Research Talk: The touristification of Spanish popular holidays under Franco: Spain, 1950s-1970s (in Spanish)

Speaker: Dr Claudio Hernández Burgos (Universidad de Granada)

Date and time: Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 4-5:30 PM. 

Location: Room 3.40, Michael Sadler building

This is a hybrid event, online and in-person.

Summary

The talk examines The talk examines the touristification of popular festivals during Francoist Spain’s period of “developmentalism,” taking Andalusia as its principal case study. Drawing on a range of different sources, it explores how the regime incorporated pilgrimages, fairs, and religious processions into its strategy of modernization and international promotion. It argues that, from the late 1950s onward, festivals ceased to be solely expressions of popular religiosity and local tradition and also became economic resources and tourist attractions. The talk shows the ways in which the Ministry of Information and Tourism promoted a standardized image of Spain, closely associated with Andalusia, through promotional campaigns and the creation of the Festivals of Tourist Interest designation. It also examines the tensions generated by this process among civil authorities, the ecclesiastical hierarchy, reform-minded clergy, and local communities. It concludes that touristification was not simply a process imposed by the state, but rather a contested development in which these celebrations retained their capacity to adapt and to foster a sense of community identity.

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