45 Best Christmas Wishes for Grandpas in Australia (2026) These Christmas wishes for grandpa are written for Australian families celebrating a sizzling summer Christmas — backyard barbecues, pavlova on the table, cricket on the telly, and Grandpa in the best seat in the house. Whether your grandfather is flipping snags on the barbie, telling the same beloved stories, or joining the celebrations by phone from far away, he deserves words as warm as the December sun. Every one of the 45 wishes below is original and made for Aussie grandpas — the fishing-trip legends, the shed tinkerers, the backyard-cricket umpires, and the quiet heroes who hold the family together. Pick the one that sounds like your grandpa, copy it into a card, or text it on Christmas morning. From heartfelt messages that might bring a tear to his eye to funny lines that will earn his famous laugh, this list covers every kind of grandfather. Because in Australia, Christmas is not about snow — it is about family gathe...
15 Best Things to Do at Christmas in Bilbao (2026)
Christmas in Bilbao is a celebration with a Basque soul. While much of Spain counts down to the Three Kings, Bilbao builds its season around the Olentzero, a soot-faced coalman from Basque folklore who carries gifts down from the mountains, and the raucous Feria de Santo Tomás that fills the riverside with farm food and txakoli wine. Add sparkling lights strung along the Ría, craft markets tucked into the Casco Viejo, and pintxos bars humming on every corner, and you have one of the most distinctive holiday destinations in Spain.
What sets Bilbao apart is how deeply the season is rooted in Basque identity. Locals greet each other with Gabon Zoriontsuak, which means Merry Christmas in Basque, or the shorter Zorionak as the weeks fly by. Mari Domingi, the kind grandmother figure of Basque tradition, joins Olentzero in the Old Town processions. Even the food is local: grilled talo corn cakes stuffed with chorizo, glasses of lightly sparkling txakoli, and rich Basque farm cheese.
This guide rounds up the 15 best things to do at Christmas in Bilbao in 2026, grouped into five experiences: living traditions, Christmas markets, holiday lights, winter icons, and festive day trips. Whether you have a long weekend or a full holiday week, you will find a mix of free local traditions and landmark visits that show off the city at its warmest.
One practical note before you plan: Bilbao’s Christmas markets typically run from early December through early January, but exact 2026 opening dates for individual markets and fairs are provisional until the city publishes them. Check bilbaoturismo.net for the official 2026 schedule before you book.
Last updated: October 8, 2026
Jump to:
- 1. Soak Up Bilbao’s Christmas Traditions
- 2. Browse Bilbao’s Christmas Markets
- 3. Follow the Christmas Lights
- 4. Enjoy Bilbao’s Winter Icons
- 5. Take Festive Day Trips
- Plan Your Visit by Travel Style
- Christmas in Bilbao: FAQs
- More Christmas Inspiration
1. Soak Up Bilbao’s Christmas Traditions
No city in Spain does pre-Christmas quite like Bilbao. These are the traditions locals genuinely live for, and they make the season here feel nothing like anywhere else.
1. Join the Feria de Santo Tomás on December 21. This is Bilbao’s biggest pre-Christmas tradition, when the El Arenal esplanade fills with hundreds of baserritarras, Basque farmers, selling farm cheese, honey, cider, and vegetables. Arrive hungry and thirsty: the ritual is a glass of txakoli with a talo, the traditional corn flatbread griddled and folded around chorizo. Live folk music, livestock displays, and a raucous local crowd make this the single most Bilbaíno day of the year. Mark it provisional until the 2026 program is confirmed on bilbaoturismo.net, then plan your trip around it if you can.
2. Greet Olentzero and Mari Domingi in the Casco Viejo. On the afternoon of December 23, the Olentzero, the jolly Basque coalman who brings presents to children, descends into the city from his farmhouse, accompanied by Mari Domingi and a parade of figures from Basque mythology. The procession winds through the Old Town as kids line up to whisper their gift wishes to him. It is louder, earthier, and more magical than a standard Santa parade, and it is the heart of Basque Christmas for families.
