L'Eixample
A range of free, quality live music is staged nightly at this student favourite. Order a beer and enjoy the free nuts at one of the tiny tables while…
Must-see entertainment in Spain
Palma de Mallorca
About 2km north of central Palma, this cinema programs art-house films, many in their original language with Spanish subtitles. On Mondays the ordinary…
Granada
Just off Calle Azacayas, this is one of Granada's historic jazz and flamenco haunts, staging a regular program of gigs, jam sessions and flamenco…
Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas & Costa Adeje
Offers a variety of cultural events, such as Cine de Verano, a summer festival of open-air movies (in Spanish) that show nightly except on Wednesdays. An…
Granada
Granada's municipal theatre stages everything from jazz and guitar concerts to imported plays, musicals and comedy performances.
Cádiz
Cádiz' main tablao (choreographed flamenco show) happens in a rustically bedecked tavern on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9.30pm (schedules are…
Madrid
Live-music fans in the city always check to see what's coming up at Wurlitzer Ballroom, a small but consistently good venue just off Gran Vía. Its…
Almería
This handsome 19th-century theatre, remodelled in the 1990s, stages a mixed bag of drama (mostly in Spanish), dance, film screenings and concerts,…
Tarifa
Built into the old city walls, cavernous bar Almedina squeezes a flamenco ensemble into its clamorous, stone-arched confines for its well-known Thursday…
Málaga
The handsome art-deco Cervantes has a fine program of music, theatre and dance, including some well-known names on the concert circuit. It also hosts a…
Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja
Nerja
This well-run centre organises an ambitious annual program of classical music, theatre, jazz and flamenco, featuring international and Spanish musicians…
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Stages theatrical performances and music recitals. Guided tours (€5; 40 minutes) of the theatre are held from Monday to Friday at 10.15am, 11.15am and 12…
Valencia
This atmospheric bar and venue generally has live gigs at least weekly, mostly light Spanish rock, but also bringing in some touring international acts.
Valencia
This spacious rock venue down the side of the bus station has regular live acts and also functions as a nightclub. Think €8 to €10 entry.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
A multiscreen cinema with a good selection of films, including both mainstream and art-house. The cinema also holds film festivals.
Málaga
Small bar-club with no cover that has DJs during the week and live bands at weekends playing indie, pop-rock and electronica.
Barcelona
Verdi Park is a perennially popular art-house cinema with four screens. Most films are shown in their original language.
Valencia
Levante is Valencia's second major soccer team. In recent years it has spent its time between the top two divisions.
Almería
This club venue hosts Spanish and international DJs and regular gigs by bands playing indie, rock and electronica.
Jerez de la Frontera
Runs a busy program where you can enjoy Bach, Verdi, Mozart, Shakespeare, ballet and – of course – flamenco.
Valencia
This cinema in the Teatro Rialto building screens undubbed classic and art-house films for a pittance (€2.50).
Valencia
One of Valencia’s main venues for theatre, dating from the mid-19th century, with varied programming.
Bilbao
This popular venue incorporates two separate spaces, Stage Live and the Back Room. Along with local and international bands, it hosts DJs and various…
Bilbao
Restored to its art-nouveau glory and modernised for contemporary productions in 2010, this showpiece was built in 1902. Today, the magnificent venue…
Madrid
Fronting onto Plaza de Santa Ana, this theatre (formerly the Teatro del Príncipe) has been here in one form or another since the 16th century and is still…
Seville
Flamenco meets Broadway at this 400-seat theatre. Its glitzy, highly choreographed flamenco shows are not for purists, but the performers are experts in…
La Latina & Lavapiés
As much a cocktail bar as a live-music venue or theatre, ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ is one of Madrid’s more original stages. Magicians, storytellers, live jazz,…
Barcelona
Housed in the magnificent former Palau de l’Agricultura building on Montjuïc (opposite the Museu d’Arqueologia), the ‘Free Theatre’ consists of two modern…
La Latina & Lavapiés
With nearly 40 years in the business, this small venue knows what its punters like and serves up a nightly feast of singer-songwriters, blues, rock and …
Madrid
Despite the name, this is a great place to see blues or local rock, though many acts have a little country, jazz or R&B thrown into the mix too. It’s a…
Madrid
There’s no telling what will be staged here next, but it’s usually good; past performers include Jackson Browne, El Cigala, Kiko Veneno, Niña Pastori and…
Chueca
It looks like your average Madrid bar de copas (bar serving spirits and mixed drinks), but El Búho Real (The Royal Owl) is all about acoustic music. It…
Toledo
Though Toledo's nightlife might not be exactly legendary, and it's day trip fodder for many, this 12th-century Mudéjar-style church, deconsecrated in 1842…
Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas & Costa Adeje
This vast auditorium (one of the largest in Europe) regularly stages world-class shows that typically combine flamenco, opera and dance. There is an…
La Latina & Lavapiés
The music here is all about funk, soul, jazz, the American South, Afrobeat and even a little hip-hop. It’s a club with attitude and always has a great…
Barcelona
One of the city’s principal alternative theatres, the Sala Beckett doesn't shy away from challenging theatre, and stages an eclectic mix of productions in…
Chueca
One of Madrid's best-loved jazz clubs has finally reopened its doors after years of being closed (it fell foul of a council crackdown on licensing laws)…
Palma de Mallorca
Located on the 7th floor of the Hotel Saratoga, this sophisticated club with high-altitude views over Palma offers after-dinner jazz, soul and blues…
Madrid
In a corner of Madrid that works hard by day and parties even harder on weekends, Moby Dick is an institution on the live-music circuit, mostly hosting…
Madrid
The main concert season runs from October to March each year, when performances include those of the Banda Sinfónica Municipal Madrid, the Orquesta…
