Festival Internacional de Santander

Founded in 1952 as an outgrowth of the summer courses at the Menéndez Pelayo International University, the Festival Internacional de Santander is one of Spain's oldest and most prestigious classical music events. Held mainly in August, it brings major orchestras, conductors and soloists together with established and emerging Spanish artists across symphonic, opera, chamber music and dance programming. Its main venue is the Palacio de Festivales, though performances also spread across dozens of churches, cloisters and parks in Cantabria, notably through the Marcos Históricos strand linking music with heritage sites.