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The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is now regarded as one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century and this will be the first major UK exhibition dedicated to her work to take place for over twenty years.

Severely injured in a bus crash in her youth, Kahlo took up painting when confined to her bed. Kahlo's life was changed forever by the accident and the portrayal of her body, wracked with pain, is a recurring theme in her paintings. Kahlo said that there were two accidents in her life - the second was her tempestuous relationship with the renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. It is in her iconic self portraits, unrivalled in their poignant beauty, that Kahlo depicts both her isolation and also her indomitable spirit and sense of self. The exhibition also reveals the less well-known aspects of her work; her powerful political insights about national identity, the plight of the poor, the march of technology and Mexico's relationship with its neighbour the USA.

Kahlo draws upon a diverse range of influences, including Surrealism, ancient Aztec belief, popular Mexican folklore, Eastern philosophy and medical imagery. For example, her chosen format of small-scale oil paintings on metal, inspired by stylistically naive devotional paintings, reflects her Catholic heritage. Yet Kahlo subverts this language by creating taboo-breaking subject matter, dealing with the frailty of the body, birth, life and death.

Displayed alongside these celebrated portraits are several lush and erotic still-life paintings, as well as lesser known but equally intriguing watercolours and drawings. The majority of the eighty works included are from Mexico and the USA, making this a rare opportunity to view so much of her oeuvre in this country.

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Frida Kahlo, 2005 major exhibition at Tate Modern

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Poetas del siglo XX y XXI:

Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua)

Elvira Sastre (España)

Alejandra Pizarnik (Argentina)

Antonio Machado (España)

Miguel Hernández (España)

Blanca Varela (Peru)

Jaime Sabines (Mexico)

Federico Garcia Lorca (España)

Gabriela Mistral (Chile)

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POP

Amaral

La Oreja de Van Gogh

El Canto del Loco

Pereza

Estopa

Jarabe de palo

Rozalén

Lola Índigo

Miss Caffeina

Zahara

Rigoberta Bandini

ROCK

Fito & Fitipaldis

Marea

Extremoduro

Love of Lesbian

Izal

Sidecars

Leiva

Arde Bogotá

Triángulo de Amor Bizarro

León Benavente

Los Planetas

Sôber

INDIE POP / INDIE ROCK

Lori Meyers

Love of Lesbian

Viva Suecia

Los Punsetes

Vetusta Morla

Sidonie

La casa azul

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Elite

Paquita Salas

Lies and Deceit (Mentiras)

Victim Number 8 (Víctima nº 8)

Money Heist (La casa de papel)

Death Inc. (Muertos S.L.)

Burning Body (El cuerpo en llamas)

Smiley

Gentefied

Snakes and Ladders (Serpientes y escaleras)

The Mess You Leave Behind (El desorden que dejas)

Two Graves (Dos tumbas)

Cable Girls (Las chicas del cable)

One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad)

Intimacy (Intimidad)

The Most Beautiful Flower (La flor más bella)

A Perfect Story (Un cuento perfecto)

Sky High (Hasta el cielo)

The Patients of Dr Garcia (Los pacientes del doctor García)

A Widow’s Game (La viuda negra)

The Eternaut (El eternauta)

The House of Flowers (La casa de las flores)

The girls at the back (Las de la última fila)

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Aquí hay algunos podcasts que podéis escuchar para practicar vuestro español:

Acontece que no es poco: Repasa la historia de España y del mundo con humor. Episodios de 15 min.

El hilo: Podcast de noticias latinoamericanas explicado con contexto cultural y social, con un español claro y pausado

La escóbula de la Brújula: Historia, mitología, misterios y cultura popular con tono divulgativo y entretenido.

Leyendas Legendarias: Podcast mexicano sobre crímenes reales, misterios, historia oscura y folclore, contado con un humor negro y ácido.

'El Selector' (de Radio Ambulante): Centrado en la música, cada episodio explora un género, un artista o un fenómeno musical específico de Latinoamérica con una profundidad increíble.

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Spanish Masterpieces at the National Gallery

Ongoing

Venue: National Gallery

Details: Permanent collection featuring masterpieces from Spain’s Golden Age, including works by Velázquez, Murillo, and Zurbarán

Spanish and Latin American Works at the Tate Modern

Ongoing

Venue: Tate Modern, London

Details: Works by Carmen Herrera (Cuban-American), Damián Ortega (Mexico) and Spanish painters such as Dalí, Miró and Picasso are part of the museum permanent collection.

