The one day you can eat talo beside the Bilbao river among farmers’ stalls is also the one day that week the Guggenheim is shut. In 2026 the Santo Tomás fair falls on Monday 21 December, so a trip built around both needs a night on Sunday, not a day trip on Monday.
What is the Santo Tomás fair in Bilbao? Santo Tomás is a one-day farmers’ fair held every 21 December in El Arenal and Plaza Nueva, in Bilbao’s Old Town. Entry is free. You go for talo with chorizo, txakoli or cider, cheese, honey, farm animals and Basque music, and in 2026 it falls on a Monday.
It marks the start of Christmas in the Basque Country, though nothing about it resembles a German-style market.
What the fair is, in one minute
Think of a country market moved into a city centre for a day. Tenant farmers once came down to Bilbao on this date to pay their rent and brought produce along, and the food and farm animals are what is left of that custom.
Is it worth building a trip around? If you like food markets and do not mind standing up to eat in a crowd, yes. If you want twinkling lights, gift stalls and mulled wine, no: for that look at the walking route through Bilbao’s Christmas lights, which runs for weeks and suits an evening instead, or the Bilbao Christmas markets. By midday both El Arenal and Plaza Nueva fill up, so anyone who dislikes crowds should go first thing and save a museum for afterwards.
What to order at the fair, and in what order
Start with talo with chorizo (chistorra or cheese are the usual swaps) and a glass of txakoli or cider. That is the whole ritual, and it doubles as lunch. Stalls set their own prices, so check before ordering for a group. Then move on to cheese or rosquillas, a ring-shaped sweet, before you shop.
What talo, txakoli and txosna mean
Five words will make the signs readable, and you can practise more with the guide to Basque words on signs in Bilbao.
- Talo: flatbread of corn flour and water, cooked to order.
- Txakoli: a Basque white wine. There are three separate denominations under that name, so read the back label if you buy a bottle.
- Txosna: the temporary bar stall where drinks are served.
- Baserritarra: the farmer who runs a baserri, a Basque farmstead. These are the people selling to you.
- Bertsolari: a singer who improvises verses on the spot, usually in Basque, so the wit is lost without the language but the performance is not.
How to get to El Arenal and Plaza Nueva
Skip the car, and do not plan on the tram stopping at the door. On fair day in 2025 trams did not run between Atxuri and Pío Baroja from 9:00 to about 23:15, which takes out Ribera, Arriaga and Abando. They ran in two pieces instead, Bolueta to Atxuri and Pío Baroja to La Casilla, every 12 to 15 minutes, while Euskotren added trains on the E1, E3, E4 and metro L3. Use the metro.
| Stop | Network | Nearest fair site | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casco Viejo | Metro L1, L2, L3 | Plaza Nueva | 151 m |
| Casco Viejo | Metro L1, L2, L3 | El Arenal | 203 m |
| La Concordia | Renfe C-4, R3, R4 | El Arenal | 318 m |
| Pío Baroja | Tram T1, end of its section in 2025 | El Arenal | 371 m |
A one-zone metro ride costs €2.00 on a single ticket. If you will use transit more than a couple of times, the Barik card costs €3 and brings that ride down to €1.02. The two fair sites are about 300 m apart, around four minutes’ walk on a clear path.
The stalls run all day, and exact 2026 times come out in the organisers’ notice around mid-December, so check it before booking a Monday-morning train out. Sunset is about 17:40: come early to shop, and stay on if you like, because the party moves into the Old Town bars after dark and runs late.
What if it rains?
The whole fair is outdoors, with no covered section to retreat to. Bring a waterproof jacket rather than an umbrella, because umbrellas do not work between tightly packed stalls. Carry both cash and a card, since each stall handles payment its own way.
Your dry escape is the Euskal Museoa, the Basque Museum, less than 200 m from Plaza Nueva. It opens from 10:00 to 19:00 on Mondays, with a general ticket at €10. Most of the rest of a Monday is thin: the Guggenheim and Itsasmuseum both close (the Itsasmuseum otherwise runs 11:00 to 19:00), and La Ribera market has no fish on Mondays.
If you are in San Sebastián instead
You need not travel for it. San Sebastián holds its own Santo Tomás on 21 December and Arrasate/Mondragón on the 22nd, so anyone staying on the coast can stay put. Azpeitia, Lekeitio, Errenteria, Irun, Hondarribia and Usurbil also mark the date. Choose Bilbao if you want to pair the fair with its museums on the days either side.
Frequently asked questions about the Santo Tomás fair
When is the Santo Tomás fair in Bilbao?
Every 21 December, whichever day that falls on. In 2026 it is a Monday. Stalls fill El Arenal and Plaza Nueva in the Old Town.
Do you need a ticket for the Santo Tomás fair?
No. It is a street fair with no gate. You pay each stall for what you eat, drink or buy, so ask the price there.
What is talo?
A flatbread made from corn flour and water, cooked to order and usually wrapped around chorizo. It is the dish of the day, normally with txakoli or cider.
Is the Guggenheim open on 21 December 2026?
No. It closes on Mondays, and its only open Mondays that month are 7 and 28 December. It opens from 10:00 to 19:00 on Sunday 20 and Tuesday 22.
Is Santo Tomás only in Bilbao?
No. San Sebastián also holds it on 21 December, Arrasate/Mondragón on 22 December, and towns including Azpeitia, Lekeitio and Irun have their own celebrations.
Can I take the tram to the Santo Tomás fair?
Not through the fair area. In 2025 trams skipped the stretch between Atxuri and Pío Baroja from 9:00 to about 23:15, so Casco Viejo metro is the stop to use. The 2026 notice usually comes out a few days before.