The Semana Grande fireworks in Gijón are launched on the night of 14 August, at midnight, from the Santa Catalina headland: in 2024 and 2025 the Ayuntamiento announced them for 00:00. They are watched from San Lorenzo bay, and that night the whole beach promenade is closed to traffic from 22.30.
There is one night a year when the whole of Gijón looks at the same spot. It is the Noche de los Fuegos, the big event of the Semana Grande: a fireworks display launched from the Santa Catalina headland with San Lorenzo bay full of people. This is what is worth knowing to get there, and above all to get back, based on what Gijón City Council (Ayuntamiento) published for the 2026 edition, checked in October 2026.
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Which day and what time
The fireworks are always on the night of 14 August, whatever day of the week it falls on. The council's traffic and transport notices confirm it year after year: in 2022 it was a Sunday, in 2023 a Monday, in 2024 a Wednesday, in 2025 a Thursday and in 2026 a Friday. Wikipedia places them between 14 and 15 August and notes that they are also called the Fuegos de Begoña, because Begoña is Gijón's unofficial patron saint.
As for the time, the council programme for 2024 and for 2025 announced them "from the Cerro Santa Catalina at 00:00", that is, at midnight, as the 14th turns into the 15th. For next year, the exact time appears in the Semana Grande programme that the Ayuntamiento publishes on its website.
The Semana Grande around it
The fireworks do not come alone. In 2026 the Semana Grande ran from 7 to 15 August: it opened with the proclamation by journalist Antón Meana in the Plaza Mayor and filled every night with concerts in the Plaza Mayor and at Poniente. On the night of the 14th the music carried on after the fireworks: Grupo Assia played at Poniente at 23.00 and 00.30, and the Orquesta Dominó in plaza 3 de abril at 00.30.
The next day, the 15th, comes the Restallón, at 14.00, which the Policía Local included in the same traffic notice as the fireworks. The dance that brings people together on the Muro is covered in our guide to Gijón in a weekend.
Where to watch
The classic place is the bay itself. The Ayuntamiento titles the event "Gran noche de los fuegos artificiales. Paseo del Muro de San Lorenzo" and describes it like this: San Lorenzo bay draws tens of thousands of people. The Muro promenade and the sand look straight at the Santa Catalina headland, which is where they are launched from.
In 2026 there was an announced novelty: in August, Divertia, the council's festivities body, explained that it was studying bringing back launches from the sea, which had not been used since 1999. The idea was to fire from three synchronised points: the Santa Catalina headland, which would remain the centre of the show, and two new points at sea. The Ayuntamiento itself warned that the proposal was under study and depended on the necessary permits, so it is worth checking each year how the set-up ends up.
A simple sum based on the council's arrangements: the beach promenade closes to traffic at 22.30, an hour and a half before the fireworks, and with tens of thousands of people looking for a spot, anyone who wants to watch from the Muro would do well to arrive in good time.
Getting around that night: traffic
First things first: better not to go by car. For the 2026 edition, Gijón's Policía Local published these measures. From 00.00 on 13 August parking was banned in Campo Valdés, plaza del Arcipreste Ramón Piquero and avenida de La Salle. From 22.30 on the 14th, driving was banned along the whole San Lorenzo beach promenade, with all its accesses closed, and avenida de José García Bernardo could also be closed if safety required it, except for residents.
The police also warned that, for pedestrian safety, the closure might be brought forward, and that access to Cimavilla had to be via plaza del Marqués and calle Óscar Olavarría. The restrictions stayed in place until safety conditions allowed, and the express advice was to use public transport.
Getting back: the buses
EMTUSA, the municipal bus company, lays on extra services for that night. In 2026 it reinforced the main routes in the afternoon and route 30 (Humedal - Feria de Muestras), and from 21:00 it focused on bringing people in from the neighbourhoods. When the fireworks ended, special Búho (night bus) trips left from plaza del Humedal for the different neighbourhoods for as long as there was demand, and Búho 1, 2 and 3 ran every 30 minutes until 3:00 in the morning.
To give an idea of how many people move that night: according to the Ayuntamiento, on 14 August 2025 EMTUSA carried 90,000 people, the company's all-time record for a single day. If you are going back by bus, bear that in mind, and remember that plaza del Humedal is where the special Búho buses leave from.
Checked
Facts checked in October 2026 on the Gijón City Council website: Semana Grande 2026 programme, listings for the Gran noche de los fuegos artificiales in 2024 and 2025, Policía Local and EMTUSA traffic notices for the fireworks from 2022 to 2026, the Divertia news item on launches from the sea and the EMTUSA news item on the 2025 passenger record. The name Fuegos de Begoña, from Wikipedia (San Lorenzo beach).
Quick questions
What day are the Gijón fireworks?
On 14 August, whatever day of the week it falls on: in 2025 it was a Thursday and in 2026 a Friday. It is the big night of the Semana Grande, which in 2026 ran from 7 to 15 August.
How do I get home after the Gijón fireworks?
By bus. In 2026 EMTUSA ran special Búho trips from plaza del Humedal to the neighbourhoods, and Búho 1, 2 and 3 ran every 30 minutes until 3:00.
Can I drive to see the fireworks?
Better not. From 22.30 on the 14th the whole San Lorenzo beach promenade is closed to traffic, and from the 13th parking is banned in Campo Valdés, plaza del Arcipreste Ramón Piquero and avenida de La Salle.