Spain packs May events
Spain turns Manila into a cultural grid: Rights, art, food, memory used as soft power across public space.
The Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, through Instituto Cervantes and its Cultural and Education Offices, unveils its May program in which the celebration of the Internternational Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia will be one of its main events.
On 19 May, Instituto Cervantes Intramuros will once again host a platform for the LGBTQIA+ community to engage the public on key issues and advocacies, reaffirming Spain’s commitment to equality as it enters its second year as co-chair of the Equal Rights Coalition alongside Colombia.
Music, whether classical or underground, is always a part of the Embassy of Spain’s cultural agenda. Michelin-starred chef Chele González fuses gastronomy with electronic music in Medium Rare, a unique event where sound and flavor collide. Be there when it happens on 9 May at the Manila Peninsula in Makati.
On 11 May, Pablo Bolívar will stop by the DLSU-College of St. Benilde campus to give a talk to students about his experience as a DJ and music producer, sharing insights into his creative process and work in sonic music production.
As the Museo del Galéon in Mall of Asia opens its doors to the public this month, visitors may also trace the routes taken by the ships that in effect launched globalization through maps provided by the Archivo Histórico de la Armada of Spain.
With Vínculos lingüísticos: Filipinismos en el español, the Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española resumes its lecture series on the interplay between Spanish and Philippine languages. On 21 May, Danica Salazar will speak on Philippine loanwords in Spanish at Instituto Cervantes Intramuros.
Visual artist Cristina Mejías and photographer García de Marina take over Manila with back-to-back exhibitions, opening on 23 May at the Vargas Museum in UP Diliman. The showcase expands on 25 May at Casa Azul Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros, where both artists present parallel exhibitions, amplifying their shared yet distinct artistic visions.
Instituto Cervantes launches Beningeli 2026, a worldwide festival of Spanish-language literature featuring over 100 participants in in-person and digital events, including a May 26 roundtable with Filipino playwrights and Uruguayan writer Denise Despeyroux, followed by a writing workshop led by the Madrid-based dramatist the next day.