Carnival in Málaga stretches over almost four weeks, but the part a visitor wants is the last eight days. That is when the singing contest leaves the theatre and the city takes to the street: a Sunday parade, the Battle of Flowers on Calle Larios, a free handout of fried anchovies and a mock funeral that ends with a giant fish burning on La Malagueta beach. In 2026 those fell between 8 and 15 February, and none of them cost anything.
Is Malaga Carnival worth planning a trip around? If you come for the final weekend, yes. In 2026 the Battle of Flowers was on Saturday 14 February at 20:00 on Calle Larios, and the Burial of the Anchovy on Sunday 15 February from 17:00, after free fried anchovies at noon in Plaza de la Constitución. All of it is free and outdoors.
Which weekend to come for
The carnival is built backwards from Lent: the closing Burial of the Anchovy is always on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Everything before that is mostly for locals, because it happens inside a theatre and in Spanish. The exact dates move with Easter, and the City of Malaga publishes the full programme each January.
The week before carries the opening parade, on the Sunday at 17:30 from the Paseo del Parque, and the closing weekend carries the rest. If you can only do two days, take the last Saturday and Sunday. Mid-February is also one of the quieter, cheaper months for hotels, which helps: see when Malaga is busiest.
What happens on the last weekend
Saturday night, Battle of Flowers. From 20:00 in Plaza de la Constitución and along Calle Larios, floats and groups throw paper confetti and flowers at the crowd, which pelts them back. More than 40,000 people turned up in 2025, and 1,850 kilos of confetti and 150 kilos of flowers were thrown between the battle and the parade. In 2026 a free concert followed at 22:00.
Sunday noon, the Boqueroná. At 12:00 in Plaza de la Constitución, paper cones of fried anchovies are handed out free while the carnival “gods” parade. It is the most local moment of the whole festival: the anchovy, boquerón, is the city’s nickname for its own people. For fried fish beyond the free cone, see where to eat fried fish in Malaga.
Sunday afternoon, the Burial. From 17:00, a cortege of mock widows and mourners walks a giant anchovy, made by the artist Fernando Wilson, to La Malagueta beach, where it is set alight. The beach is a ten-minute walk from Calle Larios.
When the weather cancels it
February in Malaga is mild, but it rains enough to wreck a street festival. In 2025 the Burial of the Anchovy did not take place because of the weather, and in 2026 the opening speech was moved a full week, from 7 to 14 February, because of the forecast. Book flexible: arrive on Friday, leave on Monday, and check the carnival foundation’s social media on the day.
The theatre contest, and whether a visitor should pay
The contest is what locals follow for weeks. In 2026, 49 groups entered, among them 21 murgas (comic groups) and 16 comparsas (more lyrical ones), singing satirical songs about the year’s news. Semi-finals ran from 1 to 4 February at Teatro Cervantes, and the final was on Friday 6 February at 20:00.
For most visitors it is not worth the ticket: the lyrics are fast, in Andalusian Spanish and packed with jokes about local politicians. If you are curious, every session is streamed free on YouTube: the Fundación del Carnaval publishes every session on its channel. If you do want the final, the Cervantes charges 39.00 to 63.00 euros for a single seat, but it sells out in the season-pass sale in mid-January, before single tickets open. The pass costs 67.00 euros in the gallery, 78.00 euros in the upper circles, 93.00 euros in the second-tier boxes and 116.00 euros in the stalls, with a limit of six per person. The theatre itself is covered in Malaga’s theatres.
Getting there and what might put you off
From the airport, the train or the express bus reach the centre: compare them in Malaga airport to the city centre.
All the street events are in the old town, so walk or take the bus once you are there: lines along the Alameda and Paseo del Parque stop within minutes of Plaza de la Constitución, and the routes are in the Malaga bus network, and tickets and passes in getting around Malaga. Streets close for around three hours for each big event. No booking is needed for anything in the street; arrive half an hour early for a spot, and keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket in the Battle of Flowers crowd. Here dinner starts late, around 21:00, so the Saturday battle fits before it.
It is not Cádiz or Tenerife: costumes are a minority, the scale is local and the Battle of Flowers is a standing, packed street. If that suits you, add a beach walk and a museum and it makes a good winter weekend; more ideas in Malaga in winter and free things to do in Malaga.
Malaga Carnival FAQ
When is Malaga Carnival?
Between late January and mid-February. It ends on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday with the Burial of the Anchovy; in 2026 that was 15 February. The official programme for each year is released in January.
Is Malaga Carnival free?
The street events are: the Sunday parade, the Battle of Flowers, the street stages on Calle Larios and Calle Granada, the noon handout of fried anchovies and the Burial of the Anchovy. Only the singing contest at Teatro Cervantes is ticketed, from 13 euros, and it is streamed free on YouTube.
What is the Burial of the Anchovy?
A mock funeral that closes the carnival. Mourners in black follow a giant anchovy figure to La Malagueta beach, where it is burned. In 2026 it set off at 17:00 on the last Sunday; in 2025 it was cancelled because of the weather.
Do I need to speak Spanish to enjoy Malaga Carnival?
For the contest, yes: the groups sing satirical lyrics full of local references. For the parade, the Battle of Flowers and the Burial, no: they are visual street events, and the free fried anchovies need no translation.