3. Admire the belenes and hear Basque choirs. Bilbao has a serious nativity-scene tradition: the Nativity Scene Association of Biscay, founded in 1958, displays its collection of hundreds of handcrafted figures across churches and public spaces each December. Pair a belén visit with a performance by one of the city’s coros, Basque choirs whose harmonies in churches and squares turn a cold evening into something unforgettable.
2. Browse Bilbao’s Christmas Markets
From riverside chalets to craft fairs in the Old Town, Bilbao’s markets lean into Basque craftsmanship and serious food shopping rather than mass-produced souvenirs.
4. Stroll the market chalets along the Ría. Around 40 wooden chalets line the riverside walkways near El Arenal and the Casco Viejo through December, selling Basque crafts, Christmas decorations, and roasted chestnuts. Go at dusk when the Ría reflects the lights, and warm up with hot chocolate or a small glass of something festive. The main city Christmas market typically runs from early December to early January; check bilbaoturismo.net for the official 2026 dates.
5. Shop Gabonart at Plaza Nueva. The Gabonart arts and crafts fair takes over Plaza Nueva with stalls of ceramics, jewellery, leather goods, carved wood, textiles, and toys, all made by local artisans. It is the best place in the city for genuinely Basque Christmas gifts, and the arcaded square itself, strung with lights, is one of Bilbao’s prettiest winter backdrops.
6. Build a Christmas hamper at Mercado de la Ribera. Europe’s largest covered market by the river becomes a holiday larder in December. Stock up on Idiazabal cheese, txakoli, Basque cider, turrón, and fresh seafood for your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts. Even if you are not cooking, the market’s decorated stalls and tasting counters make it a destination in itself.
3. Follow the Christmas Lights
Bilbao does not go as over-the-top as some southern cities with its illuminations, which makes its light trail feel elegant and very walkable.
7. Walk the Gran Vía under the Christmas lights. The city’s grand shopping boulevard glows from the first week of December, with department stores and boutiques dressing their windows for the season. Combine an evening stroll with late Christmas shopping, then duck into a café for hot chocolate when the Atlantic chill sets in.
8. Linger in Plaza Nueva and Jardines de Albia. The arcaded Plaza Nueva, already one of Bilbao’s most atmospheric squares, gets a full festive treatment, while nearby Jardines de Albia, one of the city’s oldest parks, sparkles with illuminated trees. Roast chestnut stands usually appear along the route, so follow the smell.
9. Ride the Artxanda funicular after dark. For the best free Christmas view in the city, take the century-old funicular up Mount Artxanda at night. From the summit, Bilbao’s holiday lights spread out along the Ría below you, with the Guggenheim’s titanium curves catching the glow. It is a five-minute ride and one of the most romantic things you can do here in December.
4. Enjoy Bilbao’s Winter Icons
Bilbao’s year-round landmarks take on a different character in December, with smaller crowds and a festive buzz that makes the icons feel fresh.
10. Visit the Guggenheim and Puppy in winter. Frank Gehry’s titanium museum is quieter in December, which means shorter waits and more breathing room in the galleries. Outside, Jeff Koons’ Puppy, the giant flower-covered West Highland terrier, wears its winter coat of blooms against the grey river sky, and the riverside terrace is perfect for moody winter photographs. Stop in the museum café for pintxos between exhibitions.
11. Do a Casco Viejo pintxos Christmas crawl. The Seven Streets of the Old Town are at their coziest in December, and a self-guided pintxos crawl is the definitive Bilbao evening. Start around Plaza Nueva, work through Calle Ledesma and the surrounding lanes, and pair each bar’s signature pintxo with vermouth, Rioja, or txakoli. Many bars add seasonal specials, think mushroom and foie gras croquettes, in the run-up to Christmas.
