The cachirulo still adorns necks, wrists and waists just hours before the end of a packed Pilar festivities. Despite the cold and rain that greeted the city, residents and visitors continued enjoying the festive atmosphere during the final events. With the final weekend figures still pending, the festivities had already recorded 2,498,550 attendances by Friday.
With just hours to go before the Pilar Festival ends with fireworks, this year's celebrations have become a massive event, setting record figures in Zaragoza. With the final day's figures yet to be fully confirmed, the festival has recorded 2,918,700 visits, already surpassing the total for 2025 by 63,424, despite one fewer day of programming and a final day marked by rain and falling temperatures.
Valdespartera’s fairgrounds, concerts and events across the city once again drew large crowds during the Pilar Festivities, but one venue clearly stood out. Plaza del Pilar saw the most activity of the 2026 celebrations, recording more than 2.6 million entries during the holiday period.
Jota, traditional costumes, flowers and the poster for the 2026 Fiestas del Pilar have once again taken center stage. Zaragoza honored the winners of the main competitions held during the festivities this Sunday at a ceremony presided over by Mayor Natalia Chueca. The awards recognized the winners of the official poster, jota competitions, Aragonese Costume Competition and Flowers, Flower Baskets and Floral Arrangements Competition. The ceremony also honored several people who have dedicated years to the city's festivities and to Zaragoza's Comparsa de Gigantes y Cabezudos.
Zaragoza’s 2026 Pilar Festival has come to a close with one of the most moving traditions in its program: the performance of José Antonio Labordeta’s “Somos.” The Ámbar stage at the Fuente de Goya, in Plaza del Pilar, hosted the closing concert this Sunday, October 18, featuring violinist Ara Malikian alongside Nacho del Río, Beatriz Bernad, the Ixena Choir and Iván “Melón” Lewis.
Fifteen years ago, Aragón Digital reported on the stories shaping current affairs in Aragon. On October 17, 2011, Uncastillo, in Zaragoza’s Cinco Villas region, uncovered the remains of a medieval synagogue from the second half of the 13th century, located in its former Jewish quarter and considered one of the best-preserved in Aragon.
Gallocanta Lagoon is already receiving the first cranes of the migration season. From October 24, free guided tours will offer views of one of Aragon's most impressive natural phenomena.
Sleep has not dampened Zaragoza residents’ appetite for celebration, as they made their way early in the morning to La Misericordia bullring to enjoy the Vaquillas before having a well-deserved breakfast. Making the most of the final weekend of the Pilar festivities has become the order of the day, with a lively atmosphere in the city center and hundreds of people wearing cachirulos before putting them away for another year.
Zaragoza enters the final stretch of the 2026 Fiestas del Pilar with a figure that sums up the atmosphere in the city these days: almost 2.5 million attendances. This past Friday, October 16, alone, the various festivities attracted 192,929 attendances, bringing the total to 2,498,550 with the final two days still ahead.
The labor dispute over cleaning services in Zaragoza has entered a new phase of tension after UGT called for the FCC Medio Ambiente agreement to be finalized, while the company defended its pay proposal in response to union mobilizations. With negotiations still deadlocked and the threat of new strikes in November, positions remain far apart between those seeking progress at the negotiating table and those maintaining pressure in the streets to secure better working conditions.
Negotiations on Zaragoza tram's III Collective Agreement remain deadlocked. A meeting held this Friday at the Aragonese Mediation and Arbitration Service (SAMA) again ended without an agreement after the company rejected the committee's proposal to postpone the start of the strike by two weeks. Partial work stoppages will therefore begin next Monday, October 19, once the Pilar Fiestas have ended.
At seven in the morning, as Plaza del Pilar begins preparing for one of the busiest days of the year, María Pilar is already at her post. Collecting the flowers used to create the Virgin’s mantle is one of the tasks that moves her most in her work as a volunteer, an appointment she never misses each October. Her story began with Zaragoza’s 2008 Expo and, almost two decades later, she remains involved in the life of the city. "It is my emotion and, truly, my joy," she says of an experience that has given her unforgettable memories.
The high-voltage pylons beside CEIP María Zambrano in Parque Venecia are to be removed. Zaragoza City Council has begun work to bury the power lines crossing Parque del Barranco de la Muerte, a project long requested by residents and the school community. The work will eliminate the overhead structures alongside the school and remove their visual impact from the green space.
Thousands of Zaragoza residents have passed through the doors of the University of Zaragoza’s Paraninfo to attend an exhibition, an academic event or simply admire one of the city’s most representative buildings. What many do not know is that this 19th-century building, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, is also home to a restaurant open to the public.
Some stores in Zaragoza have become symbols of the city. That is the case with Bellostas, a century-old business on Alfonso I Street. Every true Zaragozan has stopped in front of its window at some point to admire its shawls, jewelry or wide range of fans. Many tourists also go inside simply to browse or buy a souvenir to remember the city.
Detecting drivers who get behind the wheel after drinking requires instruments capable of providing reliable readings. To that end, Zaragoza City Council is preparing to purchase two new evidential breathalyzers for the Local Police. The devices will be used for alcohol tests during traffic checks and interventions related to road safety.
Fifteen years ago, Aragón Digital reported on the events shaping Aragon. On October 16, 2011, Zaragoza inaugurated a memorial dedicated to José Antonio Labordeta at the entrance to the Parque Grande that bears his name, in an emotional ceremony attended by relatives, friends and political representatives to pay tribute to the Aragonese writer, poet and singer-songwriter.
The well-known Ham! Fresh Burger restaurant, located in central Zaragoza, is seeking new owners. Founded in the Aragonese capital by two partners, it soon expanded across Spain, opening locations in Madrid and nearby towns such as Alcalá de Henares.
A post on X, a plea for help that began to spread and two dogs in need of a new family. Rasmia, Rolde and their owner, Pilar Palao, are at the heart of this happy-ending story. On October 10, Pilar, a woman from Zaragoza, turned to social media to find a home for her two dogs amid a difficult personal situation.
Zaragoza is "just another Spanish city." At least, that is what a European Commission post that has gone viral on social media appears to suggest. With a touch of irony, the post highlights some of the Aragonese capital’s major attractions. Published after Zaragoza was named European Green Capital 2028, the message pairs the phrase with images showing why the city has earned a place on Europe’s environmental stage.
