Art and culture

Culture and shows

In Extremadura, culture is within reach of you. Discover the museums and spaces where festivals and theatrical performances are held, as well as the best auteur cinema, so that you can penetrate the flourishing alternative culture of this community.

Extremadura offers a wide variety of spaces where one can enjoy a broad range of cultural activities.

One date with culture and theatre that should not be missed is the Mérida International Classical Theatre Festival. It is held in summer in the ancient Roman Theatre, and will plunge you headlong into the classical, theatrical past of Augusta Emérita. Every year the festival boasts top names of the Spanish stage, meticulously-prepared sets and unmissable texts; all performed in an exceptional setting. As well as resuscitating the classics, Mérida, which has also been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is a town with plenty to attract tourists, as it has one of the most important sets of archaeological sites in Spain.

You can also enjoy Classical Theatre every summer in Alcántara, as part of its Classical Theatre Festival. And to enjoy contemporary theatre, what could be better than reserving a seat at the López de Ayala theatre in Badajoz?

Visit the Fundación Helga de Alvea Visual Arts Centre, a place of research, diffusion and education in the field of contemporary visual creation located in Cáceres, where you can take delight in contemporary art.

And speaking of art, Extremadura has some of the country's most important museums, in particular the National Museum of Roman Art, which houses Spain's most important collection of Roman art. A broad selection of the best of Latin American art can be found at the MEIAC in Badajoz, and archaeology enthusiasts can enjoy collections that are unique in Europe in both Badajoz and Cáceres, in their Archaeological Museums.

There is also an increasing demand for ethnographic heritage, as one of the aspects inherent in the identity of a people. To discover it, you can visit the González Santana Ethnographic Museum in Olivenza, or the Pérez Enciso Ethnographic Museum in Plasencia.

Music also carries great weight in this region. Every year the multicultural WOMAD festival returns to the historic town centre of Cáceres, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Folk and Celtic music an the best of the Indie scene gather every year in Plasencia, Alburquerque and Carbajo, municipalities where the Folk Festival, Contempopránea and El Magusto take place.