What’s on in Malaga in November
It hardly seems possible that it’s already time for the events in Malaga in November post – where has the year gone? The latest in our monthly series brings you a round-up of what’s on in Malaga in November.
Note that the events listed in this post refer to November 2018. We’ll be updating them for 2019 as soon as we have the details. Watch this space!
November comes with several highlights. Top of the list is the second half of Malaga Jazz Festival, celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year with some big-name concerts. There’s also some great dance and art plus the usual monthly markets. And the event lots of people have been waiting for – the official switch-on of Malaga Christmas Lights. Read on to discover the best things to do in Malaga in November.
Start the month with a day off!
The autumn’s a busy time for public holidays in Malaga. The month starts with a day off and then there are 2 at the beginning of December:
Thursday 1 November – is a national holiday so businesses and banks will be closed. Most shops, bars, cafés and restaurants will, however, be open for business as usual.
Heads-up for December – Thursday 6 December and Saturday 8 December are both public holidays.
Read more about public holidays in Malaga.
Malaga Jazz Festival
One of the biggest annual events in Malaga and this year the Festival celebrates 32 years. The main concerts take place in the Cervantes Theatre from 29 October to 4 November. Read who’s playing when in our dedicated post about Malaga Jazz Festival.
Lots of other jazz events will be taking place throughout the city in squares, hotels and restaurants.
- Plaza de las Flores (between Calle Larios and Calle Nueva)
- Plaza del Obispo (opposite the Cathedral)
- Plaza de San Pedro de Alcántara (off Calle Carretería)
- Plaza de Félix Sáenz (near Atarazanas Market)
- Plaza de la Merced
Participating hotels include:
- Molina Larios
- AC Palacio
- La Chancla (in Pedregalejo)
- Ibis Hotels
And the main jazz venues in the city will be offering a special programme for the Malaga Jazz Festival. The Clarence Jazz Club (next to the Cathedral) has plenty on in November – check out the events here. Jazz on the Wall at the Vincci Posada del Patio hotel offers a good great jazz concerts – see their Facebook page for details.
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What’s on in Malaga in November – Christmas lights
A date for your Christmas in Malaga diary – the Christmas lights will be turned on Friday 30 November. The giant structure for the lights has been up in Calle Larios for several weeks now and it’s looking very like last year’s Malaga Cathedral design. No details on the sound and music show yet, but we’ll keep you posted!
READ ABOUT CHRISTMAS IN MALAGA
What’s on in Malaga in November – music and dance
November welcomes a long list of musical and dance events in Malaga and as usual, there’s something for all tastes and budgets:
Tchaikovsky Gala
Celebrating the 125th anniversary of the great Russian composer’s death, the gala offers 3 concertos featuring piano and violin. Cervantes Theatre, Tuesday 6 November at 8pm. Tickets from €16 here.
La Traviata
Opera fans have a date at the Cervantes Theatre on Friday 23 (9pm) and Sunday 25 November (7pm). Verdi’s La Traviata comes to Malaga with Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta in the leading role. Tickets from €24 here.
Sleeping Beauty
Another homage to Tchaikovsky, this time in the form of one of the world’s most famous ballets. Performed by the Russian National Ballet on Sunday 28 November at 8pm. Tickets from €15 here. This makes a good pre-Christmas evening out – take in the Christmas lights and then see the ballet.
Film Sound Tracks
The Film Symphony Orchestra plays sound tracks written by the legendary John Williams. The first of 2 concerts (the second takes place next March) includes epic tunes from Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Superman and Harry Potter.
Saturday 10 November at 7.30pm at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos. Tickets from €36 and available from here.
What’s on in Malaga in November – art exhibitions
As always, events in Malaga in November include lots of great art (whatever your favourite genre). You can read more about art exhibitions in Malaga this autumn here.
CAC Malaga
CAC Malaga has 3 new exhibitions in November:
Hernan Bas – Miami artist has his first exhibition in Spain in the largest space at CAC where you can see 36 paintings and drawings by this very contemporary artist. Entitled A Brief Intermission, the exhibition includes the piece “Sorting out Andy” created for this exhibition and continuing the Warhol theme in Malaga. Themes in Bas’ work include literature from the late 19th century (he was a big fan of Oscar Wilde) and the supernatural. There are no women in his work. Until 9 December.
Miguel Gómez Losada – in complete contrast and in the big space next door to Bas, Losada from Córdoba has an exhibition showing only female figures. His themes include family memories, 20th century classic films and dance. Until 25 November.
Four-handed partnership – a new exhibition showcasing work by Spanish artists Gonzalo Torné and Quico Rivas whose paintings and collages have one thing in common: hand motifs. Both artists were keen on appropriation so you’ll recognise the themes in some of the works. Until 6 January 2019.
While you’re at CAC, don’t miss the permanent and Neighbours exhibitions. They’re both packed with interesting and thought-provoking art work and installations.
Tuesday to Sunday 10am-8pm. Free entry.
Picasso Museum
The most visited museum in southern Spain (and one of the top museums in Malaga) hosts of the big art exhibitions in Malaga this autumn looking at the artist’s Mediterranean roots. The ambitious curation contains over 200 art works and pieces and goes back to the early Iberian culture before coming forward through the centuries to meet Picasso. Expect to see lots of archaeological artefacts as well as paintings by some of Spain’s greatest classical artists including El Greco and Velázquez.
