Feria de Malaga to kick off with a bang

As Malaga’s annual fair gears up to its grand opening tonight, emphasis has been placed upon a more traditional experience than in previous years, with some new features being introduced to bring back a classic feel.

The local council has placed flamenco at the heart of the festivities, encouraging people to flock to the Real de El Cortijo de Torres, the fairground which hosts much of the fair’s activities.

With stress being placed on ‘social harmony’ and ‘fun,’ combined with a revised cleaning schedule which aims to clear the city centre earlier than usual, there is concern that the council’s ulterior motive could be to contain the feria in the fairground enclosure as much as possible.

Fireworks will kick the celebrations off with a bang at midnight on Friday. From the port a total of 820 kilos of fireworks will be launched in a spectacular display set to last 18 minutes and forming 32 different sequences.

Revellers can head down to the beaches of Malagueta or San Andrés to see the fireworks and party to music being played on loudspeakers, before the fair’s inaugural concert by Andy & Lucas, the popular flamenco-pop duo from Cadiz.

The recently-opened metro will extend its services during the festivities, and will run throughout Friday’s opening night. The underground system will remain open on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 6.30am and 1.30am the following day.

New additions to the fair this year will be horse shows and spectacles hosted every day in the new equestrian centre, and a focus on flamenco music, with performances in the Flamenco Music Tent every day at midday.

The Feria de Malaga will run from Saturday 16 until Saturday August 23.