Hola from Malaga! 

First of all, we’d like to welcome our new subscribers to the newsletter – lovely to have you with us. ¡Bienvenidos!

Autumn has arrived in Malaga although you wouldn’t know it. We’re still enjoying the summer with lovely warm temperatures and slightly fresher evenings. The weather for next week promises more of the same so perfect for enjoying the beach and the great events on over the next fortnight. As usual, there’s a long list of free concerts, great art, wine festival, Billy Wilder treats plus a taste of Japan. See our round-up below for full details.

If you’re looking for events during the whole of October, check out our monthly what’s on guide. The autumn makes the perfect time to visit Malaga so get ahead and book your accommodation and when you’re in the city, don’t forget to try some of the delicious autumn fruit on sale at the markets.

This week, we’ve welcomed Electric Car Tours to Guide to Malaga. They offer self-drive tours around Malaga in a Twizy car, zero emissions and a very different way to see the city.

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And if you've got any questions or need extra information about Malaga, do get in touch on info@guidetomalaga.com. You can keep up with Malaga and us via our Twitter account @guidetomalaga and our Facebook page.

What's on  and what's new in Malaga over the next 2 weeks

Wine harvest festival – if you’re in the city centre this evening (Friday 27), pop along to Calle Alcazabilla for the celebration of the Malaga wine harvest festival. From 7pm onwards, you can see the traditional wine pressing (with bare feet), taste wine from several local bodegas and enjoy live verdiales music from the Montes de Málaga. (What a great way to start the weekend!)

Keyhole Art Fair – the 2nd edition of this unusual art exhibition takes place this weekend (Friday 27 to Sunday 29 September) at several venues in Malaga. The first floor of the Petit Palace Plaza Hotel (off Calle Larios) has an exhibition of works by 40 Spanish artists. Live painting will take place on Plaza de la Marina tomorrow (28 Sept) between 10am and 2pm. Tickets cost €10 and include free entry to the Pompidou Centre, the Picasso Foundation and the Russian Museum. Available online here.

Free lunchtime concerts – concerts in the chapel next to the Jorge Rando Museum (on Calle Cruz de Molinillo, off Calle Ollerías in the old quarter) have resumed after the summer. Watch and listen every Saturday at noon.  

Free guitar concert – the Guitar Orchestra of Malaga performs in the patio at the Carmen Thyssen Museum tomorrow (Saturday 28) at 6pm. They’ll be playing pieces by Rossini, Granados, Albeniz and Falla. Free entry, but get there early to be sure of a seat.

Free Sunday concert – Malaga’s Municipal Band is celebrating its 160^th anniversary this year and holding a commemorative concert this Sunday (29 September) in the patio at the Museum of Malaga at noon. The programme includes music by Verdi, Mussorgsky, Granados, Turina and Puig. Free entry.

Japan in Malaga – the second edition of the annual takes place from 1 to 7 October and includes workshops on all things Japanese such as origami, calligraphy, sake tastings and flower arranging. Workshops take place in the Ateneo on Calle Compañía, just off Plaza de la Constitución and are free, but you need to get tickets beforehand. Full details here.

Billy Wilder classics – the Albeniz Cinema on Calle Alcazabilla is paying a tribute during October to one of the greatest film directors ever. You can see Some Like it Hot on 3 October and The Apartment on 10 October, both at 8.30pm. Tickets available at the cinema.

Open Doors at the Russian – the Russian Museum has free entry this Sunday (29 Sept from 9.30am to 8pm) to welcome the two new exhibitions (see below) and on Saturday 5 October between 8 and 11.30pm for an evening of theatre, cinema with musical accompaniment and guided tours. 

New Art at the Picasso – The Picasso Museum has just welcomed its latest temporary exhibition, Calder – Picasso exploring the two artists’ perception of “empty space”. Expect lots of sculptures and installations. Open daily 10am to 7pm, free entry Sundays after 5pm.

New Art at the Russian – two new temporary exhibitions have arrived at the Russian Museum. In Search of Shambhala looks at work by symbolist painter Nikolai Roerich and focuses on his paintings of the Himalayas and Tibet; and Anna Ajmátova looks at work by the celebrated Russian poet and portraits of her and the men in her life. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 8pm, free entry Sundays after 5pm.

French tall ship - Le Marité is moored next to the Pergola from Monday 30 Sept to Friday 4 October. You can visit the historic tall ship on these dates between 9am and 6pm.

A Chorus Line – we’ve had a flood of emails enquiring about how to get tickets. Antonio Banderas and the cast presented the musical officially last week and announced that the show will now be running from mid-November until 26 January. No date is available for ticket sales – we’ll be giving updates and you can keep an eye on things via the Teatro Soho website. 

Banksy and Lego – both these exhibitions have extended their stay in Malaga. The Art of Protest featuring Banksy’s work is on at La Térmica Cultural Centre until 13 October and the Lego and 3D exhibitions on Muelle Uno are in town until 24 November. Both are worth seeing.

CAC Malaga – Malaga City Council has finally sorted out the new tender for the art space and have announced that the museum will be reopening sometime in mid-October. The star of the first exhibition will be Irish artist Sean Scully, twice runner-up for the Turner Prize. We’ll keep you posted.