Zaragoza

Zaragoza residents take stock of the Pilar festivities: “This year was much better”

The cachirulo still adorns necks, wrists and waists just hours before the end of a packed Pilar festivities. Despite the cold and rain that greeted the city, residents and visitors continued enjoying the festive atmosphere during the final events. With the final weekend figures still pending, the festivities had already recorded 2,498,550 attendances by Friday.
Zaragoza residents take stock of the Pilar festivities: “This year was much better”

The sense that this year’s festivities have drawn particularly large crowds is shared by those who have taken to the streets in recent days. “This year has been very good, better than other years. You couldn’t get into Plaza del Pilar,” said one Zaragoza resident, who particularly remembers the crowds after the Pregón.

Visitors from Mallorca have also given the festivities a positive assessment. “The atmosphere is perfect,” said one of them, who was already in Zaragoza two years ago and rates this year’s festivities “a 7 or an 8.” Among his highlights were the concerts at Espacio Zity and the overall organization. And there is still one final event, said a Zaragoza resident eager to enjoy it: “Tonight I’m going to see the fireworks to bid farewell to these festivities as they deserve.”

BUSINESSES ALSO REPORT A POSITIVE BALANCE

The full streets have also been felt behind bars and counters. Bars, restaurants, food trucks and shops have experienced very busy days, especially over the weekend and in areas with the highest concentration of visitors.

“Much better—double or triple what we usually experience. We’re extremely happy,” staff at a bar in El Tubo explained. In terms of turnover, they estimate that the result was between 10% and 15% higher than last year.

“The balance for the Pilar festivities is always positive; if the Pilar festivities aren’t positive, then something is wrong,” said staff at La Fama churro shop. They also highlighted the significant presence of tourists from outside Aragon and Spain, including visitors from Central America, France and Italy.

FESTIVITIES WITH CROWDED STREETS

With figures for the final two days still pending, the total had already reached 2,498,550 attendances by Friday. The concerts at Espacio Zity, the Valdespartera Fairground and the major shows in Plaza del Pilar have been among the main crowd draws in recent days.

And there is still one final night to go. Before bidding farewell, Plaza del Pilar will host SOMOS, featuring Ara Malikian among its performers. Afterwards, at 10:30 p.m., the fireworks and the final firecracker display at Macanaz will bring the 2026 Pilar festivities to a close.

About this article: Originally published in Spanish by AragonDigital.es and—following a selection process by our journalists—made available to the international audience of AragonDaily.com. Both newspapers belong to companies within the ARAGON DIGITAL GROUP.