What’s new in Malaga in 2023
Another year has passed by and it’s already time for our annual look at what’s on the horizon for Malaga in 2023. As usual, we’ll see a mixed bag of newbies from tech arrivals to cultural fests via cheap AVE train tickets and easier access to the Caminito del Rey. Here’s our round-up of what’s new in Malaga in 2023.
Picasso Celebrations
Malaga joins the celebrations for one of the biggest cultural events in 2023: the Year of Picasso. This year sees the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death in 1973 and to commemorate this landmark occasion, Malaga joins ranks with New York, Madrid Paris and Barcelona for a Picasso fest.
Exhibitions confirmed for Malaga include:
- Picasso: Material and Body at the Picasso Museum from 8 May to 10 September 2023
- The Eco of Picasso at the Picasso Museum from 2 October 2023 to 24 March 2024.
- The Ages of Pablo at the Casa Natal Picasso Foundation from 21 June to 1 October 2023.
You can find more information and a full list of the 42 confirmed Picasso exhibitions worldwide here.
Welcome to Google
2023 is the year that the world’s tech giant arrives in Malaga. The Google Security Engineering Centre opens early in the year on Muelle Uno (the white building at the end of Paseo de la Farola, near the Pompidou Centre Cube). It’ll be the company’s third office in Europe and Malaga joins Munich and Dublin. ¡Bienvenidos a Málaga chicos!
More people than ever?
Malaga registered record numbers for visitors in the second half of last year and if the Christmas period was anything to go by, a busy city centre on a daily basis is here to stay.
Two recent news article certainly appear to forecast more of the same in 2023. Vogue included Malaga as one of the 12 best places to travel in 2023 and Airbnb announced that the city was the most sought-after location for the year.
We hope the new busy-busy brings quality tourism to Malaga, i.e. visitors who appreciate the city’s culture, monuments, events, excellent hotels and foodie restaurants. If you’re among them, we’d advise choosing when to visit Malaga and booking your accommodation as soon as possible.
Music Festivals
Big-name groups and artists are already confirmed for the long list of music festivals on the Costa del Sol this year. They include Robbie Williams at Marenostrum Festival in Fuengirola, Florence + the Machine at Festival Cala Mijas and Norah Jones at Starlite in Marbella.
Andalucia Big Festival by Mad Cool returns to Malaga for its second edition. Dates and groups for 2023 are yet to be confirmed, but the month is September and the venue the fairground in Malaga.
<div data-gyg-widget="auto" data-gyg-partner-id="ZHS5DKN"></div>Goodbye noise, hello (almost) silence
2023 should be the year that the Alcazaba tunnel gets a facelift and more importantly, becomes a pleasant place to walk through. We don’t know about you, but we currently avoid it unless there’s no alternative.
So, it’s great news to hear that the City Council is finally doing something about this loud and smelly walkway. The plan is to turn the tunnel into a 3-lane road instead of the current 4, widen the pavements on each side by 1m and best of all, enclose the pavements with glass on one side. This should ensure a quieter and less smelly walk through the tunnel.
The project goes out to tender in early 2023 and should take 8 months to complete. Fingers crossed we see this one this year!
Sport in Malaga in 2023
As well as the half-marathon and marathon, expect to see a packed sporting calendar in the city this year.
Davis Cup final rounds
Malaga hosts the quarters, semis and final of the Davis Cup again in 2023. Dates to be confirmed, but the venue will be the Martin Carpena Stadium.
Basketball bonanza
Basket fiends are in for two treats this year:
- The Harlem Globetrotters return to the city again. See them on 20 May at the Martín Carpena Stadium. Tickets are already on sale here.
- Malaga and the Costa del Sol will take part in the celebrations of the centenary of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB). There’s talk of a global tournament – we’ll be sharing the details as soon as we receive them.
Solheim Cup
And of course, if you’re a fan of world-class golf, the Solheim Cup takes place in Finca Cortesín at the far west end of the Costa del Sol, just a short drive from Malaga. See the action from 18 to 24 September – full details here.
New in transport in Malaga in 2023
This sector comes with the most newbies this year. They include:
Opening of Malaga Metro in the city centre
Malaga Metro has been a perennial feature in our annual round-ups since we started them back in 2018. The good news? 2023 will be the year that the metro opens in the city centre, with both stations outside El Corte Inglés and in the Alameda Principal in operation.
The bad news? There isn’t a date. We’re hoping for Easter…
Cercanías train to Caminito del Rey
This newbie is great news for fans of this gorge walk and the fabulous hiking and scenery in the area. The C2 Cercanías train line will continue its itinerary beyond Álora to El Chorro, making Caminito del Rey much easier to visit on public transport from Malaga. Expected date of opening: early spring.
Low-cost AVE tickets from Malaga
Iryo starts operating high-speed trains from Malaga in March this year at much cheaper prices. Around 10 trains will run a day between Malaga and Madrid, with one-way tickets starting at just €18. Services will also run to Antequera, Cordoba and Seville from Malaga.
Direct flight to NYC
Malaga’s direct flight to the Big Apple returns this summer after a 3-year hiatus. The service will be run by United Airlines and in place from early June to late September.
New at Guide to Malaga in 2023
You’ll have already noticed our newbie this year – a brand new website design. It’s our fourth revamp and this one incorporates lots of UX features and it whizzes on mobile.
We’ll also be expanding our e-guide selection with new titles at both the Guide to Malaga shop and Costa del Sol Road Trips shop. And in languages other than English.
Don’t forget that you can keep up with all that’s new in Malaga with our free Newsletter. It comes out every other Friday throughout the year – have you subscribed to get yours?
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