Page 9 of 10

Traditional Festivals

The festive calendar in the province of Malaga is as wide-ranging as it is surprising, with traditional festivals just about everywhere, from Malaga City itself to the smallest of mountain villages. Most of these festivals take place over the summer period, the most important usually being the so-called ‘feast of the patron saint’ of the locality, better known to us all as the annual ‘feria.’ Holy Week is an important festival everywhere in Spain, especially in Andalusia, and there are many other types of festivals too, among them the various gastronomic festivals that have become very popular over the past decade.

Entertainment

There is no shortage of entertainment in the province of Malaga, especially during the summer period. Every town and village in the province has something to offer, whether it be a music, dance or theatre festival, and some of these attract international performers of the first order. This does not mean, of course, that there is nothing to see or hear during the rest of the year; quite the contrary. Most large towns have auditoriums that host events all the year round.

Malaga City is still, nevertheless, the cultural and entertainment capital of the Costa del Sol, with its prestigious Cervantes Theatre and its Philharmonic Orchestra topping the bill. We have theatre festivals, film festivals, jazz festivals, light opera festivals, flamenco festivals and many more, as well as a full programme of concerts in which the top stars of the continent perform.

Outside Malaga City we have the Festival of Music and Dance in Nerja, and many other spectacles in places like Sohail Castle and the Palacio de la Paz in Fuengirola, the Parque de la Paloma auditorium in Benalmádena and the Príncipe de Asturias auditorium in Torremolinos.

Bullfighting

The world of bullfighting may be misunderstood by some and detested by others, but it remains one of the most fascinating spectacles that one can see in Spain. This spectacle – they prefer to call it an art form in Spain – is primarily a springtime and summer event on the Costa del Sol, and some of the country’s top bullfighters perform here. The oldest bullring in Spain is in Ronda, dating back to the 18th century, and it is also one of the most architecturally spectacular. 

The biggest bullrings, and the most important bullfights, are in Malaga City and Antequera, although there are also bullrings in Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Mijas, this last one not being of the traditional circular design. The bullring in Carratraca is also unusual in shape.