The Malaga fair commemorates the city's capture by the Catholic Monarchs in August 1487, and is celebrated with a range of activities such as competitions, performances and concerts, held in the fairground of El Real.

Other venues throughout the city host a variety of different events and functions as part of the festivities. For example, the official speech marking the opening of the festivities is pronounced on the beaches of La Malagueta; the port is the site of a fireworks display; and the park and the Plaza de la Marina square host various different kinds of concerts. The programme of bullfights for the fair features a novillada (bullfight with young bulls) with picadors and a mounted bullfight, as well as regular bullfights in the La Malagueta bullring.