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The village of Teba in Malaga Province will celebrate Douglas’ Days from August 21-24. This festival pays tribute to Sir James Douglas, who played a pivotal role during the Battle of Teba 1330 against the Moors.
The event this year will include a historical twinning with Melrose, Scotland, where Douglas’ heart and remains are buried, as well as historical reenactments and traditional Celtic music.
Sir James Douglas, dubbed “Malaga’s ‘Braveheart'”, died fulfilling King Robert I of Scotland’s dying wish to carry his embalmed heart to the Holy Land. Douglas, en route, joined Alfonso XI in the fight to retake the Castle of the Star. Douglas and most of his knights were killed in the battle. Their remains were returned to Scotland.
The celebrations begin Thursday, August 21 at 8pm when Professor Fernando Toda Iglesia presents John Barbour’s The Bruce. Leslie Thompson’s Douglas’ March To Teba will be performed in Constitution Square on that evening.
The Calle San Francisco will host a medieval market on Friday August 22 at 7pm. There will be bagpipers performing, as well parades and street theatre. The official opening ceremony in Constitution Square will be followed by José Verdugo’s play Tears for Itaba. At midnight, Celtic folk band Stolen Notes will perform in La Plaza de España.
Saturday, August 23, will feature a reception, a parade and a screening by Kike Mesa of James Douglas, The Man with Two Hearts. Starting at 9.30pm, The Conquest of Teba’s Alquerías will guide visitors through streets themed as Arab, Jewish, and Christian quarters, complete with mediaeval markets. The evening ends with a Mardanis, Sephardic, and Eastern music concert.
The event concludes on Sunday, 24 August, with access to all the historical sites of Teba including the Municipal Historical Museum (Museo Histórico Municipal), the Castillo de la Estrella (Castle of the Estrella), the Holy Cross Church and the Hermitage.
Douglas’ Days has grown every year and the street party of 2025 will be bigger than ever. It will celebrate community, culture, history, and international ties, and will bring Teba to Melrose.
