Announcing the 1st Poster Competition for the 77th Edition of the Santo Tomas Azoka

The countdown has begun for one of the most anticipated dates of the year in Bizkaia. On December 21, Bilbao will once again dress up in festive attire to celebrate the Santo Tomas Fair (Santo Tomas Azoka). To warm up for this 77th edition, BBK is launching the call for entries for the 1st Santo Tomas Poster Design Contest—an initiative designed to promote local artistic creation and combine citizens’ talent with our most deeply rooted traditions.

For the first time, the official image that will illustrate and announce this emblematic gathering will come from an open competition addressed to professionals and amateurs of graphic design, illustration, and the plastic arts, of any legal age and nationality. If you are passionate about creativity and want your proposal to dress the streets of Bilbao on one of the most special days of the year, the submission period will open on October 1.

Tradition, Innovation, and Collective Spirit

The Santo Tomas Fair celebrates its 77th edition this year. One of our deepest hallmarks is unconditional support for the primary sector, with an uninterrupted history of collaboration in agricultural and livestock fairs dating back to 1977. Therefore, it is essential for us to continue generating gatherings like this one which, beyond the festive celebration, establish themselves as a space for dialogue, mutual recognition of local farmers (baserritarras), and the value of local produce.

With this new initiative, we seek to unite tradition and innovation, inviting the artistic community to interpret the soul of the festival—the work of the land, popular culture, music, gastronomy, and the festive gathering—from fresh, diverse, and contemporary perspectives. The evaluation of the works will promote diversity in the representation of gender, age, culture, or ability, avoiding stereotypes. Likewise, if Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are used, the author must declare it, with human intervention always taking precedence over AI-generated elements.

Requirements, Prize, and Contest Phases

• Prize: A single prize of 2,000 EUR is established for the winning proposal.

• Format: One entry per participant in vertical format (50 cm x 70 cm), using any technique, with a 5 cm high space reserved at the bottom for signatures.

• Mandatory poster text: “SANTO TOMAS 2026 – Abenduak 21 Diciembre”.

• Finalists Exhibition: A jury composed of 11 representatives from local entities and institutions will select 6 finalist posters, which will be exhibited at the Sala BBK from November 9 to November 13, 2026.

• Jury Decision: The jury will meet on November 4, and the final decision will be made public on November 17, 2026.

• Jury Members: Representatives from Bilbao City Council, the primary sector, Metro Bilbao, Sala BBK, BBK Klima, media outlets, the BBK Board of Trustees, Athletic Club, and Bilbao Basket.

How to Participate?

The online submission period will be open from October 1 until October 30, 2026, at 23:59 hours.

Interested participants must access www.santotomasbbk.eus, fill out the form, and submit their proposal identified by a title or slogan in capital letters in JPG format (max. 5 MB) and high-resolution PDF (300 dpi / CMYK) for its subsequent editable version.

With this first edition of the contest, BBK reaffirms its commitment to culture, local creation, and support for the traditions that unite us, working together to build a more sustainable, humane Bizkaia that is proud of its roots. To resolve any questions regarding the rules, participants can email azoka@bbk.eus.