What to do over the May bank holiday in Asturias: festivals, visits and workshops

This long weekend, on Friday 1 May, the traditional Jira al Embalse de Trasona is held, a long-awaited event that brings together locals and visitors to enjoy music, gastronomy and a festive atmosphere in the privileged natural surroundings of the Trasona reservoir, in Corvera de Asturias. It has been declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in Asturias.

Asturian gastronomy also takes centre stage during these days with events that highlight local products.

From 30 April to 3 May, Castropol will host the We Are the Oyster Festival, a gastronomic and cultural event that highlights the value of the native oyster of the Eo estuary. It consists of oyster and shellfish tasting, oyster opener competitions, guided tours, bird watching, show cooking, live music and cultural activities to raise awareness of the seafaring tradition and the local product of this area.

The 8th edition of the Cider Festival takes place in Tapia from 30 April to 3 May, an event that brings together locals and visitors around the cider culture, turning the centre of the town into a meeting place where natural cider will be the protagonist along with a gastronomic offer based on traditional Asturian products. All this will be accompanied by a live music programme that will reinforce the festive atmosphere.

In Valdés, from 1 to 3 May, the III edition of Gastroluarca is a culinary proposal that combines tradition and innovation in one of the most picturesque enclaves of western Asturias. The Plaza Alfonso X el Sabio in Luarca/Ḷḷuarca will be transformed into a vibrant centre of culture and flavour with the arrival of this fair where the crafts and gastronomic richness of Valdés are the protagonists.

Culture is also the protagonist of leisure and unforgettable moments shared over this long weekend.

In the cultural sphere, L.E.V. Festival (Laboratorio de Electrónica Visual) of Gijón, celebrates its 20th edition from April 30 to May 3. Four days of programming in different spaces of the cultural complex Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura and the city of Gijón/Xixón, which will offer the public the most impressive artistic experiences in the field of electronic sound creation, audiovisual creation and contemporary digital art. With the participation of outstanding national and international creators, L.E.V. Festival is consolidated as one of the major references in the field of digital and electronic sound.

El pueblo casín de Pendones acoge el Madreñazu Fest, un evento que nace con el objetivo de reivindicar la cultura de la madreña, uno de los símbolos más representativos de la tradición asturiana.

Durante todo el fin de semana, el público podrá disfrutar de un espacio dedicado a artesanos madreñeros que trabajarán en directo, mostrando el proceso de fabricación de este calzado tradicional. Además, la programación incluye grafiti en vivo —con murales que ilustrarán este oficio—, exposiciones, recreaciones históricas y actividades para todos los públicos.

An excellent plan are the guided tours of the Archaeological Museum of Asturias, a cultural programme designed to bring the archaeological collection on display closer to the general public. The tours will cover some of the most important thematic areas or historical periods in the history of Asturias from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages.

It is located in a building of great symbolism in the history of the city of Oviedo/Uviéu, the old monastery of San Vicente, of which a 16th century Gothic-Renaissance cloister is preserved and included in the itinerary of the visit.

The visits are on the 2nd and 3rd of May.

Asturias' cultural venues, museums and facilities offer a wide and enjoyable range of activities for the most varied tastes.

Let there be light

1, 2 and 3 May 2026, at 12.30 p.m.

Visit-demonstration of marrow lamps for all ages

In addition to pigments of various colours, binders, containers... one of the essential elements for the Palaeolithic artist to paint in the depths of the caves was lighting. For this purpose, they made marrow lamps that provided a clean, warm light and whose shadows on the rocky walls could also be a great source of inspiration.

We will see the process of creating one of these lamps and put it to the test during the visit.

Key rings with amber

1, 2 and 3 May 2026, at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Children's workshop

Discover dinosaurs through this fun workshop in which you will create your own dinosaur keyring that will look like a real resin fossil.

Handmade Limousine

1st May at 17:00

Children's workshop

A gift made with love: children's workshop for Mother's Day! Mother's Day is approaching and we want to celebrate it with a creative activity in which we will make a handmade alms basket to give to mum or to that important female figure who accompanies us and takes care of us every day.

