Showtime in Spain:
Our guide to seeing plays, concerts, and more!
Published July 13, 2023. Updated June 13, 2024
All images are courtesy of the Spain Less Traveled team, unless otherwise stated.
Teatro de la Comedia in Madrid.
Spain is not only the land of some of the best playwrights in history, such as Calderón, Lope de Vega or Federico García Lorca, but also the land of some famous performers, from Plácido Domingo and Montserrat Caballé to Julio Iglesias and Rosalía. So it comes as no surprise that you can find a vibrant music and theater scene not only in Madrid or Barcelona but in many other small cities and even remote towns.
Here are some of the Spain Less Traveled team’s favorites and some of the most important venues and festivals to enjoy performing arts in Spain.
Be sure to check out our professional Spain travel planning services so that we can help you plan your perfect trip to Spain!
(And read more about why you should use a travel advisor to plan your trip to Spain!)
Opera Houses and Concert Halls
Teatro Real - Madrid
The massive structure of Madrid’s Teatro Real.
Let’s start with Madrid, Spain’s vibrant and authentic capital.
Madrid’s largest theater was voted last year ‘Best opera house in the world’, due to the quality of its productions and its commitment to operate during the pandemic. Even if it specializes in 20th century operas, it shows all kind of operas (about 10 productions per season) and also concerts, ballets, as well as a short but great flamenco season. And a good thing for foreign visitors: all opera performances have English subtitles. Information and tickets: TeatroReal.
Teatro de la Zarzuela
Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid is the ‘cathedral’ of Spanish musical theatre.
Zarzuela is Spain’s traditional musical theater, similar to Viennese operetta, with spoken and sung parts. The stories are simple, with scores based in traditional music. The best place to enjoy it is Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela. They have a year long season (except for August) with several titles in great productions, with Spain’s top singers of the genre. They also offer ballet, concerts and many activities directed to kids. And as in Teatro Real, most of the performances have subtitles in English.
Auditorio Nacional - Madrid
The most important classical music concert hall in Madrid. The long season includes performances from the best orchestras in the world, as well as local orchestras and players. Tickets can be difficult to get, but totally worthy. Details on the schedule and tickets: The Auditorium.
Liceu - Barcelona
The elegant interior of Barcelona’s Liceu Theater.
Now we will move on to Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city and the capital of Cataluña.
One of our favourites: there are shows all year long, except in August.
Historically the most important opera house in Spain, in just three hours Gran Teatre del Liceu burnt to the ground in 1994. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1999, with state-of-the-art technology (including electronic subtitles in many languages in a small screen in the back of the chair in front of you). It’s a favorite theater for opera’s greatest stars, so you can expect to see top performances.
Palau de la Música Catalana - Barcelona
Interior of the Palau de la Música Catalana. Photo courtesy of Canva Pro.
Probably not the most important classical music venue in Barcelona (L’Auditori has a better programme), but it offers a good combination of classical and popular music performances.
And it’s a masterpiece of modernist architecture (for us, Palau de la Música Catalana is the most beautiful concert hall in the world) that can be visited even when there’s not a performance. Its Sunday’s flamenco gala is a good chance to see good flamenco in a city not known for it.
Palau de les Arts - Valencia
The impressive architecture of Valencia’s Palau de les Arts.
Now it’s time for Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city.
Designed by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava, Palau de les Arts is an architectural stravaganza from a time when money ran free in Spain. The resident orchestra is probably the best in Spain. Their programme is quite eclectic, so you can find a bit of everything.
Teatro de la Maestranza - Sevilla
Moving southward to Seville, the sizzling capital of Andalucía in the south of Spain.
Built in 1992 for the World’s Exhibition:
Teatro de la Maestranza takes its name from the bullfighting arena next door.
Its program is more modest, but Sevilla is probably the most operatic city in the world… Carmen, Don Giovanni, Fidelio, and of course The Barber of Seville are all set in the city, and at least one of them is represented every year here. And of course, there are many performances from top flamenco artists.
The ‘Broadway madrileño’
And now we return to Madrid…
In the last few years musicals have become hugely popular in all of Spain, and especially in Madrid. A weekend in Madrid to attend a musical is a new tradition for people from other cities in Spain. The main attraction are Broadway musicals (in franchised or new local productions), but also musicals from Spanish composers and writers. The setback for foreign visitors is that both texts and lyrics are in Spanish with no English subtitles, but who doesn’t know the lyrics and story of The Lion King or Grease? They can be followed easily while enjoying the music and dance.
