The most important festival is undoubtedly the bull carnival, Carnaval del Toro, declared to be of tourist interest. For five days, from Friday to Tuesday, the bull takes centre stage in the festival. Bulls are run through the city’s streets, mock bullfights are held in which the young men, or mozos, test their own courage and the bull’s fighting spirit. The Sunday is set aside for the traditional bull-drive on horseback, when the animals are brought from the fields into the main square, where a completely makeshift bullring has been installed, using just planks and nails. This is the specific setting for the mock bullfights, as well as for other bull-based spectacles and real bullfights with young bulls. The festival also has room for fancy dress, floats and, of course, a great atmosphere...
 

January 20 th is the festival of  San Sebastian, the patron saint of Ciudad Rodrigo. On the eve, a huge bonfire is lit at the doors of the cathedral and people eat the typical chochos and drink the wine served by the stewards, or mayordomos. 
 
February 3 rd is the day that San Blas is honoured at the monastery of La Caridad, 5 km outside Ciudad Rodrigo.  The festivities are held in the surrounding countryside and people visit the monastery to buy the necklace, or gargantilla, blessed by the Saint, which according to tradition has to be worn around one’s neck until Ash Wednesday, when it has to be burnt, thereby protecting one’s throat throughout the year.
 
San Anton is another example of a local tradition that isdeeply-rooted
amongst livestock farmers. It is held on January 17 th in the parishes of San Andres and Santa Marina. A prize draw is held for the aguinaldo, which normally consists of the products of the matanza, the killing of the pig, and it is also a tradition on that day to buy the typical little bread rolls of San Anton.
           
Easter in Ciudad Rodrigo is one of the more impressive celebrations held anywhere in the province. The backcloth the city provides imbues the processions with an unrivalled beauty. The devotion and religious fervour displayed by the members, or cofrades, of the brotherhoods affect all those who gather along the streets or in the squares. The procession of the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) is held on the afternoon of Good Friday, when all the statutes are carried past the recumbent image of Christ, followed immediately by the image of Our Lady of the Sorrows.
 
The folklore of Salamanca, or Charro, has its grand outing on the Charrada, which is held on Easter Saturday. The festival attracts numerous local groups who present a whole range of performances and pay a heartfelt homage to all aspects of the province’s folklore.
 
The last week of June is the time for the pilgrimage, or Romería, to the top of the mountain, the Peña de Francia, which attracts hundred of riders on horseback, as well as carts and pilgrims on foot. Throughout the day, extremely colourful and ceremonious field masses are held all along the way.
 
The second Tuesday in August commemorates the Martes Mayor, a celebration that dates back to the time when the Catholic Monarchs granted a tax-free market, to be held on Tuesdays. On this day, the streets around the Plaza Mayor, and the main square itself, are transformed into a huge market. Shopkeepers set up their stalls in the street.

At the end of August, Ciudad Rodrigo stages the Showcase Theatre Fair of Castilla y León - Ciudad Rodrigo. Growing in significance each year, it is now one of the most important showcases for theatre at home and even abroad.