Bilbao, Spain — Activities
Bilbao Culture
The Bilbao Guide, published every two months by Bilbao Turismo, contains information about the main cultural events taking place in Bilbao. It is available at the city's tourist offices as well as from the majority of Bilbao's hotels.
Music
Bilborock
Bilborock is a popular venue for concerts, films and theater in what used to be a baroque church.
Muelle de La Merced 1
Tel: (94) 415 1306.
Website: www.bilbao.net/bilborock
Euskalduna Palace
Euskalduna Palace is a spectacular cultural center with a concert hall seating up to 2,200 people. It hosts all types of musical events, from classical and opera to jazz and rap. You can see top international acts and performances here. Fridays are reserved for classical music performed by the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra.
Avenida Abandoibarra 4
Tel: (94) 403 5000.
Website: www.euskalduna.net
Theater, Music and Dance
Teatro Arriaga
The main theater in Bilbao is the Teatro Arriaga, on the banks of the Nervión River. Here you can experience world-class opera, classical music, ballet, dance, performance and even zarzuelas (comic operas).
Plaza Arriaga 1
Tel: (94) 416 3533.
Website: www.teatroarriaga.com
Bilbao Tours
Walking tours
Bilbao Turismo organizes two guided walking tours on most Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. One of the tours covers the Old Town, taking participants back in time to Medieval Bilbao with its cobbled streets, charming corners and squares, and traces its development through the centuries. This tour starts at the tourism office by the Arriaga Theater. The second tour covers the Ensanche-Abandoibarra area and explores Bilbao's architectural and urban development from the 19th century to the present, taking a look at the throbbing heart of a city where tradition and modernity converge. This tour starts at the tourism office next to the Guggenheim Museum. Both tours last for about 90 minutes and reservations are not necessary.
Tel: (94) 479 5760.
Website: www.bilbao.net/bilbaoturismo