To give you an idea, season 2023-2024 (season starts in early September) includes famous titles such as The Lion King, Aladdin, Mamma Mia!, Mathilda, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Pretty Woman, Legally Blonde, We Will Rock You, School of Rock, or The Phantom of the Opera.
Theater marquee in Madrid’s Gran Vía.
Most theaters are concentrated in Gran Via, nicknamed ‘El Broadway madrileño‘ (or ‘Madrid Broadway’), such as (NOTE: program information current as of June 13, 2024):
Teatro Coliseum, which is currently showing “Aladdin”
Teatro Lope de Vega, where “The Lion King” is being performed.
Teatro EDP Gran Vía which boasts a variety of genres including comedy and ballet.
Teatro Rialto is currently playing a very succesful production of “Mamma Mia!”
But there are other theaters showing musicals around the city:
Teatro La Latina, usually plays Spanish musicals, and sometimes Broadway shows.
Teatro Albéniz, where you can see “Phantom of the Opera”.
Gran Teatro La Estación with musicals such as “We Will Rock You”.
Espacio Delicias has a few options for all tastes.
And for those visiting Madrid for New Year’s Eve. A beautiful local tradition is to receive the new year in a theater show (mostly musicals). Shows are timed so the ending or the intermission coincides with the year’s end. Audiences are given small champagne bottles and the traditional grapes. Cast and crew go onstage to announce the new year and lead the toasts. And there’s usually an after show with music, dancing, and impromptu performances.
Other theaters and music venues
For non-Spanish Speakers, it’s difficult to attend a regular theater performance, as they are all in Spanish, or other official languages in the country (Catalan, Basque, Galician or Valencian). But for those who speak one of that languages, there are plenty of options, as well as dance and music performances, that can be enjoyed by anyone.
The best theaters in Spain are public theaters, heavily subsidized by the government, so you can attend great productions for as little as 25 euros for a top ticket.
And also there are big venues in top cities that many international artists include in their international tours (with more International prices).
Here is a sample of the most important venues:
Centro Dramático Nacional - Madrid
The beautiful María Guerrero theater. One of the venues for Centro Dramático Nacional.
One of the most important theaters in Spain, it consists of four different theaters in two locations. It usually offers great productions of Spanish writers works, but they also have visiting foreign companies with shows in English (most in the fall season). Details: Centro Dramático Nacional.
Teatros del Canal - Madrid
The main theater at Teatros del Canal, one of the most modern theaters in Madrid.
Teatros del Canal specializes in dance and visiting companies, so chances are you can find a performance suited for non Spanish Speakers. It’s also the main venue for ‘Festival de Otoño’, a festival held every fall that brings a lot of theater and dance companies from all over the world.
Wizink Center - Madrid
Cirque du Soleil performance in Madrid’s Wizink Center.
The Wizink Center is the main venue for pop & rock concerts in Madrid (as well as many basketball matches). It can house up tp 15,000 people, and it’s very centrally located (Metro Goya).
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu - Madrid
Taylor Swift performs at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
During the last years, Santiago Bernabeu stadium, home of Real Madric FC, has undergone a massive renovation. Now it has a retractable roof, that makes it ideal for big concerts. It has a very central location, so it’s easy accessible. Neighbours complain for the loud music, but the place has the potential to become one of the best venues for concerts in Europe. This was proven by the highly successful concerts given by Taylor Swift in May 2024.
Teatre Lliure - Barcelona
The most prestigious theater in Barcelona, the Teatre Lliure hosts great productions, as Barcelona’s directors have the reputation to be the boldest and most innovative. The extra difficulty for foreign visitors is that performances are mostly in Catalan, but they also have regular foreign visiting companies.
Palau Sant Jordi - Barcelona
With a capacity for more than 17,000 people, Palau Sant Jordi is the largest indoor venue in the city. Built for the 1,992 Olympics and designed by world famous Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, it’s a favorite stop for most music stars in their European tours.
Teatro del Soho - Málaga
Created by Málaga native Antonio Banderas to enrich the cultural life of his city, Teatro del Soho has an eclectic and interesting program. They produce a yearly classical musical, that then goes on tour to Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities. The first two were ‘A Chorus Line’ and ‘Company’ with Antonio himself performing in the lead roles). They also have a lot of music performances, including some by the best flamenco artists in Spain.
Locals from all over Málaga province know that Teatro del Soho is the place to catch a show!
Music and theater Festivals
Festival de Peralada
Peralada is a small town north of Figueres (Girona province). There is a 14th century castle with extensive gardens, where every summer (July and August) a very prestigious classical music festival takes place.
Festival de Granada
Imagine seeing a concert in this beautiful complex!
