Held every July since 1977, the Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival is one of the most respected jazz events in Europe, drawing major international acts to the Mendizorroza sports pavilion and to free open-air stages in the Plaza de los Fueros and Plaza Nueva.
If you can plan a visit around late July, do — the city is at its best, the weather is reliable, and the bars run on full throttle. Tickets to the headliners sell out months in advance; the free programme is good enough on its own.