About the Basque Country

Though weeks of preparations precede the Tamborrada, the city of Donostia-San Sebastian goes over every last minute detail of the famous Drum Parade, a must on the Basque festive calendar.

The San Sebastian Day celebrations in the city of the same name last for 24 hours, from midnight on the 19th January until midnight on the 20th, when the city flag is hoisted and lowered respectively.

During this time, dozens of companies beating drums or barrels dressed in elegant uniforms dating from Napoleonic times or as chefs, march through even the smallest streets of Donostia-San Sebastian playing a number of tattoos specially composed for the occasion by Raimundo Sarriegui.

Festivities begin at 12 midnight on the 19th with the Raising of the Flag accompanied by the music of the Gaztelubide gastronomic society. Throughout the 24 hours of January 20, it is the streets of the city which serve as the stage for this popular tradition.

The most emotional part of the whole celebration starts at 12 midday with the delightful Children''s Drum Parade, when thousands of girls and boys dressed as military drummers fill the city-center as they march through the streets in perfect order.

Midnight on the 20th marks the end of the festivities when the flag is brought down in the Plaza de la Constitucion.

The fiesta has an increasing popularity and the growing number of participating adult tamborradas is testament to that fact: in 1967 there were 10 tamborradas, in 1992, 54 and in 2000, as many as 82 tamborradas. They march through all quarters of the town, and at anytime on that day a tamborrada can be heard beating its drums and barrels somewhere.

Years ago all tamborradas were formed by men but today, though according to the strict statutes of their societies many are still men-only, mixed and female tamborradas do exist.

The Golden Drums, Medals for Civic Merit and the prizes corresponding to the International Firework Contest (that took place during the "Semana Grande" of the previous year) are all given on this day.