The possibilities for Malaga nightlife are endless, especially if you have a car. It range from theme pubs to some of the most sophisticated nightclubs in Europe. Most towns in Malaga have a good selection of nightclubs open until the wee hours. The most famous are Olivia Valere and Pangea in Marbella, but there are many more. Opening hours are usually from 10 or 11pm to 3 or 5am. Many clubs have a dress code and you may have to show identification on entry. Some clubs open in the summer months only; entry fees vary.
Live Music
You can hear live music of almost any sort on the coast at different venues. Classical music concerts are given regularly by the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cervantes Theatre in Malaga during the season from October to June. Other national and foreign orchestras also include the Costa del Sol in their tours.
There are numerous bars and clubs that offer live music as part of their nightly entertainment. You can hear live jazz, local bands and singers, and flamenco. Expatriate crooners singing cover versions are popular entertainment at foreign bars and pubs. Needless to stay, some are better than others.
Spanish singers and bands play regularly on the coast, and top international sololists and bands occasionally give concerts, particularly during the summer months.
In recent years music festivals have become increasingly popular, taking place all along the Costa del Sol. From Weekend Beach Festival, lasting just a few days, to others with a calendar of events that extends beyond the summer. Let’s take a look at the most popular music festivals in Malaga.
Weekend Beach Festival
The Weekend Beach Festival takes place every year in Rincon de la Victoria, on the eastern Costa del Sol. Among its features we highlight the camping area, also for motorhomes; if you rent a campervan in Malaga and you like music, get ready to enjoy.
Website: https://www.weekendbeach.es/
Marenostrum Fuengirola
There are live concerts in Fuengirola every year in the area of the Sohail Castle; from around March until September. The guest artists are usually of the highest calibre, with internationally recognised names.
Website: https://marenostrumfuengirola.com/
Starlite Marbella
A wide selection of artists also come to Marbella every year from June to September approximately.
Website: https://starlitemarbella.koobin.com/
Flamenco Dancing
You can watch flamenco dancing at numerous venues along the coast. Many bars and restaurants offer a flamenco show as part of the evening’s entertainment, although the quality of dancing and music varies tremendously, especially when you find a locale that only plays recorded music.
The best and most authentic offering live singing and music is at specialist venues known as tablaos. Some of the most popular are the Bona Bea in Marbella, Taberna Flamenca Pepe Lopez in Benalmadena and Vista Andalucia in Malaga.
Concerts and recitals are also put on regularly at larger venues around the coast, including Teatro Cervantes in Malaga and perhaps surprisingly, Tívoli in the summer months.
Enthusiasts may join one of the many active flamenco clubs on the coast. Flamenco dancing is also very popular with young children, and there are several academies in most towns.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor, the name often designated to the largest square in Spanish towns. It is a leisure complex built in typical Andalusian style with plentiful walkways, squares and fountains. There you will find around 60 restaurants and cafés, numerous bars, a 20-lane bowling alley and 20-screen cinema. The complex, which has proved hugely popular with both residents and tourists, is open daily from 10am to 3am. It is near the Malaga Airport off the A-7 “Parador de Golf” exit, and there’s ample parking as well as bus and train services.
They however closed the nightclubs, so now you can go there to restaurants or for watching a movie in their cinema.