Spanish Works at The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A)

Ongoing

Venue: Victoria & Albert Museum

Details: Medieval & Renaissance Sculpture (Altarpieces from Valencia/Catalonia), Ceramics & Textiles (Hispano-Moresque pottery, 16th-century tapestries), Goya’s "Los Caprichos" (A full set of etchings, sometimes displayed in rotations)

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London Spanish Book & Zine Fair

Date: Saturday, 4 October 2025

Venue: Conway Hall, London

Details: Explore Spanish-speaking literature with over 50 publishers, including poetry readings, talks, and workshops.

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London Spanish Book and Zine Fair | Southbank Centre

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The London Spanish Book & Zine Fair is coming back to London this October with writers and publishers, translations, children’s books, fanzines, artists and illustrators showcasing the quality and diversity of Spanish-speaking literature.

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Like Water for Chocolate – Royal Ballet

Dates: 4 & 24 October 2025

Venue: Royal Opera House

Description: A ballet adaptation of Laura Esquivel's novel, featuring live audio-described performances with touch tours.

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Nothing tastes better than forbidden love.

Passion, mystery and magic combine as potent ingredients in this ballet by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, inspired by author Laura Esquivel's modern Mexican classic Like Water for Chocolate.

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including two intervals.

Approximate running times:

The Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre

Exceptional philanthropic support from

Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust

Generous philanthropic support from

Richard Baker, Sir Lloyd and Lady Dorfman OBE, Doug and Ceri King, John McGinn and Cary Davis, The Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund and The American Friends of Covent Garden

Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon generously supported by

The 2025/26 Royal Ballet Season is generously supported by

Stream previous performances and Insights

A deliciously captivating family saga

Tita grows up in the kitchen of the family cook, surrounded by its sights and smells. She falls in love with Pedro, a boy who lives nearby. They want to marry - but she is bound by an unquestioned family tradition: being the youngest daughter, she must remain unmarried to take care of her mother in old age. Caught between her yearning for Pedro and the formidable hand of Mama Elena, Tita's emotions spill out in her cooking, often in ways unexpected and startling.

To find out more about Like Water for Chocolate, including key plot points, a full synopsis and background information: read our Like Water for Chocolate Ballet Essentials page.

Fruitful Collaborations

Christopher Wheeldon's delectable ballet returns for its first revival since its premiere in 2022, when it was created for The Royal Ballet. Wheeldon's dramatic choreography combines with Joby Talbot's score and Bob Crowley's designs to propel us into the passion and chaos of Tita's family ranch in Mexico. The ballet is the third in a series of collaborations between Wheeldon, Talbot, Crowley and lighting designer Natasha Katz - fruitful collaborations that also yielded Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter's Tale.

As part of the ballet's creation process, Wheeldon worked closely with author Laura Esquivel to reshape her richly-layered story as an engrossing new ballet. Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra also acted as musical consultant for Talbot's original score.

Learn more about Christopher Wheeldon's contemporary choreography in our Guide to Contemporary Ballet and Dance.

A Work of Magical Realism

Like Water for Chocolate is inspired by Laura Esquivel's novel of the same name, considered a classic of the magical realism genre. Stories of magical realism feature the inclusion of supernatural or magical elements in everyday settings - other authors considered to write in a magical realist tradition include Isabel Allende, Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges. Some have critiqued the genre itself as an ethnocentric conception of Latin American writing.

To find exclusive souvenirs and gifts inspired by Wheeldon's ballet: explore the Like Water for Chocolate collection at the Royal Ballet and Opera Shop.

The cast of this production may vary depending on performance date. Go to cast and dates to see these.
See cast and dates

Access

There is lift access and step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. There are 10 steps or fewer to some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier. All seats in the Orchestra stalls are accessed by 9 steps or more. A handheld bell is rung by Front of House staff to signal guests to take their seats before a performance. The bell is loud and can be startling. The bell is rung approximately ten minutes before the show starts and at each interval.

We have an assistive listening system available to use.
Accessible performances:
There will be a Audio Described performance with a Touch Tour on 4 October and 24 October 2025. Touch Tours must be booked by contacting boxoffice@roh.org.uk for tickets.

Join our Access Scheme for priority access performance tickets and to personalise your account for your access requirements.

See our Accessibility page for more information on access at the Royal Opera House.

Donate

The Royal Ballet and Opera is a charity and relies on your support. No matter the size, every gift is critical to our work and helps us to secure the future of ballet and opera.

Your donation will enable us to keep extraordinary work on our stages, inspire the next generation and support the Royal Ballet and Opera's community of artists, technicians and craftspeople.
For people, not profit. Making world class ballet and opera for everyone.

Sign up to hear the latest Royal Ballet and Opera news, receive ticket alerts, and discover how to support us.

Sign up to hear the latest Royal Ballet and Opera news, receive ticket alerts, and discover how to support us.

Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)

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Find out about Like Water for Chocolate at the Royal Opera House. Passion, mystery and magic combine as potent ingredients in this ballet by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, inspired by author Laura Esquivel's modern Mexican classic Like Water for Chocolate.

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Calendario de octubre - Hispanic society

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Calendario de octubre - Hispanic society

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Royal Holloway’s Hispanic Society on Instagram: "🎃 OCTOBER IS HERE, AND SO ARE OUR EVENTS!
Get ready for a month packed with amazing vibes, parties, and socials🍸✨

From Movie Night Collab to our big Hispanic Day Party, Reggaeton Night, Dance Class, and spooky Halloween Social - there’s something for everyone!

🗓️ Check out our calendar and mark your dates, you don’t wanna miss out 😉

#HispanicSocietyRHUL #octoberevents #HispanicVibes #reggaetonnight #HalloweenSocial #hispanicdayparty #salsabachata #studentlife❤️ #royalholloway"

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29 likes, 0 comments - hispanicsocrhul on October 7, 2025: "🎃 OCTOBER IS HERE, AND SO ARE OUR EVENTS!
Get ready for a month packed with amazing vibes, parties, and socials🍸✨

From Movie Night Collab to our big Hispanic Day Party, Reggaeton Night, Dance Class, and spooky Halloween Social - there’s something for everyone!

🗓️ Check out our calendar and mark your dates, you don’t wanna miss out 😉

#HispanicSocietyRHUL #octoberevents #HispanicVibes #reggaetonnight #HalloweenSocial #hispanicdayparty #salsabachata #studentlife❤️ #royalholloway". 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Royal Holloway’s Hispanic Society (@hispanicsocrhul)

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BFI London Spanish Films

• Dates: 8 – 19 October 2025
• Description: A showcase dedicated to the best of Spanish cinema, featuring a carefully curated selection of recent films and restored classics that highlight the richness and diversity of Spanish film culture. The programme brings together emerging voices and acclaimed directors across genres ranging from drama and comedy to documentary.

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BFI London Film Festival - 4 to 15 October 2023

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Everyone is invited – discover the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling.

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Festelón - Festival of Spanish Theatre London:

Dates: 28 October – 2 November 2025

Description: Enjoy a week-long celebration of Spanish theatre featuring performances with English surtitles, workshops, and discussions.

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Festival of Spanish Theatre (London) Ltd

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FesTeLõn – The Festival of Spanish Theatre in London – is an independent project that promotes cultural exchange between Spanish theatre companies and theatre lovers in London. Since its launch in 2013, the festival has brought professional and critically acclaimed theatre companies from Spain to perform in London every year, offering them the chance to connect with new audiences and share their work on an international stage.

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Día de los Muertos

Date: 1 November 2025

Venue: Camden Market

Description: Free festival, involving a live stage programme of music and dance, a vibrant Day of the Dead parade led by Mandinga Arts, giant Skeletons and the Catrinas, Mexican art workshops, food and retail stalls, face painting, a traditional Day of the Dead altar, and so much more

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Where

Market Place, Camden Market Hawley Wharf

View on map

The spectacular Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, will return to Camden Market on Saturday 1st November.

You are invited to join us and celebrate Mexican culture with this free festival, involving a live stage programme of music and dance, a vibrant Day of the Dead parade led by Mandinga Arts, giant Skeletons and the Catrinas, Mexican art workshops, food and retail stalls, face painting, a traditional Day of the Dead altar, and so much more.

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The spectacular Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, will return to Camden Market on Saturday 1st November.

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Spanish Style: Fashion Illuminated, 1550–1700

Dates: 6 November 2025 – 22 March 2026

Venue: Hispanic Society Museum & Library

Description: An exhibition showcasing Spanish fashion from the 16th to 17th centuries, highlighting the opulence and cultural significance of the era.

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Spanish Style: Fashion Illuminated, 1550-1700 | Hispanic Society of America

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Spanish Style: Fashion Illuminated, 1550-1700

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Dates: Check calendar on website

Venue: Various venues in South London

Description: Catalan human tower rehearsals and performances

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Visita los cuadros hispanos en la National Gallery siguiendo está entrenida guía para comprender las obras maestras del arte español.

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Guía divertida para visitar las obras hispanas que hay en el Tate Modern y convertirse en expertos de arte.

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Deja en comentarios, tu recomendación sobre algún libro, película, serie, podcast, música o cualquier otro contenido sobre el mundo hispano que hayas consumido últimamente.

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Comparte en los comentarios cosas que estén ocurriendo en la universidad sobre la lengua española y su cultura.

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Por qué en muchos países de América Latina y España usamos dos apellidos | BBC Mundo

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Las palabras en español que provienen del árabe y que usas a diario quizá sin saberlo