Summer is one of the most special seasons in Málaga: outdoor plans, music, beach days, ‘cool’ sunsets, parties and one-of-a-kind flavours. In these months, its atmosphere, lifestyle and light will make you want to experience and share the city with others.

If you come to Málaga this summer, these are the plans you can (and must) do:

Visit the new exhibits of the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023

No matter what season it is, the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023 is the main attraction in Málaga this year. In summer, the city is home to numerous activities related to the 50th year anniversary of the painter’s death.

From 21 June to 1 October, the Casa Natal de Picasso Museum is exhibiting ‘The ages of Pablo’, a chronological and stylistic overview of Picasso’s works through the years that marked his life.

Moreover, the Picasso Museum in Málaga is hosting the exhibition ‘Dialogues with Picasso. 2020-2023 Collection’ during the whole year. The exhibit covers Pablo Picasso’s artistic career. There are 162 works, in addition to the 233 works of the museum’s own collection.

In the Picasso Museum, you can also visit ‘Picasso. Matter and Body’ until 10 September, the first exhibition of Picasso sculpture in Spain.

Visit our website to learn more about the activities of the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023.

Exploring Málaga’s beaches

Málaga has 14 km of coastline with more than a dozen beaches to fully enjoy. Activities like relaxing while sunbathing, feeling the sea breeze on your skin, dipping your feet in the water, swimming in the refreshing waters of the Mediterranean Sea or walking along the seashore are a must to completely immerse yourself in Málaga’s summer. If you are into sports, you can play volleyball or practice surfing and paddle surfing, both great sportive alternatives to enjoy by the sea.

Furthermore, there are multiple events that are held in Málaga’s beaches in the summer season, such as the Virgen del Carmen parade on 16 July, the fishing boats league, outdoor cinemas and concerts.

Our beaches receive the Q for Quality, as they offer all types of services: accessible beaches, playground areas, sport areas and a wide network of sea promenades.

The 15 beaches of the capital are: the Campo de Golf-San Julián, Guadalmar, Sacaba, La Misericordia, San Andrés, La Caleta, Los Baños del Carmen, Pedregalejo-Las Acacias, El Palo, El Dedo, El Candado, El Peñón del Cuervo, La Fábrica de Cemento and La Araña.

Click here to learn more about them.

Have fun at the Málaga Fair

The big event of the summer in Málaga is the Málaga Fair or Feria de Agosto, celebrated from 12 to 19 August this year. During this week, the city fills with colour, joy and fun. Visitors will soak up Málaga Fair’s culture by seeing the typical Andalusian dresses and suits, the horse parade, the themed tents (casetas) or by trying the local gastronomy.

You can experience this amazing event in both the old town and the Real Cortijo de Torres, two places where you will only think about dancing, having fun and sharing unique moments with your loved ones. 

Enjoy a booming cultural agenda

Brad Mehldau, Dianne Reeves, Eliades Ochoa, Camané and Israel Fernández open this year’s edition of the Terral Festival, with a wide range of styles, spanning from jazz and flamenco to son cubano and fado. The Tunisian artist Dhafer Youssef, the Chicago-based brass ensemble called Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Newen Afrobeat, an Afrobeat band based in Chile, will bring a close to this year’s summer festival, which will be held in the Cervantes Theatre of Málaga from 1 to 11 July. Remember: it is important to book your tickets in advance!

Moving on to another festival, the Brisa Festival is held in two different venues this year. On 6, 7, and 8 July, the music event will take place at the Botanical Garden La Concepción, while on 21 and 22 July it will be held in La Malagueta bullring. Some of the most renowned groups and artists of the Spanish music scene will perform here, such as Chambao, Macaco, Love of Lesbian, Depedro, Carlos Sadness, Solea Morente or Elefantes.

The Night of San Juan is another big event in Málaga’ summer scene, something that you cannot miss out if you want to learn first-hand about the city’s traditions. Thousands of people from Málaga go to the beaches to celebrate the beginning of the summer. They light bonfires and burn notes where they wrote their wishes. The rituals of this tradition begin at 12 am. One of them is to dip your feet in the water at exactly that time, as well as lighting the fire and burning the júas, a rag doll usually stuffed with sawdust that generally carry some symbolism.

See all the plans to enjoy in Málaga in our agenda.

(Literally) tasting Málaga’s summer

The summer and the pescaíto (typical fried fish from Málaga) are a package deal in Málaga: one does not exist without the other. Do not hesitate to taste the espetos (skewered sardines) and other skewered fish that are ember-grilled on traditional boats, the fried pescaíto or shellfish dishes like the conchas finas, a very popular and typical dish made of big pink clams from Málaga.

As you admire the blue colour of the Mediterranean Sea, it is a must to delight your taste buds with a tapa of boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar) or with almejas a la marinera (clams in a white wine sauce with parsley, among other ingredients).

The chiringuitos (beach restaurants) are the perfect place to fully experience the summer season in Málaga. And there are chiringuitos to suit all tastes: from the most traditional ones that use paper tablecloth and are located right on the beach to the new ones that offer live music or Balinese beds.

Other typical dishes of Málaga in summer are the Gazpacho (tomato cold soup), the ajoblanco (almond cold soup), the shrimps from Málaga, the fried hake, mussels, clams, the coquinas a la marenga (a typical dish from Málaga made of wedge clams in a tomato sauce) and the traditional salad from Málaga.

Here, we tell you more about the most delicious gastronomic creations from Málaga.