Nerja Caves Festival

Imagine sitting in a vast natural amphitheatre, surrounded by ancient stalactites and stalagmites, while listening to world-class performances. This is the magic of the Nerja Caves International Festival of Music and Dance, a one-of-a-kind event held on the Costa del Sol.

Each summer, the caves, formed over 250 million years ago, host some of the finest music and dance performances, blending history, nature and culture.

Over the years, this prestigious festival has attracted international stars, including Montserrat Caballé, Mstislav Rostropovich, Paco de Lucía, José Carreras, Malú, Luis Fonsi and Ara Malikian (pictured below).

Stunning, natural amphitheatre

The Nerja Caves Festival started in 1960, the same year that the cave itself opened to the public after it was discovered by five boys playing in the area in 1959.

The caves’ natural acoustics and extraordinary beauty make this event a must-see for culture lovers visiting Spain.

For an unforgettable summer evening, few venues rival the stunning backdrop of the Nerja Caves.

2026 Festival Cueva de Nerja

Unfortunately, as of May 2026, it appears that the 2026 edition of the Nerja Caves Festival will not go ahead.

The last edition to take place was in 2024. In 2025, it was cancelled because of legal disputes between the venue and the organisers, leaving “too little time” to organise it.

Reports suggest that a tender process for the event, running from 2026 to 2030, is underway, but information remains scarce.

How to get to Nerja Caves from Malaga

Nerja is just 50 kilometres east of Malaga, making it an easily accessible destination.

You can travel by car via the A-7 motorway, with the journey taking about 45 minutes.

Buses are also available from both Malaga’s main bus station and Muelle Heredia, with services running frequently to Nerja.

That said, many of these shows will finish after the last bus, so it might be worth considering booking accommodation in Nerja for the night.

Daryl Finch

Daryl is the co-founder of Malaga Guru. He is a copywriter, editor and translator who moved to Malaga over a decade ago, having first fallen in love with the city on his Erasmus year. After working for many years at local expat newspaper SUR in English, Daryl gained expert knowledge in life from the perspective of foreign residents and decided to co-found this site in 2016.