Fuengirola is warming up the fairground for the return of its biggest and most loved party in the town this spring. Crowds from every part of the Costa del Sol and even Malaga city will be packing out the trains and buses to discover cultures from 33 nations in one location. Entry is, as always, completely free, and the programme suits all age groups.

Fuengirola international fair 2026 dates and timetable

The schedule of the fair is from Wednesday 29 April to Sunday 3 May with continuous opening from 12 noon to 2am every day. Music in the casetas stops by 1.30am each night to allow residents rest. Children will enjoy half-price attractions on the opening day of 29 April. A parade starts from the town hall square at 11am on Friday, May 1, and follows a route through Plaza de España, Avenida Condes de San Isidro, Avenida Matías Sáenz de Tejada, Calle Alfonso XII, and Paseo Jesús Santos Rein to the fairground. One quiet hour takes place daily between 5pm and 6pm each day to support people with autism spectrum conditions.

Participating countries at Fuengirola international fair 2026

Iceland joins for the first time this edition. Sweden and Thailand return among the 33 participants. Established participants include Germany, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. Live performances feature artists such as Laura Elen and Skafeinados in the caseta Australia and Brit Pop Authority and Crush Band in the caseta Great Britain, plus Monkey Tennis and The Killer Rockets return to the caseta Ireland.

Experiences at Fuengirola fair casetas

Every caseta functions as a mini cultural embassy. Feria-goers can pop in and taste typical foods from Argentinian steaks to Asian dishes and European desserts. Folk music and traditional shows provide live entertainment throughout the five days.

Transport and parking for Fuengirola international fair 2026

RENFE will be operating special late services from Los Boliches station at 2.30am, 3am and 4.40am. But, be prepared for packed carriages as happens every year. Bus line 1 runs extended hours until 2.30am between Miramar and Carvajal. Extra parking areas open at La Loma in Avenida de Andalucía and appear on Google Maps as “Aparcamiento Feria de Los Países”. A coordination centre operates from the Palacio de la Paz. Local artist D. Darko designed this year’s poster, incorporating flags from all nations to represent diversity and unity.

During the last few years motorhomes and camper vans have been accumulating and occupying spaces for cars visiting loved ones in the Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella. And now, the situation is rising to fever pitch with foreseeable problems this coming summer.

They are inhabited by healthcare workers who have been suffering all this time living in vehicles parked at the hospital because rents in Marbella have soared beyond reach.

Nurses, doctors and support staff from the public Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella regularly spend nights inside cars and camper vans parked in the facility’s own car park. Skyrocketing housing prices in Marbella have forced many essential personnel into these makeshift living arrangements simply to keep their jobs.

Alicia Ordóñez from the CSIF union explained that professionals accept temporary contracts to accumulate points on the regional job register in the hope of a permanent position elsewhere, yet face impossible choices. Without affordable accommodation nearby, they sleep in vehicles for weeks or even years while separated from families and normal home life. Others drive hundreds of kilometres daily from other parts of Andalucia to avoid giving up their positions.

Daily reality involves undignified conditions for hospital employees

One ex-employee was recently interviewed by Antena Tres News, saying after 5 years in the job, she felt obliged to quit after years of living in a camper van without a bathroom or a kitchen. She had sold her car, which she previously used to commute from Granada Province in, to be able to buy the camper van. The cost of petrol she had been spending on the commute was more or less what she was earning each day. After 5 years of not receiving what she had been hoping for, another posting in a reasonably priced town, she abandoned her career.

Workers who do take up roles often have to put up with exhausting routines. Some park camper vans, motorhomes, or cars overnight in the hospital grounds after failing to find any reasonable rental in Marbella or neighbouring areas. This hardship has become routine rather than exceptional, turning what should be stable employment after years of study into a daily struggle for dignity.

Union representatives warn that such circumstances damage staff wellbeing and create growing gaps in hospital rosters. Summer months will bring extra patient pressure from tourism, yet attracting replacement personnel for holidays is already proving extremely difficult when basic housing remains out of reach.

Transport cuts compound the housing difficulties

Cancellation of the regular bus service from Malaga and other coastal points since February has left many employees without reliable commuting options. Health professionals now face total isolation in their attempts to reach the workplace each day.

The CSIF union has formally asked hospital management to introduce immediate remedies before services collapse under the strain. One practical suggestion involves opening the nearby Marbella Public Holiday Residence, only three kilometres away and publicly owned, as temporary accommodation for medical staff. Authorities recently granted operation of this residence to a hotel operator.

Big positive change is coming for Mijas, as the Town Hall approved a package of investments totalling more than 33 million euros at its April plenary session on Friday, April 24, with votes in favour from the governing team.

The funds, activated through a budget amendment, will be directed towards road infrastructure, sports facilities, public equipment, cleaning services, and water supply works. The package also includes the drafting of projects for street remodelling and pedestrianisation across the municipality.

A large portion of the investment is set aside for parking improvement

A significant portion of the investment is dedicated to Mijas’ municipal parking plan. The new car park in Mijas Pueblo will move forward with a budget of 6.5 million euros, covering both the project design and the tendering of construction works. The Los Santos car park, already under development, is set to open in the near future. Additional parking projects earmarked for project design and works tendering include Parque Andalucia, with a budget of 250,000 euros, and sites at Las Cañadas, La Candelaria, and El Juncal.

Other projects included in the amendment are the installation of new underground waste containers across the municipality, the renovation of the popular La Butibamba park, and the completion of the remaining sections of the Senda Litoral coastal path connecting to Fuengirola.

Roads and sports facilities are among the improvements included

Road improvements form another key part of the package. The council has allocated funding for the widening of the Camino de Coin between the Victims of Terrorism roundabout and the Camino de Campanales junction. The bridges providing access to the Gran Parque have received a budget of 800,000 euros. 2.5 million euros has been set aside for resurfacing the road network throughout Mijas. 

Great news for sports also with works at the Las Lagunas sports complex also included, with funding set aside for the design of a project covering the replacement of the grass pitch, as well as new storage and changing room facilities at the annexe football ground.