If you're staying on the Costa del Sol your choice is more limited. If you prefer to see English language performances then the Salon Varietes theatre in Fuengirola mounts productions of the most popular plays and musicals of all time, performed by local professionals.  Tivoli World in Benalmádena hosts a range of cabarets and shows throughout the day from can-can to flamenco that will delight both you and your children.

If you would like a beautiful and romantic experience, plays and concerts are held in the caves of Nerja and Gibraltar . The limestone interior of these caves, when combined with some skillful lighting, creates a memorable setting. The temperature also remains constant all year round, providing a welcome change from the sometimes uncomfortably warm theatres you find elsewhere.

The strong point of live Andalusian entertainment, though, is definitely its music and dance. Flamenco takes centre stage as the most popular form of live Andalusian art and is a forceful artistic impression of the joys and sorrows of life. The rhythm of a Spanish guitar keeps time while the dancer creates additional sounds with clapping hands and stamping feet. There are dozens of variations of the dance and songs, from quiet melancholy to loud and fiery sounds. Flamenco is always slightly different and there are many displays of it all over the Coast, but the best time to see it is not on stage but during town and village fiestas , when women young and old dress in their extravagant flamenco dresses and perform all over town.