A salt-worker’s story: the musical ‘Víctor’ premieres inside a volcano

If you’ve ever stood inside Jameos del Agua and felt the cool breath of the volcanic earth around you, you’ll know it’s a place that already feels like theatre. Now imagine that same lava tube filled with music, light and the story of a man who spent his life working the salt flats under the Lanzarote sun. That’s exactly what happened on the 10th and 11th of July 2026, when the new musical “Víctor” had its premiere in the Auditorio Jameos del Agua.

The show is inspired by the life of Víctor Fernández Gopar, known across the island as “El Salinero”. He was a salt-worker and a poet, and is remembered as one of the most representative figures of Lanzarote’s popular culture. The production uses his biography as a narrative thread to weave a larger story about island identity, memory and tradition. Local media have described it as a “gran espectáculo musical original” – a large-scale original musical – and the choice of subject alone tells you this is a piece deeply rooted in Lanzarote’s cultural heritage.

A stage like no other in the world

The venue is half the magic. The Auditorio Jameos del Agua is not a conventional theatre. It’s a natural auditorium carved inside a section of the volcanic tube formed by the eruption of the Volcán de la Corona. The stage sits inside the tunnel itself, with walls of dark basalt stone that provide extraordinary natural acoustics. The seating follows the gentle slope of the cave floor, and the whole space holds around 550 people.

It’s widely described as unique in the world – a fully functional performance space inside a lava tube. When you attend a concert or a show here, you’re not just watching a performance; you’re sitting inside the geology of the island, surrounded by the same forces that shaped Lanzarote. For a musical about a salt-worker and poet whose life was so tied to this landscape, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting stage.

What we know about the production

The available news reports name the show and its subject clearly, but they don’t provide a verified list of the creative team. No director, book writer, composer or producing company is specified in the official or press sources we’ve reviewed. What is clear is that Los Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo (CACT Lanzarote) are involved as the host venue and ticketing platform, and cultural programming at Jameos del Agua is typically coordinated under Culturalanzarote and Escena Lanzarote, the island’s official culture platforms.

The framing of the show in local media – particularly in Diario de Lanzarote and La Voz de Lanzarote – positions “Víctor” as a flagship cultural event for the island. The emphasis is firmly on El Salinero as a symbol of Lanzarote’s popular culture, and the production is presented with clear institutional support. However, as of now, there are no published audience reviews, box-office figures or critical assessments from after the premiere. The reception, in terms of numbers and long-term success, remains undocumented in the sources available to us.

Will there be more performances?

The premiere run consisted of just two dates: Friday 10 July and Saturday 11 July 2026, both at 20:00. Multiple sources – local press and event listings – agree on this two-date schedule. As of the information we have right now, there is no confirmed extension, no further dates and no long-running season announced for “Víctor” beyond those two evenings.

That said, the Jameos del Agua auditorium is used regularly for other concerts, festivals and shows – including the Festival de Música Visual, “Noches de Jameos” and other musical productions. So while “Víctor” might return, any mention of more performances would be unconfirmed at this stage. If you’re hoping to catch it, your best bet is to keep an eye on Culturalanzarote and CACT Lanzarote event schedules as the season unfolds.

Jameos del Agua: much more than a venue

Even if you don’t manage to see “Víctor”, Jameos del Agua is worth a visit in its own right. It was the first Art, Culture and Tourism Centre created by Lanzarote artist and architect César Manrique, inaugurated in 1968. The complex occupies a stretch of the Túnel de la Atlántida, a lava tube where sections of the roof collapsed to create “jameos” – natural openings in the volcanic rock.

Manrique’s intervention is a masterclass in harmony between architecture and nature. Visitors descend into a cave with a subterranean salt lake connected to the ocean, home to tiny blind albino crabs (Munidopsis polymorpha) found nowhere else on Earth. From there, paths and stairs rise to the open-air Jameo Grande, with its iconic turquoise pool, white terraces, palms and lush planting – probably the most photographed spot in the whole centre. There’s also a restaurant, bar and café built into the rock, the natural auditorium, and the Casa de los Volcanes, a scientific and interpretive centre with interactive exhibits and immersive simulations about Lanzarote’s volcanology.

For daytime visits, Jameos del Agua is open every day of the year from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:15. Adult tickets typically range from about €15 to €17, with reduced rates for children, Canarian residents and people with disabilities. Combined tickets that include the Casa de los Volcanes are also available. And if you’re around on a Friday evening, the “Noches de Jameos” programme combines a visit, à la carte dinner and a concert – a magical way to experience the space after dark.