Where to listen to music in Girona

Industrial estate Torre Mirona de Salt. Time of entrance: confirmed. Time of departure: the night will decide! Inaugurated in 2001, La Mirona is one of the most important spaces for enjoying popular music in the Girona area. With two rooms (the large one can hold up to 1,800 people, and the small one up to 450), the club stages concerts by top-rate artists from Catalonia, Spain and further afield. In addition, they host theme parties, DJ sessions and good times until the early hours, with pop and alternative rock (you won't find the latest summer hits but you will definitely have a great time on the dance floor). Don't miss out - take a look at what's on.

If you're a fan of classical music and/or the latest Catalan hits, the Auditori de Girona is the place for you. Located in the heart of Girona, at the centre of la Devesa, it has two etablished seasons as well as a series of concerts during July, The Nights of Classical Music (els Nits de Clàssica). The programme of L'Auditori is based on three elements: quality, internationality and Catalanism, and has played host in the past to the likes of Spanish musician and composer Jordi Savall and Catalan singer-songwriter Roger Mas. The building, incidentally, was designed by a prestigious team of Girona architects and can host musical events while also functioning as a conference centre. All in one.

Bebop, free jazz, Dixieland, ragtime... Follow the rhythm and choose whatever genres you like, because at some point or other, you're bound to hear them at the Sunset Jazz Club, a landmark venue in Girona for all jazz lovers. Whether you like improvising or prefer to stick to the sheet music, whether your thing is big band, trio or solos, this Barri Vell club has a great programme of concerts by both national and international musicians, as well as an excellent range of background tunes. To get you really in the mood for the music, take a look at their cocktail menu (featuring both classics and house creations) as well as their selection of Irish whiskies and Scottish whisky, gins and vodkas. Nice!

Set a course for rumba and head straight to the Lola Café. This pub, with its warm, barroque decoration, is located at the heart of the Barri Vell and is a classic of Girona nightlife. Enjoy a drink or two there (cocktails, wine and other mixed drinks), and soak up the unique atmosphere. On various nights a week, the 'lolailo' style takes over the café, transforming it in to the cornerstone of Catalan rumba in Girona with live performances. Partying, fun and good vibes are the order of the day in this place, which for a decade now has also organised concerts with covers of pop hits. Drink in hand, let yourself go to the rhythm of the 'ventilador', and don't worry about what tomorrow might bring. Keep on dancing!

This is a place that welcomes anyone interested in art and literature. The Centre Cultural La Mercè, which opened in 1984, offers a range of activities: exhibitions, conferences on literature, poetry and cinema, concerts, plays... La Mercè never stops. Indeed, its objective is to provide the city of Girona with a space that's open to cultural activity. And it does so in a stunning venue: a former convent that dates from the 14th century that, during the 19th and 20th centuries, was used as a military hospital. Unfortunately, of the original building little remains, only the structure of the square floor around the cloister and the adjoining church with bell-tower, which has become the Auditori of La Mercè.

The Teatre Municipal de Girona exudes history through its very walls: built by the architect Martí Sureda, it was inaugurated in 1860 under the name of Teatro de la Reina. It was, in fact, the city's first theatre. During the Spanish Civil War, the CNT (Confederación Nacional de Trabajo, a confederation of independent trade unions) occupied the theatre and socialised it, putting on a programme of social and anarchist plays. Later, the theatre was taken over by the local council, then by the Grup Proscenium before eventually being returned to the council. The Municipal Theatre closed for renovation works in 1999, and it reopened seven years later. Since then, it's scheduled a widespread programme of events with something for everybody. 

The 'House of Culture', situated in the very heart of the city, is a private cultural foundation promoted by the Diputació of Girona, with the goal of making both the management of the centre and cultural initiatives undertaken around the province more efficient. You can enjoy temporary art exhibitions, courses on a range of subjects such as the humanities, psychology and languages, seasons, and music concerts.  

If you love Romanic and Gothic art, make a beeline for Girona's Art Museum. The centre, which was founded in 1976 in the former Palau Epsicopal (Episcopal Palace) of Girona, houses one of Catalonia's largest collections of art from those two periods. In addition, you can view Girona art from different movements: Romanic, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Realism, Modernisme and 'Noucentisme' (turn-of-the-century). Still want more? At the Museu d'Art you'll also find rooms dedicated to ceramics, glass, art belonging to the Catholic liturgy, and temporary exhibitions. You should also take advantage of seeing the unique features of the Palau itself: the Throne Room, Episcopal Prison, Bishop's Chapel and the Viewpoint, which offers one of the best views of Girona.

Café and book. Beer and concert. Glass of wine and poetry recital. Choose whichever combination you like, you'll find it at the Llibreria Cafè Context and much more besides. Since it opened, this venue has established a place for itself not only in the old 'Barri Xino' of the city but also in the diaries of many locals, who go there for a top-quality cultural space with gastronomy, presentations, exhibitions, poetry, small concerts and many other activities. It has a well-chosen selection of wines, beers and liquors, and you can also try plates of cured meats ('embotits') and cheeses, 'pinxos' (tapas served on slices of bread) and salads, among other options. The warm ambience and friendly welcome is all part of the service, as is the magnificent terrace that gives onto the Plaça del Pou Rodó. It's unmissable!