White Night in Málaga… it's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!

Whatever you might have been thinking of doing this weekend, put it on hold, ‘cos on Saturday 12 May it’s Málaga’s inimitable Noche en Blanco, when the city will entertain you all night long – and all for free, with more than 150 different things to do, places to visit and people to see…

Now in its 5^th year, the event has been organised by the provincial capital’s cultural department and is “a celebration of Málaga’s unique character – a city that’s innovative, dynamic, Mediterranean, cosmopolitan, modern, cultural, artistic, and creative.”

Kicking off at 8pm, and closing at 2am, this year’s Noche en Blanco theme – ‘A night full of smiles. A night to smile’ – sums it up nicely. Especially since, like I said before, everything is free. Yep, even entrance to the 16 museums taking part, including the prestigious Museo Picasso and Museo Carmen Thyssen; the 14 exhibition halls that have signed-up to the event; plus all the city’s most famous landmarks such as the Alcazaba; as well as art galleries, theatres and cinemas… is absolutely gratis!

 

The extensive, action-packed 6-hour programme falls into six categories: Art, Music, Street Art, Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Special Visits, so to say there’s something for everyone is an understatement of mammoth proportions. I only wish we had room to list every single option on offer, but sadly that’s not possible. So, where to begin? Well, let’s start with live music…

Portuguese Fados in the garden of the Museo Picasso, rock at the CAC Málaga, pop-rock in the Recinto Eduardo Ocón, jazz bands playing on the streets of the Soho district, singer Mikel Erentxun in the Plaza de la Constitución, more than 100 members of the Provincial Youth Orchestra will be entertaining in the Plaza de la Merced, Málaga’s world-famous Café Central will be hosting a flamenco show, there’s Sephardic music at the Teatro Cervantes, or head for the Plaza del Obispo where a lone pianist will be tinkling the ivories. In all there are more than 50 live music performances to choose from.

Or how about doing something completely different in the middle of the night? Like joining a starlit guided tour of the Alcazaba maybe, or perhaps the historic English Cemetery by the light of the moon… Then there’s the MIMMA Interactive Museum of Music which extends an invitation to ‘Touch, please play’, wine tastings at the Museo del Vino, the heady mix of live music and spectacular cars at the Málaga Motor Museum, or even the chance to try out a traditional Jábega fishing boat at the Astilleros Nereo boatbuilding yard.

All this and I haven’t even got started yet on the huge lineup of events, shows, performances and exhibitions for all ages, within the categories of art, street art, visual arts and performing arts!

So why not take a look at the Noche en Blanco website where you can also download the full programme, pity it’s only in Spanish though.

Or better still, simply head for Málaga – Plaza de la Merced in the Old Town is a good place to start – and soak up the atmosphere. It’s a great way to get better acquainted with the capital of the Costa del Sol, and see it in a whole new light! There will be teams of volunteers on hand who can tell you what’s on where and how to get there. But since last year’s Noche en Blanco attracted more than 203,000 visitors, best to get there in plenty of time to grab a parking space.

And then, with 6 non stop hours of culture for free, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear!