Music is key to the celebrations and there are free live performances on stages in squares and churches throughout the city. Two are particularly worth a visit; the stage in the Plaza Nueva (where you can also eat some fantastic tapas at the Café Bar Bilbao) and the quarry amphitheatre behind the town hall. Every night in these locations a major concert kicks off at midnight and continues well into the small hours.

Shoppers be warned, most city stores close down for the fiesta. The festival runs right through the night for nine days and come the weekend it is not unusual to still see people weaving through the throng as the sun rises. The streets are lined with marquees from various bars and societies, many accompanied by booming sound systems.

The best places to view the firework displays are the city's bridges, from where you'll see rockets soar over the top of buildings, lighting up the night sky.