Manu Chao performing at the 2015 Festival.
The Three Cultures Festival – August
What is the Three Cultures Festival?
The Three Cultures Festival of Frigiliana was created in 2006. The local government wanted to promote the village as a quality tourist destination and created the annual event combining culture, music, cuisine and theatre in a celebration of the historic and rare co-existence of Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions. The event now attracts thousands of people to Frigiliana and gets significantly bigger year on year.
The festival is centered around the main Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the centre of Frigiliana where over 150 stalls selling food, clothes and local produce all vie for attention. A large music concert with stage and seating takes place here each night with a late fireworks display.
Programs are available in English and Spanish
Visitors will also encounter many medieval street performers and belly dancers, film screenings and craft workshops as they wander the streets from the Parque de Andalucia to the Plaza de Iglesia.
Exisiting and pop-up restaurants design culturally-themed menus around each religion.
There is a popular projector show at the San Antonio de Padua church celebrating the cultures with a slideshow of images against the white wall.
The Three Cultures Tapa Route
Hundreds of visitors also complete the two popular tapa routes passing bars and stands around the village which offer tapas and drinks for €1.50-€2. If you pop into the official marquee in the centre of Frigiliana at the beginning of the evening you will pick up a card to be stamped at each bar before getting a free commemorative t-shirt at the end of the night. There are actually 2 tapas routes – one with a Moorish theme, the other Mudejay – and those who make it to all 21 bars receive a ruck sack.
When is the Three Cultures Festival?
The dates for the festival are usually confirmed a few months beforehand but usually takes place over four days on the last weekend in August.
Travel
Parking is difficult due to the large amount of visitors – we advise you to keep your parking spot during the four days or return to the village mid afternoon at the latest. There is a special hourly shuttle bus service from Nerja to Frigiliana during the festival from 7pm until 2am each evening – returning from Frigiliana on the half hour. Single tickets are €1 per person.