Zarzuela "La verbena de la Paloma" in Valencia

Les Arts presents the zarzuela «La verbena de la Paloma» from 2 to 8 November 2026. The work is set in late 19th-century Madrid and follows the jealousy and romance that emerge during the festivities of the Virgin of the Paloma, alternating between spoken and sung sections, as is characteristic of the genre.

It is one of the most frequently performed titles of the so-called género chico, the one-act variant of zarzuela that was hugely successful in Spanish theatres in the late 19th century: music by Tomás Bretón with libretto by Ricardo de la Vega, premiered in Madrid in 1894.

Hours and tickets

Performances are scheduled at various times throughout those days, with no fixed time applying to all shows, and tickets are already on sale; ticket prices and the cast for this production have not yet been published, so it's worth checking the official Les Arts website before buying. The theatre, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2005, is part of the Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències, the complex built on the former bed of the Turia river, alongside the Oceanogràfic, the Hemisfèric and the Museu de les Ciències. EMT line 35 goes to the entrance of the complex.