On the 9th June 1895, 52 musicians, calling themselves the Banda Municipal de Bilbao, gave their first official concert, conducted by José Sainz Basabe: and so began the Banda de Música Municipal de Bilbao. José Franco Ribate (1924), Jesús Arambarri (1933), Bruno Muñoz (1953), Urbano Ruiz Laorden (1969), Jesús Maria Bilbao Estefanía (1995) and Rafael Sanz- Espert (2002) have since led this group.

In conjunction with the Local Independent Organisation ‘Bilbao Musika’, the Banda Municipal embarked some years ago on a series of concerts at the Arriaga, featuring great soloists such as Pedro Iturralde, Santiago Juan, Kepa Junkera, Mª Eugenia Silguero and the Euskadi Brass quintet, conducted by Pablo Sánchez Torrella, Ruper Lekue, Gary F. Lamb, Juan José Ocón, José Mª Sáinz Alfaro, Enrique García Asensio, Fernando Bonete and Darío Sotelo.

They also made a recording of their performance at the closing ceremony of the Special Section of the “City of Valencia” International Music Band Competition (July 2002), have performed several concerts at the Palau de la Música in Valencia, the Teatro de la Unió Musical in Llíria, the Social Antzokia in Basauri, the Teatro Principal in Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Teatro Ángel Guimerá in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. They took part in the “Olentzero Begi Gorri 2003” programme and that same year recorded the CD "Bandaband" together with Oskorri, following the success of the concerts performed at Arriaga in December 2006 to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of this formation. And throughout this time, they have continued to perform their traditional concerts at the Quiosco del Arenal and take part in official events and local celebrations.