Entertainment in Malaga

There is more to Malaga entertainment than hitting the beach and beery nights on the town. The vibrant culture of the region and the city finds expression in live music and bullfighting, while attending one of the local festivals will be a memorable treat for visitors. On arrival pick up a copy of the free Costa del Sol Guide, its monthly entertainment supplement contains listings for everything that's going on in the city and all along the coast.

Music

All sorts of live musicYou'll find live music of one sort or another almost everywhere in Malaga, sometimes where you'd rather not hear it (on the beach or while enjoying a quiet meal).

However there are a number of professional music theatres that put on performances ranging from traditional to modern music. One of the best venues is the Teatro Cervantes. Calle Ramos Mar�n s/n Malaga, Tel: +34 95-222-4109.

If you fancy seeing some traditional Flamenco, again it's likely you'll come upon bars and restaurants that will offer some kind of show. For a professional performance head for one of M�laga's professional Flamenco troupes at Pe�a Flamenca Juan Breva. Calle Picador.

Nightlife

After dark Malaga and the Costa del Sol really wakes up. Bars stay open until the early hours of the morning.

Live music is common in many within the tourist centres, and after midnight people migrate to the discotheques and clubs. Just following your nose should bring you to the many bars on offer, although many people like to scope out bars at random during the day before heading there when the sun goes down. Don't be surprised though if it seems that they've doubled in number after dusk.

Head out to Torremolinos or one of the other resorts and you'll find the nightlife the Costa del Sol is famous for. Clubs and disco bars line all the main drags as thousands of revellers descend on the resorts to make a real night of it.

Gambling

Gambling is a popular pastime in Spain in all its forms and so there is no shortage of lotteries, bingo halls and of course casinos along the Costa del Sol, catering to tourists and locals alike. The Torrequebrada Casino (Av del Sol, Benalm�dena, Tel: +34 95-244-6000) and the Marbella Casino (Marbella, Tel: +34 95-281-4000) are two of the best places to try your luck.

Bullfighting

Like most major Spanish cities Malaga has a bullring, which apart from holding occasional bullfights also houses a small museum. The season begins at Easter and lasts until October.

Prices vary according to who is fighting and which type of seating you require. Fights normally take place on a Sunday, but the programme is variable and you may find one of the other towns on the Costa de Sol staging a fight at any time. Plaza de Toros, Paseo de Reding. Tel: +34 95-222-1727.

Special Events

Easter processionJanuary is in the first week of January the procession of the Three Magi takes place. In Andalucian tradition it is the three wise men of the nativity who distribute festive gifts to the children, and the ceremony depicts the Magi entering the town.

March/April in the rest of Spain, Easter week is celebrated in Malaga with impressive religious processions and parades. Even if you're not religious yourself the solemnity and colour of the celebration can't fail to affect you. The most striking parade in the Malaga celebration is the Senor de los Gitanos on Easter Monday and the Nuestro Padre Jesus el Rico, which takes place on the Wednesday of Easter week.

May celebrations of Corpus Christi in May in the village of Casabermeja, close to Malaga, are beautiful. The entire village is decorated with flowers as festivities take place over four days.

Augustb there is the traditional Feria de Verano with Flamenco music and local people dressed in regional costume. The celebration is guaranteed to be colourful with the locals keen to out-do each other in style. You can expect lots of dancing and singing in the traditional style and no doubt plenty of wine to go along with the activities.

December 28 is known as Los Santos Inocentes, "the day of the innocents". Similar to April Fool's Day elsewhere, people play practical jokes on each other. Malaga celebrates the day harder than other Spanish towns in the noisy Fiesta de Verdiales, which involves plenty of traditional music and dancing as local bands try to outplay each other.