Marbella is not only beach and holidays, it also offers a wide cultural selection that you’ll thoroughly enjoy: museums, cinemas, theatres, art galleries and many cultural events organised throughout the whole year.
If you enjoy the cultural activities, there are museums and theatres that always offer shows of all kinds. Marbella also have cinemas that show films in their original versions, so if you only speak English you’ll still be able to enjoy a good premiere in Marbella in your own language.
The Ralli museum brings us artists like Chagall and Dali, as well as other modern artists; you can learn more about the museums in Marbella by clicking on the link, where you’ll find a dedicated section.
The Marbella theatre always offers shows, and if you want to discover new things you can try out the Black Box theatre, which is situated in the centre of the municipality and is a place that tries to promote and boost artistic creativity whilst discovering new tendencies. In this theatre we’ll find music, dance and literature, as well as a workshop and an activity room for the kids.
The exhibition and conference centre in Marbella hosts all kinds of exhibitions and new events for both the tourists and the citizens of Marbella.
You may want to visit the several different monuments in Marbella, amongst them we can recommend the House of the Judge and Marbella’s old quarter.
Marbella offers several cultural events throughout the year, the majority of them religious, legacy of the Christian army’s conquest in the past, that have remained as a tradition with the passage of the centuries, others acquired and modern that grow each year, like Halloween for example.
- Carnival: Fancy dress party in the streets in February where everyone wear costumes.
- Semana Santa (holy week): Religious festivity around March/April time in Marbella.
- San Bernabé: A festivity that takes places in the beginning of June.
- San Pedro Alcantara: A festivity that takes places in mid October.
- Festivity of the Virgin Carmen: From the 5th to the 16th of July.
- El Angel fair and festivities.
- Divina Pastora festival: 18th of August.
- Velada del Leganitos: 25 of August.
- Las Chapas fair and festivities: from the 3rd to the 5th of August.
- Nueva Andalucia fair and festivities: from the 26th to the 29th of July.
- Halloween: Some celebrate it on the 29th while others on the 31st, and many bars and restaurants adapt to the occasion.
Out of all of these aforementioned celebrations, we must particularly highlight the one of the Virgin Carmen (la Virgen del Carmen) for the tourists, as they set off fireworks and large masses of people gather.
Date: June
Enjoy the street parties in squares and streets of the Old Town. Since the 11th century this has been the most important day being a tribute to its patron saint San Bernabé (Saint Barnaby).
Beautifully decorated streets hold sales and various activities such as shop window competitions, Christmas carols and Nativity concerts.
Date: December 31st.
The Orange Square at midnight is a must for everyone on New Year’s Eve. "Grapes of Luck", champagne, lots of fun and the typical churros (fried pastry) and hot chocolate in the morning.
Ruta taskera - Pub Crawl
Date: Every bank holiday.
A special occasion where you can try the best tapas in Marbella's old centre.
Delegación de Cultura, Marbella
Phone: +34 952 82 50 35
Credit cards accepted
