Lanzarote Entertainment

Once the sun sets over the island, visitors and residents alike get their evening attire on and head out to Lanzarote’s entertainment areas in search of dining, drinking and dancing. The evening entertainment scene is geared towards tourists and you should probably look to the mainland if you are after a holiday with traditional Spanish cultural performances. However, if you just want a taste of something traditional, you can try one of the many fine restaurants available on the island, many of which play Spanish music while you dine.

Nightlife

While Lanzarote’s nightlife is perhaps a little tame in comparison to the likes of Tenerife or Ibiza, it still offers a good selection of venues with something to cater to most tastes. Along Jose Antonio street in the island’s capital Arrecife, you’ll find plenty of busy bars and discotheques, with popular names including Waikiki, Harley Rock, Rincón del Majo and Robinson Beach Club, while on avenida de las Playas in Puerto del Carmen, Paradise and the Big Apple are favourites. Venues keep late hours, with bars normally closing well after midnight and discos still going until around 05:00. One caveat is to be wary of not confusing ‘discos’ with ‘nightclubs’, the former are where you should head for a spot of dancing; however, the latter in Lanzarote are men-only clubs that feature strippers and the like.

Theatre and Music

Cultural entertainment venues are somewhat lacking in Lanzarote and the best holidaymakers can expect for is the live music that features in the evenings at many of the island’s bars. Bands and singers are often not locals and you’re more likely to find an Irish act performing than a Spanish one! Charlie’s Live Music Bar in Puerto del Carmen is popular with tourists, while the Mindanao saloon bar is a good spot to catch live music, dancing and shows

Festivals

There are a number of annual summer festivals that are unique to the city, with highlights including:

• Parade of the Three Wise Men is held on the 5th of January to celebrate the three wise men visiting the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. During the parade, camel riders give gifts and sweets to children at the roadside (January).
• Corpus Christi is a national religious festival in Spain and in Lanzarote the proceedings see the Eucharistic Host paraded around the town by the locals, while onlookers pay their respects from the roadside (June).
• Fiesta Monta Blanca is an annual affair in which the residents and visitors to the town take to the streets for fun and revelry (May).
• San Marcial of Femes festival is held in the first week of July and sees various festivities aimed at paying tribute to San Marcial, the patron saint of Lanzarote.
• Festival of the Virgin of the Volcanoes sees thousands of locals, dressed in traditional costume, make an exodus to the shrine of the virgin. The festival lasts for several days and also features a folk festival and a craft fair.