9 Oct – 3 Feb. Daily 10am-6pm. €5.50 (€10 combined permanent and temporary exhibition).
Russian Museum
Brilliant Future. The Art of Socialist Realism is the main exhibition this year and showcases art produced during the Stalin era and subject to ‘official guidelines’. Expect to see lots of the signature Soviet scarlet, some great paintings and objects from the 20th century and get an insight in a unique period of world history.
Kazimir Malévich – the new temporary exhibition showcases some of the most famous paintings by the creator of Suprematism, an art movement that isn’t too well known in western Europe. The exhibition includes 16 works that have never been exhibited in Spain before.
Open Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 8pm. Permanent exhibition €6, temporary exhibitions €4, €8 combined ticket.
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Carmen Thyssen Museum
The Carmen Thyssen Museum continues to offer exceptional art in Malaga. This autumn’s temporary exhibition welcomes Fury of Colour featuring paintings by the great Spanish artist Francisco Iturrino. One of the key figures in Spanish Modern Art during the early 20th century, Iturrino takes colour to another level. The museum is also showing Henri Matisse: Jazz, a small exhibition showcasing the artist’s lesser-known collage works. He created these in the 1940s when ill-health meant he could not longer draw and paint. The 20 colourful prints are on show from the book. And as usual, don’t miss the great themed gifts in the museum shop.
6 Oct – 3 March Tues-Sun 10am-8pm. €4.50 for Cubism and Juan Gris; €9 combo ticket for permanent and temporary exhibition. Free entry on Sundays from 5pm onwards.
Artsenal
This great creative space on Muelle Uno (at the corner with El Palmeral) has lots of art on show. New artists including some local talents exhibit from 29 September to 24 November. Artsenal is open daily from 11am to late. Look out for their free events throughout the month too. Check out their Facebook page for details.
Pompidou Centre
The multi-coloured cube houses Modern Utopias taking you round European ideals in art with some of the continent’s greatest painters on display. Picasso, Kandinsky, Miró, Le Corbusier and Chagall all rub shoulders with fun installations including a revolving nose, sheep on wheels and sardine-tin bed, plus some great videos.
Read our dedicated post about the exhibition at the Pompidou Centre.
Building Air: Inflatable Architecture & Design 1960-1975
With the advent of men travelling into space came a craze for inflatables, applied to furniture and buildings. The display looks at drawings and objects filled with air. Expect to be surprised as usual at some of the exhibits, which go much further than the humble lilo. 8 November until 10 February.
Reprojected Materials
The Pompidou Centre has 2 temporary exhibitions. Reprojected Materials is one of the most interactive experiences you’ll find at art museums in Malaga. Using a projector (remember those?), light, colour and transparencies you get to create your very own reprojection. Until 11 January with special opening hours – Mon, Weds, Thurs and Fri 5 to 8pm, weekends 12.30 to 2pm and 5 to 8pm.
Open Wednesday to Monday 9.30am to 8pm. €7
Top tip – art museums in Malaga have free entry on Sundays after.4pm.
La Térmica Cultural Centre
This big cultural centre in the west of Malaga has started its 2018/19 season of exhibitions with Beauty and Revolution. Black and white pictures by Cuban photographer Korda looking at people and places, iconic to the vision of the revolution. Expect to see plenty of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and La Habana… in the 1950s and 60s. New York also makes an appearance as in the photo below of Castro with the Queens of New York radio.
Open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 1pm and 5-9pm. Free
Get to La Térmica Cultural Centre on the No 7 bus from the Alameda Principal or take a stroll along the western seafront.
Brand bargains
The annual big brand bargains return to Malaga. Taking place at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos, the event brings together well-known brands in fashion, sportswear, shoes, cosmetics and household items, all at knock-down prices. Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November from 10am to 10pm.
It’s all about your dog
Animal lovers are in for a treat at the annual My Pet Fair at Palacio de Ferias y Congresos. As well as stands selling products and food for pets, there are dog shows and talks on caring for your favourite animal. Saturday 24 from 9.30am to 8pm and Sunday 25 November from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Tickets on the door or in advance (save queuing) here.
Top tip – get to the Palacio de Ferias on buses 4, 19, 20 and 22 from the Alameda Principal.
Revolution on Ice
Ice skater Javier Fernández gives a 2-hour display showing just why he’s Spanish and world champion and 2018 Olympic bronze-medallist. Be prepared for an evening of pirouettes, leaps and amazing stuff on ice. Martín Carpena Sports Stadium, Saturday 17 November at 8.30pm. Tickets from €17.25 available here.Get to the sports stadium on the No 7 bus (last stop) from the Alameda Principal or on the metro (Line 2, Palacio de los Deportes) from the main trainline station.
What’s on in Malaga in November – markets
With Christmas on the horizon, Malaga markets are a great place to start your Christmas shopping. As well as the usual Sunday arts and crafts markets on Muelle Uno and on the western seafront promenade:
Red Friday takes place at La Térmica Cultural Centre on Friday 2 November from 7pm to midnight. As well as 50 stalls selling vintage goods there’s a roller disco, fashion shows and foodtrucks.
La Plaza Merced Market takes place on Sunday 25 November on Plaza de la Merced, 11am to 7pm. As well as arts and crafts, stall sell vintage pieces, organic fruit and vegetables, plants and second-hand clothes.
Heads-up for Malaga events in December
Malaga Marathon takes place on Sunday 9 December. Sign up is still open if you fancy running past 42km of the city. And we’ll all be keeping our fingers and toes crossed for better weather this year… Or for less gruelling runs, read our post about the 5 best places to go running in Malaga.
Next month’s post will of course be about events in Malaga in December so stay tuned for all the information you need about Christmas in Malaga.
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