Can you imagine a better location to attend a concert than the Alhambra in Granada? Imagine no more as this is a real possibility.
The Festival de Granada offers a series of classical concerts (with some jazz, rock and flamenco inclusion) not only in Alhambra locations, but all around the city.
Festival de Santander
Palacio de Festivales de Santander, where the summer music festival takes place.
Historically the most important classical musical festival in Spain, although it has lost a bit of relevance in the last years, Festival de Santander takes place during the month of August.
Most of the performances take place in Santander’s Palacio de Festivales, but there are many chamber music performances in churches and palaces all over Cantabria.
Quincena Donostiarra
An impressive classical music festival that takes place every August in San Sebastian, and that has overshadowed the one in Santander. The program includes top performers but also gives place to many young Basque artists. There are also opera and ballet performances. The main location is Auditorio Kursaal, but there are many smaller concerts all over the city.
Festival de Benicassim
The Fiberfib is the most important indie music festival in Spain. During its four days in mid-July, the festival not only includes a lot of pop, rock & electronic alternative music, but also cinema, fashion and other arts.
Primavera Sound - Barcelona & Madrid
In a festival named ‘Primavera’ (Spring), weather can be very unpredictable.
Primavera Sound takes place in May and June, first in Barcelona and then in Madrid, with almost identical programme. It has a combination of top old and new artists, as well as many alternartive bands. It can be a bit expensive, but they offer some free concerts in venues around the cities.
Mad Cool Festival - Madrid
If you didn’t have enought in the spring, then you can have more in summer! Mad Cool is the largest music festival in the capital. The festival usually has an impressive line up of big names, but it’s still trying to figure out some logistic issues (mostly transportation).
Starlite Marbella
A concert (Wilco) at Starlite Marbella.
A festival set in an old quarry where you have more celebrities in the audience than on stage? Well, Marbella is extravagant in everything, and its Starlite festival is no exception. The program is a mix of big old time names with local young talent… all surrounded with many bars and restaurants. Calling it ‘pijo’ is an understatement.
Make sure to stay for the after show party which features DJs, bands, a club scene, and plenty of food and drink options.
Noches del Botánico - Madrid
The stage for ‘Noches del Botánico’, in the University’s Botanical Gardens.
A similar concept takes place in Madrid in June and July, but in a smaller scale. You can see music legends (In 2024 for instance the line up includes PJ Harvey, Status Quo, Sheryl Crow, Simple Minds, and Take That amongst others), and also big flamenco and indie music names. The location is a big apart from the city center, but easily connected by Metro. Details here.
Festival de Mérida
The Black Crowes at Teatro Romano in Mérida in June 2024
The Teatro Romano de Mérida is one of the best preserved Roman theaters in the world, and you must visit it if you are in Extremadura.
But every summer it has an extra allure to visit, as it houses the Festival de Mérida. The festival consists mostly of ancient Greek and Roman plays (in Spanish) with actors famous in Spain, but there are also some concerts as part of the Stone Music Festival.
Festival de Almagro
Almagro is a charming city in Castilla-La Mancha. In 1950, during some renovations a 16th century ‘corral de comedias’ was discovered. A ‘corral de comedias’ was and open air courtyard with balconies where theater was played during the 16th and 17th centuries (a more humble version of the Shakeperean Globe theater).
The unique ‘corral’ was restored and is the central venue to the Festival de Almagro, dedicated to the Spain’s golden age theater, with plays by Cervantes, Calderón, Tirso de Molina and Lope de Vega amongst others. Even if you don’t understand Spanish, those plays give the words an almost musical quality that is very enjoyable.
Festival Grec - Barcelona
This modern theater, music and circus festival takes place in an open air greek style theater in Montjuic. The programme includes many of the best companies in the world, with a preference for edgy and provocative shows. Some of the performances have subtitles in English, and some others are music and dance with no texts.
How to get tickets
Tickets can be bought directly in each venue website. Tickets for operas, concerts and summer festivals can sell out quickly, so planning ahead is very important. There are also some sites where you can buy tickets with total confidence. (These services only offer tickets from private theaters, not public ones).
In public theaters, Wednesdays are ‘Día del espectador’, when tickets are normally 50% off.
It’s showtime!
With a little planning, you can enrich your visit to Spain with music, theater, dance, and many others. Or you can leave the planning to us through our Spain Less Traveled services. We’ll help you to find the show best suitable for you and give you the leads to get tickets.
Check out our other general in depth guides!
Ready to start your journey?
Book a FREE 15 minute discovery call
to help you decide which of our professional Spain travel planning services suits you best.
