Film and Theatre

The variety of film and theatre in Alicante offers fun and entertainment for all ages and there are venues throughout the city and surrounding areas to enjoy comedy, culture, music and dance. A wonderful time when film and theatre in Alicante gets into full swing is during one of the many festivals when some of the performances take to the streets and spectators are encouraged to join in the fun and frivolity. Street theatre can be enjoyed during the summer months along the beautiful Explanada de España where you will see mime artists and buskers entertaining the crowds, and the various outdoor auditoriums hold impromptu live concerts.

City Venues

The main venue for film and theatre in Alicante is the Teatro Principal that is housed in a spectacular Neoclassical building that was constructed in 1846. Here visitors can enjoy a variety of performances throughout the year such as dance, opera, concerts and cultural festivals. MARQ (Archaeological Museum of Alicante) is another venue where events are held in the lovely gardens including poetry recitals, open air music performances and wine tastings. Another venue where visitors can enjoy performances is the Teatro Arniches.

Although there are several large and modern cinema complexes in Alicante, mainly located in the larger shopping malls, I refer to this article as film and theatre in Alicante as I don't mean the latest blockbusters screened in 3D with Dolby surround sound, but rather venues offering cultural or Spanish cinema such as the old city landmark, Autocines El Sur that screens a variety of international and Spanish classics. For venues offering the latest blockbuster movies take a look at some of our articles on Alicante's commercial centres (shopping malls).

Surrounding Venues

For one of the longest running and largest theatrical performances in Spain, a visit to the amazing Medieval Festival held in nearby Elche sees virtually the entire city centre turned into one huge stage set. Held around mid October each year, the stage and street performances are lively and colourful with much singing, dancing and fanfare that goes on for days.

One of the most unique venues for live theatre and music performances is the Canelobre Caves located about a 30 minute drive from Alicante near the inland village of Busot. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Alicante, the caves main grotto with its huge domed ceiling is aptly named Cathedral Cave, and due to its near perfect acoustics is sometimes the venue for delightful live concerts, theatre and poetry recitals.

Centro Commercial Gran Via

Situated on the outskirts of Alicante city centre on Calle José Garcia Sellés, Centro Commercial Gran Via houses a great selection of popular retail outlets, a large supermarket, several cafes and restaurants and a fun Kids Zone.