Across a vibrant summer, the contemporary cultural center in Alicante welcomed more than 2,500 visitors to a series of free and inclusive cultural offerings scheduled from July 7 through the final weekend in August. The program blended outdoor cinema, garden concerts, and live broadcasts, inviting audiences of all ages to engage with film, music, and visual arts in a city-wide cultural celebration.
Outdoor cinema loops were set up at the back of the venue, while the gardens and indoor spaces housed jazz and blues performances. In parallel, live opera broadcasts connected Casa de la Musica and Alicante museums with audiences who joined La Noche en Blanco La Nit en Blanc, a citywide initiative that elevated nighttime cultural access. The overarching aim of these events was clear: free admission and open access to everyone, regardless of background or experience.
Among the program’s participants, Nayma Belcilali, a member of the Cultural Council, highlighted how the space has taken on a new life. He described the venue as a hub with strong historical resonance that now offers a trio of experiences designed for all tastes and ages, reinforcing Alicante as a center of cultural reference.
During the cinema cycle, a total of 468 attendees gathered to watch films on Fridays July 8, 22 and 28. The screenings featured both adult and family-oriented titles, all subtitled in Spanish to improve accessibility for viewers with hearing difficulties. The films chosen—Goonies, The Secret of the Pyramid, and Zathura—offered adventurous and family-friendly storytelling, screened in the Las Cigarreras space, under a night sky that added a memorable touch to the experience.
In the Jazz and Blues Summer Series, the center drew a crowd of 1,508 along the walkway beside the vertical garden. The concerts occurred on four August Fridays and featured performances by Fusta i Jazz Quartet, Swing 26, Older Dogs Blues, and The Flag Boy’s Band Quartet. The Cultural Council member noted that the series once again demonstrated the substantial capacity of Las Cigarreras to host high-quality performances in these genres, enriching Alicante’s cultural life.
More operas for the future
This year also included a Live Broadcast of a Puccini opera from Madrid. On July 14, Turandot was streamed to audiences, prompting discussions about expanding the cultural offer in the coming year as attendees noted the strong interest in more opera programming. The experience underscored the potential for continued collaboration between Casa de la Musica and other cultural venues, strengthening Alicante’s reputation as a city that embraces international performing arts.
White Night
On July 21, 368 visitors attended an exhibition by the Generalitat Valenciana within the Exposició Art Contemporani de la Generalitat Valenciana, organized as part of La Noche en Blanco. Participants had the chance to view 19 works acquired by the Generalitat in 2021, reflecting the region’s commitment to contemporary art. A separate Cinquito project, entitled Play, directed by the Nucbeade Collective and filmed in spring 1980, was presented in Caja Negra, offering a different lens on the history of cinema and local creative voices.
Overall, the season highlighted the center’s capacity to blend education, entertainment, and community access. By pairing classical and contemporary offerings with modern urban culture, the events created a dynamic panorama that resonated with residents and visitors alike. The dialogue between film, music, and visual arts established a robust foundation for future programs, inviting continued exploration of new forms and collaborations within Alicante’s cultural landscape. The experience also served as a reminder that inclusive cultural spaces can nourish a city’s identity and vitality, turning public venues into living stories that people want to revisit and discuss with friends and neighbors. The organizers emphasized that feedback from attendees would guide next year’s lineup, reinforcing a shared sense of ownership and collaboration across the community. (citation: Generalitat Valenciana and Consorci de Museos de la Comunitat Valenciana)