itself.

One of the most interesting parades is the Procession of Silence, which happens on Good Friday from 5.30am in the morning, if you can get up early enough. It starts at the Church of San Nicolás Bari and takes place in complete silence, with many people meditating or praying as they go. Another procession starts at 7.30am from the Church of Santos Juanes, when the Brotherhood of Santa Vera Cruz will carry their holy treasure through the streets.

If you can’t get up for either of those two, there are two other processions taking place on Good Friday, including one at 12.30pm from the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar and one at 7.15pm from the Church of Santos Juanes. The latter is the oldest procession in the city, dating back to 1554, and is one of the most important.

On Holy Saturday, the Procession of Hope will parade through the centre of the city from the Church of San José.

The last procession to take place will be on Easter Sunday itself, with the Procession of Light and the Resurrection, which will depart at 1pm from the Santiago Cathedral.