From 10 to 19 March, Málaga is celebrating its big date with the cinema. The Málaga Festival brings thousands of people to the city eager to attend the premieres and screenings of the best films on the national scene, as well as to soak up the cinephile atmosphere of these days. In this post, we propose a series of parallel plans to complete your perfect week during your stay in the capital.

Ready?

Take note!

A unique occasion: Picasso Year 2023

The week of the Málaga Festival is a unique opportunity to celebrate with us the Picasso Year 2023, a year in which Málaga hosts events and exhibitions related to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the death of the Málaga painter.  Thus, until 23 May, the Museo Casa Natal Picasso is showing the exhibition “The last face and the aphonia of the Minotaur,” by the Mallorcan Bernardi Roig. The exhibition consists of three simultaneous exhibitions at the Museo Casa Natal Picasso, the Centre Pompidou Málaga and the Russian Museum Collection in St. Petersburg/Málaga, comprising drawings, sculptures, light installations, large blocks of coagulated light, text, photography and video.

For its part, the Museo Picasso Málaga is hosting the exhibition “Dialogues with Picasso. Collection 2020-2023.”The exhibition covers Pablo Picasso's artistic career thematically and chronologically. There are 162 works in addition to the 233 from the gallery's collection. This space also houses the exhibition “Picasso seen by Otero,” an exhibition with images that reveal the daily life of Pablo Picasso and which includes unpublished archive material from the Roberto Otero Fund. It can be seen until 23 April.

Another option to celebrate this special year in Málaga is to take a tour of the city's Picassian Route with the free audio guide offered by the city.

Find out more about the celebration of Picasso Year.

A cinema city

If what you want is to continue experiencing the cinema in our city, we propose a special alternative: to discover the stages of Málaga that have been the protagonists of a film or television recording.

The Port, the Botanical Garden, the Cathedral, the Cervantes Theatre, the Plaza del Obispo Calle Granada, the Plaza de la Merced or the Paseo Marítimo Antonio Machado, the Capuchinos neighbourhood, the Palo and Guadalmar, the Puerta Oscura gardens... All these and other places have been key in the filming of series and films in our city. Do you want to know more?

Discover some of the productions filmed in Málaga.

March and beach? In Málaga, of course

In Málaga, you can enjoy the beaches all year round and one of the essential plans is to contemplate a sunset (or sunrise) on the shores of the Mediterranean. The palette of colours and the spectacle of light that the landscape offers will remain etched in your retina.

If what you want is to taste the local gastronomy, the restaurants and beach bars that you can find next to the beach are a great option. “Pescaíto frito,” “espetos,” traditional dishes or avant-garde cuisine are waiting for you by the sea.

We tell you about other plans to enjoy the beach in Málaga.

History and essence

The centre of Málaga is full of narrow streets and alleys with a history of their own. Strolling through them and contemplating their historic buildings is a real pleasure. On Alcazabilla street you can visit the Roman Theatre, with the Alcazaba in the background (crowned by the Gibralfaro Castle). The Palacio de la Aduana, Calle Císter and Málaga Cathedral, a jewel of the Renaissance; Plaza del Obispo, Calle San Agustín, Plaza de la Merced, Calle Granada, Plaza de la Constitución, Calle Compañía and Calle Larios are other places not to be missed.

But if you prefer more alternative plans, Soho “Barrio de las Artes” is the place for you. There you'll find urban art in buildings, art galleries, gastronomic laboratories and specialised shops.

The neighbourhoods of El Palo and Pedregalejo, the pure seafaring essence of the city, also await you with open arms.

Check here some alternatives to get to know Málaga if you only have 48 hours.

About the Málaga Festival

The Málaga Festival has become one of the essential events on the Spanish film scene. This is the 26th edition of a festival that was born to encourage the dissemination and promotion of Spanish cinema, becoming a national and international benchmark and contributing to the development of the city as an open and cultural space.

Thus, in this 26th edition, we will find: Feature Films Official Section, Feature Films Official Section Out of Competition, Mosaic International Panorama, TV Screen, Feature Films Zonazine Official Section, Málaga Premiere Official Section Out of Competition, Special Passes Feature Films, Documentaries Official Section, Short Films Fiction Official Section, Aid for Audiovisual Creation, Special Premiere (Tren d'ombres- Tren de sombras, by José Luis Guerín, Cinema Cocina Official Selection, Focus Peru (Guest Country), Golden Film, the City of Paradise Award Cycle, Tribute to Agustí Villaronga, Affirming Women's Rights, Tributes (Málaga Award, Retrospective Award, Ricardo Franco Award, “City of Paradise” Biznaga, Málaga Talent Award), 5 Minutes of Cinema, Cineforum, Cinema for Children and other activities.

The Málaga Festival distinguishes the best film with the golden biznaga and the rest of the awards in all categories with the silver biznaga. The biznaga is one of the symbols of the city, a flower that is formed with a bunch of jasmine bunches in the shape of a ball and in summer they are usually sold in the streets of Málaga.

You can find all the information about the Málaga Festival here.