Jerez Harvest Festival 2026: Celebrating the World's Most Famous Sherry
Each year, as the summer heat begins to ease and the vineyards of the Jerez wine region turn to gold, one of Andalusia's oldest and most elegant celebrations begins: the Jerez Harvest Festival (Fiesta de la Vendimia). A celebration in tribute to the process that creates Spain's most universally recognised wine — Jerez sherry, which conquered the world centuries ago.
From Costa Ballena, Jerez is just 25 minutes by car. And in September, the climate is perfect for exploring the city and its vineyards.
Dates of the 2026 Jerez Harvest Festival
The 2026 Jerez Harvest Festival runs from 29 August to 13 September, with the main events concentrated in the first days of September. It is the oldest harvest festival in Spain, with more than 600 years of documented history.
The central events of the programme:
- Harvest Pregón: Official opening ceremony at Plaza de la Asunción
- Grape Treading (Pisado de la Uva): The most photogenic ceremony — women in traditional dress tread grapes in a press installed next to the Collegiate Church of San Salvador to obtain the first must of the season
- Offering to the Patron Saint: Procession of the Virgen de la Asunción with the first bunch of grapes from the harvest
- Crowning of the Harvest Queen: The central act of the festival, with the coronation of the queen and her court on a stage in front of the Collegiate Church
- Concerts and performances: Shows at the Plaza de la Asunción and the Alcázar throughout the festival period
- Vineyard and bodega visits with special tastings of the new vintage
The Context: Sherry Wine and the Marco de Jerez
Sherry wine is Spain's greatest ambassador to the world since the 16th century. It is produced within what is known as the Marco de Jerez — the denomination of origin that includes the municipalities of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
The harvest in the Marco takes place between late August and mid-September, when the Palomino Fino grape reaches its precise moment of ripeness. It is a short, intense process: the pickers work against the clock for weeks to gather all the fruit at its optimum point.
The Harvest Festival is therefore a celebration of the start of that process and an act of gratitude to the land and the people who work it.
The Grape Treading: the Most Anticipated Ceremony
The grape treading ceremony is the most iconic and photographed event of the entire Harvest Festival. It takes place in front of the Collegiate Church of San Salvador, in the heart of Jerez's historic old town.
Treading is an ancient technique: workers tread the grapes barefoot in the press wearing special wooden-nail boots (called "zapatas") that protect the feet and aid the pressing. The resulting must is poured out symbolically and offered to the patron saint.
It is a free spectacle, open to everyone and rich in symbolic meaning. If you can only attend one event, make it this one.
The Bodegas of Jerez: a Unique Opportunity
The Harvest Festival is the time of year when the Jerez bodegas open their doors with the greatest generosity. During the festival period, virtually all the major houses offer special guided tours with access to the halls where the freshly harvested grapes are being processed.
The largest and most famous — González Byass (Tío Pepe), Osborne, Lustau and Sandeman — have tour programmes with tastings included that must be booked in advance. It is a unique opportunity to see inside the great cathedrals of Jerez wine at their most active moment of the year.
Jerez in September: the Best Time to Visit
The Harvest Festival coincides with the best time of year to visit Jerez: the extreme summer heat has passed, the days are still very long and sunny, and the city is less crowded than during the major spring events. The vineyards surrounding the city are in full harvest mode, adding a completely unique dimension to the landscape of the Jerez countryside.
Beyond the Harvest Festival, September in Jerez also includes the Jerez Festival and other cultural events that make this one of the most active months of the year in the city.
Heading to Jerez in September from Costa Ballena? Our 100 m² terrace is the perfect place to unwind after a day among vineyards and bodegas.