The Malaga Film Festival is the city’s showcase of Spanish-language cinema, and its 30th edition runs from 26 February to 7 March 2027. This is not a celebrity festival in the Cannes sense: the films are Spanish and Latin American, the stars are Spanish and the audience is mostly local. In 2026 it drew almost 111,000 people to 263 films. Whether it is worth planning a trip around depends on one question: do you want to sit in the cinema, or enjoy the atmosphere outside it?
Is the Malaga Film Festival worth timing a trip for? For the atmosphere, yes; for the films, only if you follow Spanish cinema. The 2027 edition runs from 26 February to 7 March, the red carpet outside the Teatro Cervantes is on a public street, and late February is low season, so hotels and the old town are quieter than in spring.
When it is, and which days to come
The festival opens on Friday 26 February, with the Biznaga de Oro prizes of 8,000 euros for the best Spanish and Latin American films at stake, with a gala at the Teatro Cervantes and closes on Sunday 7 March.
Before it, the MaF city programme fills 4 to 25 February with talks, exhibitions and screenings across town: 125 activities in 55 venues in 2026.
For a long weekend, take the opening one, 26 February to 1 March: you get the first gala nights and the busiest red carpets. The second week is quieter and belongs more to the industry. Hotel prices in late February are among the lowest of the year; see Malaga hotel prices by month and when Malaga is busiest.
Do you need Spanish to enjoy it
Language is the deciding point for most visitors. The Malaga festival is devoted to cinema in Spanish, so the competition, the ZonaZine section and the documentaries are in Spanish, and so are the talks with the cast. Do not count on English subtitles. If you want a film night in English during your stay, the cinemas that screen originals are in cinema in English in Malaga.
What needs no Spanish at all is the street side of the festival.
Where to watch the red carpet
The red carpet runs outside the Teatro Cervantes on Calle Ramos Marín, and on gala nights onlookers line the barriers along the street. The street is public, nothing to book, but the stretch by the door is narrow, so arrive early for the front row. Plaza de la Merced, round the corner, is where people wait.
In 2026 the festival also put up photo exhibitions on Calle Larios, held events on Muelle Uno and ran a beach space, La Villa del Mar, on La Malagueta from 7 to 13 March, open to the public with workshops and family activities. After a gala, the Merced area is where the evening carries on: see La Merced after dark. Dinner starts late here, from about 21:00, which fits neatly after an early red carpet.
If you do want a seat
There is no pass for the public; accreditation is only for press, film schools and industry, of whom there were 4,761 in 2026. Everyone else buys one session at a time:
- at the box offices of the Teatro Cervantes, Teatro Echegaray and Cine Albéniz;
- on the festival website or in its app;
- or, if a session has not sold out, on the day, when leftover seats are released.
Some sessions are free: the University of Málaga Rectorado, on Avenida de Cervantes 2, runs screenings with free entry until the room is full, and the auditorium inside the Picasso Museum has some with free invitations. Prices are published when sales open, a few weeks before the festival. The big galas go first, so book as soon as sales start if you want one.
How to plan a festival day in late February
The venues sit within about 500 metres of Plaza de la Merced, so a festival day works on foot. One way to run it:
- Morning: a museum, such as the Picasso Museum, two streets from the Cervantes.
- Midday: a matinee at the Cine Albéniz; allow about two hours per screening.
- Dusk: the red carpet outside the Cervantes, from Plaza de la Merced.
- After 21:00: dinner and tapas in the old town.
Late February is mild but not beach weather, and it overlaps with carnival: in 2027 the two can share a weekend, covered in Malaga Carnival. From the airport, the train or bus reach the centre: compare them in Malaga airport to the city centre, and for everything else, getting around Malaga.
Malaga Film Festival FAQ
When is the Malaga Film Festival 2027?
The 30th edition runs from Friday 26 February to Sunday 7 March 2027, opening with a gala at the Teatro Cervantes. A city-wide programme called MaF runs before it, from 4 to 25 February.
Can tourists attend the Malaga Film Festival?
Yes. There is no public pass or accreditation: anyone can buy a ticket for a single session at the box offices of the Teatro Cervantes, Teatro Echegaray and Cine Albéniz, on the festival website or in its app. Leftover seats are released on the day.
Are the films at the Malaga Film Festival in English?
Mostly not. This is a festival of Spanish and Latin American cinema, so nearly all of the 263 films shown in 2026 were in Spanish. Check each session before buying if you do not speak the language.
Where can I see the red carpet in Malaga?
Outside the Teatro Cervantes on Calle Ramos Marín, next to Plaza de la Merced. It is a public street, and on gala nights onlookers line the barriers, so arrive early for a front spot.