11th Noche en Blanco: which plan do you like best?
The night of Saturday 12 May marks the eleventh edition of the Noche en Blanco in Malaga. A few hours in which the city does not sleep. The whole of Malaga is a living stage where you can enjoy an infinite number of activities completely free of charge. And the weather forecast is excellent: good weather and no sign of rain. So, you know, take to the streets and enjoy what the city has in store for you!
What is the Noche en Blanco?
The Noche en Blanco is a cultural initiative that was created in 2002 in Paris. The idea was to open museums, concert halls, etc. during the night. In this way, artistic creation was brought closer to all citizens.
Such was the success of that event that other European cities soon joined in: Rome, Brussels, Riga… In Spain, the first editions of the Noche en Blanco were held in 2006 (Madrid), followed by Barcelona, Albacete, Burgos and Malaga in 2008. More and more people are enjoying this macro-event, and this year will be no exception.
More than 230,000 visits last year
According to data provided by the Councillor for Culture, Gema del Corral, the number of visitors has grown exponentially from the first edition to the last. While the first edition barely reached 30,000 visits, in 2017 it exceeded 230,000. A figure that confirms that the cultural offer of the Noche en Blanco in Malaga is extraordinary.
The Noche en Blanco venues
More than 100 spaces and 204 different activities make up the bulk of this Noche en Blanco, which promises to exceed the previous one in attendance and interest. The city centre is obviously the most packed with events, but it is not the only one. The MUPAM on Paseo de Reding, the Tabacalera building (with its Russian Art Collection and its Automobile Museum) or the CAC Málaga are some of the must-see places that are a little further away from the historic centre and worth a stroll there.
Concerts
If, for example, you like opera, the soprano Claudia Teruel will perform different arias from Baroque to Romanticism in Calle Alcazabilla. In the pergola of the Coracha rooms of MUPAM you can enjoy a string concert with works by Leclair, Bartok and Dvorak. Three women will give a concert of guitar, violin and voice at the MIMMA. In the Mercado del Carmen, La Pili will perform a selection of works by Spanish-speaking women composers on the piano (half-hour performances at 8, 9 and 10 p.m.).
More women: the jazz band Yes They CAMM, outside the façade of the Carmen Thyssen Museum. Or the soul of Adriana Rosa Gaban, from Malaga, at the Colegio de Graduados Sociales. You can also attend the fusion of opera and Spanish dance at the Malaga Bar Association. Polyphony, choral works, gospel, flamenco (at the Peña Juan Breva) are some of the other very interesting offers of the most musical Noche en Blanco.
The museums
All the city’s museums open their doors free of charge for you. Most of them have also designed special activities for that night. The Russian Art Collection, for example, in addition to its three exhibitions, has a workshop in the Forum space, in which the most representative concepts of its permanent exhibition, Radiant Future, will be discussed in order to find the pieces that meet these criteria. At the Centre Pompidou, as well as being able to visit the museum, there will be artistic activities such as Audiovisual Inspirations, Rhythmic Melodies. An artistic intervention by Mimi Ripoll and La dama de acero (all outside). The CAC offers a reading of texts in feminine language and the process of creation in the human being and the role of women in it. Museo de Málaga, Carmen Thyssen, Fundación Picasso, Museo Picasso, among others, will also offer alternative activities to put the museums in the street.
… and the galleries
The city’s art galleries have also contributed their creations to the Noche en Blanco. At the Javier Román gallery, Atrévete a mirarte (Dare to look at yourself) explores the world of emotions and sensations. The legendary Benedito invites you to visit its thematic exhibition El colour de la medicina (with works by different artists). In Fine Art, in addition to its exhibition of Plácido Romero, you can attend a 30-minute piano concert (there will be different performances)
Theatre
The performing arts also display all their art during the Noche en Blanco. For example, in the inner courtyard of the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Malaga-based company Sibilia Teatro will perform La travesura de la modelo, a dramatised reading of the painting of the same title. The Colegio de Graduados Sociales (College of Social Graduates) will host the theatrical performance El debate (The Debate), in which gender stereotypes and equality will be discussed. Entremeses de los Álvarez Quintero is the work of the cultural collective Mainake, at the Casa del Cardenal. Micro-theatres at the Malaga Bar Association and La divina comedia (at the Salvador Rueda Secondary School) are other events on offer during the evening.
Dance
Dance also has its place on this special night. For example, in the Plaza de la Marina you can watch a 10-minute performance of an impressive aerial and acrobatic dance show. In the same place, in other performances, five dancers will display their art dancing on stilts. Big dancers is a performance in which giant puppets (4 metres high) will perform different choreographies in the street with impressive light effects.
In the open air
In most of the streets in the centre of Malaga you can find plenty of open-air performances. A great option for that night is to stroll through the historic centre and discover the countless artistic proposals on every corner. Not forgetting that the vast majority of bars and restaurants will have their doors open to enjoy dinner, tapas or a drink while you enjoy life in the street. Urban art in the Plaza de la Marina; the installation La dama de acero in Muelle Uno; mini Italian classes in the gardens of Calle Císter; creative photocall in the Plaza del Carbón… There’s something for everyone!
Children’s activities
The little ones who want to enjoy this Noche en Blanco are going to have a great time. In Tomás Heredia Street they will be able to take part in a musical workshop. Also there, a mosaic workshop and a Greek dance show have been prepared for them. Fantasy characters will flood the Paseo del Parque. Or you can attend numerous storytellers (such as the one on the esplanade of the CAC). If you prefer storytelling in English, just go to Avenue de Molière, 27. Of course, you can’t miss the face painting on the Áurea terrace of the Hotel Salles. The FNAC also opens its doors to the little ones with a children’s workshop and a storyteller… There are plenty of activities for the princes and princesses of the house!
And much, much more
You can ride the tourist bus, visit the brotherhoods, go to the culinary workshop prepared by the Karuna cooking school… There is so much that it is impossible to highlight it all. Do you want more information? In this link you will find all the information available, and enjoy an unforgettable Noche en Blanco!