The 'Bluescazorla' International Blues Festival is a commitment to a different kind of music, but one steeped in history; it was launched on 13 September 1994 with guest artists 'Caledonia Blues Band' and 'La Blues Band de Granada' in the Santo Cristo park. Thirty years on, four stages are dressed for the occasion, over three days, to host the very best of world blues.

BluesCazorla is a dynamic, mature festival with a loyal following, one that has skilfully blended legend and future, turning blues from a niche musical style into a mass phenomenon that year after year draws more than 20,000 spectators.

The festival's prestige is confirmed by its win of the 2014 International Festival Award, presented by the Blues Foundation's 35th Blues Music Awards in the category of best festival in the world, as well as several nominations at the 'Fest' awards.

Cazorla holds its main festivities on the days before and after 17 September. The fire that struck the Church of Santa María, from which the Cristo del Consuelo emerged unscathed, was the miracle that earned it the town's patronage. Today, the image, a 17th-century work by Mariano Madrazo believed to be a copy of Velázquez's Christ, is kept in the Baroque church of San Francisco. On the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (14 September), the people of Cazorla pay it a distinctive tribute known as “la entrada del trigo”, a parade of young men dressed in traditional mountain costume who carry this grain on decorated floats.

The legend of La Tragantía is directly linked to the Castillo de la Yedra in Cazorla. This mysterious tale, full of magic, terror and fantasy, revolves around a princess, a castle, and a sad ending that refuses to be over. This legend has given rise to an intense programme of cultural activities around St John's Eve in Cazorla. Street parades, light and colour shows, magic, dance and concerts, along with a haunted-house experience and a performance on olive-grove culture, are among the activities scheduled through the streets of Cazorla and venues such as the Castillo de la Yedra.

Many towns in Jaén venerate the Virgen de la Cabeza. This is the case in Cazorla, which has held her as one of its patron saints since 1861. Popular tradition tells how, in the year 1630, a storm caught a shepherd by surprise at the Peña de los Halcones and, frightened, he asked the Virgin for help. Once the danger had passed, the first thing he saw was the shining image of the Virgen de la Cabeza upon a rock. Taking advantage of the shepherd's absence, as he had gone to Cazorla to report his discovery, residents of the nearby town of La Iruela took the image and began building a hermitage for it, which was ultimately never finished. Now permanently housed in the hermitage that bears her name, at the very spot where she was first seen, she welcomes large numbers of pilgrims every last Sunday of April.

On St John's Eve, Cazorla brings the legend of La Tragantía back to life with a re-enactment of the snake-woman said to inhabit the Castillo de la Yedra — a tale full of mystery, magic, terror and fantasy, giving rise to an intense weekend of cultural activity.

This 102-kilometre competition runs through the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park, along a stunning route covered both by day and deep into the night. It is also a race validated by the International Trail Running Association, earning 5 points towards the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the most prestigious race in the world. Starting and finishing in the town centre of Cazorla, this event features ultra, marathon, half and mini trail categories, and is limited to 300 entries per category.

The Cazorla FIT is presented as a cultural offering that complements nature tourism, creating a combination that positions Cazorla as an autumn tourist destination. The Merced stage has hosted, among others, Adolfo Marsillach, Tricicle, Lola Herrera, Nuria Espert, Rafael Álvarez «El Brujo» and Juan Luis Galiardo.

Balconies and windows are decorated, and the streets are carpeted with sedge.

There is a custom of making a pilgrimage to a site along the road to Villanueva de la Reina, known as El Charcón.

 The traditional blessing of the Saint's rosquillas ends with mothers keeping these "blessed" bread rings for a long time, to be eaten in small pieces by children as an effective remedy whenever they suffer a coughing fit. Similarly, the coloured ribbons that have been held in the saint's hand are used, once tied around the neck, to treat and prevent throat ailments.