What’s new in Malaga in 2025

Welcome to our ‘traditional’ annual round-up when we take a look at the new year in the city. This round-up of what’s new in Malaga in 2025 includes special events, the latest developments and tourist news over the next year. All the information comes from official sources, but that’s no guarantee the listed items will actually happen! 

Special anniversaries in Malaga in 2025

2025 is a key year in Malaga, marking several landmarks. They include:

Malaga Carnival is 45

One of the most popular events in Malaga is 45 this year, so expect even bigger Malaga Carnival celebrations during late February and early March.

Caminito del Rey is 120

The walkway known as Caminito del Rey turns 120 in 2025. In addition, the restored gorge walk, one of the biggest attractions in southern Spain, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

Religious commemorations

As anyone familiar with Holy Week in Malaga knows, the city is home to numerous historic brotherhoods and several of them have important anniversaries in 2025.

Santa María de la Victoria (Our Lady of Victory)

The brotherhood of Malaga’s patron saint celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, with numerous celebrations on the calendar. They include:

• The transfer of Our Lady to several churches in Malaga during January and February.
• A procession from Malaga Cathedral back to the Lady Chapel in the Basilica de la Victoria on 4 May.

Read about the newly restored Lady Chapel, home to Santa María de la Victoria in the Basilica de la Victoria.

María Santísima de la Trinidad (Our Lady of Trinity)

In 2025, the brotherhood of Jesús el Cautivo (one of the most popular in Malaga) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the crowning of María Santísima de la Trinidad. A special mass takes place on 25 October in Malaga Cathedral, followed by a procession back to the Trinidad district.  

New developments in Malaga in 2025

Malaga has several large-scale projects in the pipeline. Those that will see groundbreaking this year are:

Centro Cultural La Chimenea

The landmark chimney in the Molinillo district to the north of the old quarter will get a new lease of life, with the construction of the Centro Cultural La Chimenea. The buildings, once the Fiat Lux thermoelectrical plant, will become a space for cultural events and the performing arts and house the Lucio Romero collection of film posters as a permanent collection. Expect work to finish in 2026.

San Andrés Marina

Work starts on this new marina, located on the western side of Malaga Port near Huelin, after Easter. The marina will have 500 mooring points, shops and restaurants, a cultural centre and a sailing school. Judging by the artist’s impression (see below), it promises to be a great space.

Work should take two years, so expect San Andrés Marina to be operational by mid-2027.

Campamento Benítez

Once a military compound, this vast open space near Malaga Airport is (finally) undergoing a major and much-needed facelift to the tune of €10 million. The ‘greening’ of the park includes the planting of thousands of trees and scrubs, and the reconditioning of areas to create play parks, sports installations and picnic spaces. Expect it to open in summer 2025.

New for tourists in Malaga in 2025

If you’re planning to visit this year, here’s what to expect:

ME by Melia Málaga

The first Meliá hotel in Malaga is on the corner of Plaza de la Merced and should open in June. The striking modern hotel will have 128 rooms, a convention centre, a gym and, on the top floor, an infinity pool and restaurant. ME by Meliá Málaga will be a 5-star hotel.

Find Malaga’s other 5 star hotels

If you can’t wait until June for the ME by Meliá Málaga to open or fancy treating yourself to a 5 star stay in the city, try these:

Flights connecting Malaga with the rest of the world

Malaga-New York – United Airlines resumes its daily Newark-Malaga flight from 1 May until the end of September. The company has promised to consider introducing a year-round service.

Malaga-China – the Andalusian authorities are negotiating with Air China to set up a direct route connecting the regions. Malaga Airport is in the running, but so are Seville and Granada Airports.

Malaga-Abu Dhabi – Etihad Airways has scheduled five direct flights a week linking Malaga with the UAE from July onwards.

Malaga-Granada – travel between the two cities could soon be possible by air taxi. Enaire has announced test runs in 2025, with the view to implementing the service during the year or by early 2026.

Bigger and better guide

The Guide to Malaga team has recently updated and upgraded Malaga on a Short Break, our best-selling Malaga travel guide. The 2025 edition is almost 70% bigger, but only €1 more expensive.

Buy and download your copy for just €5.95.

Great events in Malaga in 2025

As well as a packed calendar of events, Malaga welcomes several big stars this year. They include Brian Adams, playing in the city on 10 June as part of his Roll with the Punches tour, and Sara Baras and Ara Malikian at the 101 Music Festival in La Malagueta in the summer.

Outside the city, you can see A-list celebrities such as Bonnie Tyler, the Prodigy and 30 Seconds from Mars on stage at Marenostrum in Fuengirola, and Santana, Seal, Kool and the Gang, and Will Smith at Starlite in Marbella.

New art in Malaga in 2025

As usual, the city’s art museums will showcase world-class creations, with several promising exhibitions this year. They include:

2025 exhibitions at the Picasso Museum

The Royan Sketchbooks – the content from eight of Picasso’s sketchbooks will be on display, showing pencil and ink sketches and drawings. Picasso filled them while staying in Royan in France from 1939 to 1940. See them from 31 January to 30 April.

Farah Atassi, Genius Loci – the Belgian artist’s geometric figures take centre stage in the museum for almost eight months this year. You can enjoy works by Atassi, one of the biggest figures on the contemporary art scene, from 23 April to 14 December.

Oscar Domínguez – the Tenerife-born artist was one of the most important components of the Surrealist movement in Spain. You can see his works from 13 June to 13 October.

Avoid the (long) queues by buying a ticket in advance

2025 exhibitions at the Carmen Thyssen Museum

Zurbarán, Saints – the lovely Sala Noble at this art museum in Malaga will welcome 10 paintings of female saints by the great Spanish artist in 2025. These ladies are not often together, so this is a great opportunity to see them in one room. See it from 31 January to 20 April.

Liberated Painting – this exhibition celebrates Spanish artists who painted during the first years of the transition to democracy after Franco died in 1975. The large-format paintings carry the signatures of some of Spain’s greatest contemporary artists including Luis Gordillo, Chema Cobo and Miquel Barceló. See it from 31 March to 14 September.

Avoid the queues by buying a ticket in advance

Keep your finger on the Malaga button

If you’d like to keep up with what’s happening in Malaga in 2025, sign up for our free fortnightly Newsletter. In it, we list the latest in the city, events on the calendar for the following two weeks and let you know what’s new on Guide to Malaga.