12. Skate at the riverside ice rink. Each December an open-air ice rink appears near the river by the Old Town, and it draws families and groups of friends well into the evening. It is inexpensive, cheerful, and a lovely way to earn your next round of pintxos. Skate hire is available on site, so no planning is needed.
5. Take Festive Day Trips
Bilbao sits in the middle of the Basque Country, so some of the region’s best December experiences are a short train or bus ride away.
13. Browse Durangoko Azoka in Durango. Every early December, the nearby town of Durango hosts the Durangoko Azoka, the great Basque book and music fair, where publishers and musicians showcase the year’s Basque-language culture. It is about 30 minutes from Bilbao by train or bus and makes a superb half-day trip for anyone curious about Basque identity. Dates are set in early December each year; confirm the 2026 edition on the fair’s official site.
14. Cross the Bizkaia Bridge at Portugalete. The UNESCO-listed transporter bridge between Portugalete and Getxo runs its famous hanging gondola year-round, and the estuary towns dress up for Christmas too. Ride the gondola across, walk the riverside in Getxo, and reward yourself with seafood and txakoli in the old port of Algorta.
15. Sip winter wines in Rioja Alavesa. Just over an hour south, the Rioja Alavesa wine country runs cozy winter tastings in atmospheric old bodegas and avant-garde winery architecture. December is the quiet season, so you will often get a personal tour, and a fireside tasting of aged Rioja is a fine antidote to a rainy Basque afternoon.
Plan Your Visit by Travel Style
For Families
Base your trip around December 21 to 24: the Santo Tomás fair, the market chalets, the ice rink, and the Olentzero parade on the 23rd give kids a full festive arc. The Guggenheim runs family workshops in holiday weeks, and the funicular ride up Artxanda is a hit with all ages.
For Couples
Book a riverside hotel and do the Gran Vía lights walk at dusk, dinner in the Casco Viejo, and the Artxanda funicular after dark. A day trip to Rioja Alavesa for a fireside tasting adds a slow, romantic counterpoint to the city buzz.
For Budget Travelers
The best of Bilbao’s Christmas is free: the Santo Tomás fair, the Olentzero parade, the belenes, the light trail, and the riverside markets cost nothing to enjoy. Eat where locals eat on Calle Ledesma, where pintxos remain excellent value, and ride the funicular for the city’s cheapest panoramic view.
Christmas in Bilbao: FAQs
What are the Bilbao Christmas market dates for 2026?
The main city Christmas market typically runs from early December to early January, with the Santo Tomás fair fixed on December 21 and the Olentzero parade on December 23. Exact 2026 opening dates are provisional until published, so check bilbaoturismo.net for the official 2026 schedule.
What is the Feria de Santo Tomás?
It is Bilbao’s beloved December 21 fair, when Basque farmers take over the El Arenal esplanade to sell farm products, and the whole city eats talo with chorizo and drinks txakoli. It is the biggest pre-Christmas tradition in the city and very much a locals’ celebration that visitors are welcome to join.
Who is Olentzero?
Olentzero is the Basque coalman of folklore who comes down from the mountains to bring gifts to children. In Bilbao he parades through the Casco Viejo on December 23 with Mari Domingi, his companion, and characters from Basque mythology. Children tell him their wishes in person.
How do you say Merry Christmas in Basque?
Say Gabon Zoriontsuak for Merry Christmas in Basque, or use the shorter Zorionak, which works as a general congratulations greeting through the season. You will hear both everywhere in Bilbao in December.
What is the weather like in Bilbao at Christmas?
Expect cool, changeable Atlantic weather: daytime highs around 12 to 14°C, chilly evenings, and a good chance of rain. Pack a warm waterproof jacket and an umbrella, and plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities so a rainy day still feels festive.
Is Bilbao good for Christmas with kids?
Yes. The ice rink, the market chalets, the Olentzero parade, and the Guggenheim’s family activities make December genuinely fun for children. The city is compact and walkable, and the Basque gift-bringers give kids here two celebrations: Olentzero on December 24 and the Three Kings on January 6.
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