Valencia Weekend: Summer Concerts
Buen finde! It’s a busy Valencia weekend for live music and IVAM has new exhibitions worth a visit, including a screening of an experimental film about the loudest sound ever recorded on earth. It’s also the last chance to catch events at Festival Fronteras.
Music & Performance
For fans of folk music, on Thursday and Saturday, L’Etno museum in El Carmen hosts two free concerts as part of its ongoing series — Thursday features Kram | Stanbrook performing original work composed from traditional Greek and Valencian instruments; Saturday brings Gala i Ovid with a modern take on Galician song. Tickets are free but limited. Collect in person at the museum reception.
Source: L’Etno
The energetic Les Greene & the Swayzees play soulful rockabilly and blues at 16 Toneladas in La Saïdia — check the website for tickets. Over in Arrancapins, Pittsburgh indie-rock artist Zack Keim takes the stage at Loco Club, a small room well-suited to music that moves between garage rock and folk. Booking required for both.
Sources: 16 Toneladas · Loco Club
This weekend also closes out Festival Fronteras at Les Arts. The programme includes a talk with acclaimed British conductor Mark Elder on the modern sensibilities of Puccini — conducted in English with Spanish translation — which doubles as a preview of Les Arts’ upcoming production of Turandot. Free entry.
Source: Festival Fronteras
The summer open-air season has started at Jardines Viveros in La Saïdia, with Nits de Vivers running through early June. The current programme is mainly Spanish-language pop; the bigger international lineup — UB40, Garbage, Deep Purple — arrives in July as part of Conciertos de Viveros. Tickets required; worth booking ahead if you’re interested in July.
Sources: Nits Vivers · Conciertos de Viveros
Visual Art & Exhibitions
IVAM in El Carmen has new exhibitions open this weekend, including delicate blown-glass sculptures by Mexican artist Tania Candiani. The museum is also screening Krakatoa, an experimental documentary and sound art film about the 1883 volcanic eruption in Indonesia — framed around the fact that it produced the loudest sound ever recorded on earth. Free with museum entry; no booking required.
Source: IVAM — Krakatoa screening
Community Calendar
Lots of music for lovers of folk music this weekend! On Friday, Irish singer-songwriter Kevin Connolly teams up with Texas duo Los Burtons for a folk and blues show at Espai Llimera in Arrancapins. Booking through Ticketandroll
Then on Saturday, Nina Mae Harper debuts her first album at La Vitti in Algirós on Saturday 30 May. Intimate venue, cash only, limited seats — arrive early. Nina Mae Harper
If you’ve ever wanted to try padel, the Padel Social at Padel Alboraya on Sunday 31 May is a good way in. Entry is €12, open to all levels — you’ll be matched with a partner and grouped by ability for a series of short matches. This time, for an additional donation, you can enter with your own partner. Organised in English. Join via WhatsApp for details.
Coming Up
Russafart — Fri 5–Sun 7 June, Ruzafa. Ruzafa’s annual open studios weekend, with galleries and workshops across the neighbourhood opening to visitors. Talks, exhibitions, and workshops across three days. Free.
Corpus Christi — Sat 6–Sun 7 June, Plaza Virgen, Ciutat Vella. Valencia’s Corpus Christi festival brings processions, giant figurines, and traditional dances to the historic centre. The procession through Carrer Avellanes — when residents douse participants with buckets of water — is a favourite. Free.
Premier Padel Valencia — from Sat 6 June, Fonteta San Lluís, Quatre Carreres. The Premier Padel tour arrives in Valencia for a nine-day tournament with top-ranked players. Tickets required.