Creating with my hands and brushes

1st, 2nd and 3rd May at 12:00 noon.

Children's workshop

We will experiment with brushes, pigments and coloured stones to become prehistoric artists and discover how our ancestors painted caves such as Tito Bustillo.

Colours born from nature

1, 2 and 3 May at 16:00.

Family workshop

Imitating the colours of cave art, we will learn with the family to create our own pigments with natural ingredients, with which we will try to reproduce some of the best-known works of cave art. Get ready to get your hands dirty!

Prehistoric settlement in the Sella Valley: a journey through the researchers who contributed to its knowledge.

Temporary exhibition

Cinema

Screening of Tres adioses, Friday 1 May 2026, 7pm

Screening of I Believe You, Saturday, 2 May 2026, 7pm

Screening of The Chronology of Water, Sunday, 3 May 2026, 7pm

Exhibition On the threshold of oblivion. Documentary photographic project by Analía Pello

Photographic exhibition showing Asturian trades in danger of extinction. The project, developed by the artist Analía Pello, seeks to rescue and visually document traditional trades that are disappearing, promoting their cultural and heritage value.

Spring in Asturias is an invitation to enjoy varied and original outdoor activities, seasoned with unique landscapes, as well as unforgettable moments and sensations.

Apple Blossom Week, which is held in the Cider Shire from 1 to 3 May, is one of the most beautiful spectacles in the Asturian landscape. Spring arrives and with it comes the flowering of the apple trees or, as it is also known, the "Floriar del Pumar".

During these days you can stroll among apple trees, learn the secrets of the "escanciado", or enjoy an astronomy session in preparation for the solar eclipse that will surprise us in summer in these cider lands. You'll also have time to have your photo taken among the flowers and find out more about Asturian cider culture, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity site. As a complement, you will be able to taste the delicious cider gastronomy offered by our dozens of hotels and, if you wish, rest in one of the fantastic accommodations in the Cider Shire.

Discover Besullo is a unique experience to connect with the rural environment. We invite you to discover Besullo in a unique way with our guided tours. We will take you to explore its most charming, significant and emblematic corners, sharing stories and curiosities that will make your experience unforgettable.

It will take place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of May.

Aller, Mirador del Eclipse Solar is an educational activity carried out in this Asturian council, where one of the best viewpoints of the Asturian sky is located, the Coto Bello viewpoint, situated at an altitude of almost 1,200 metres. A real natural balcony with a 360-degree panoramic view and an exquisite quality of sky to enjoy the astronomical events that take place throughout the year.

There, on Friday 1st May, a solar observation workshop will be held, the idea of which is to prepare for the next solar eclipse with the utmost safety, rigour and knowledge.

Astronomieres is a scientific dissemination event to enjoy and learn with different activities including, this year, a simulation of the solar eclipse of 12 August on the Picu Polio, located in the Sierra de Carraspientes, in Mieres, a simple route that rises to 1,050 metres above sea level and offers beautiful views. This peak will be the official viewing point for this astronomical phenomenon, which has not been seen in Asturias in these conditions for more than 120 years.

On 2 May there will be a simulated eclipse on the solar twin, on Polio Peak, as well as a guided observation of the night sky. On 3 May there will be a rocket building and launching workshop at the Mieres fairgrounds.

The traditional fairs complete the offer for this long weekend, with the Tineo Trade Fair as one of the most outstanding events. The Santa Teresa Exhibition Centre, with its 14,900 m² of exhibition space, hosts an event that stands out for its festive atmosphere, with more than 170 participating companies, large leisure areas, children's activities and a gastronomic corner, among many other attractions, consolidating itself as a commercial and tourist reference of the first order in western Asturias.

Asturias is an ideal destination for the long weekend in May, with a varied and enjoyable agenda that invites you to discover the cultural, gastronomic and natural wealth of the region. These are just some of the outstanding events, but you can find many more proposals in the full agenda. Choose your plan and let yourself be surprised this May bank holiday in Asturias!