A smooth bus ride, dinner with friends, a VIP front‑row seat, and Tom Jones sounding better than ever. A warm night in Murcia, a legendary voice, and one of the best performances I’ve seen from him yet.
Back in December 2023, I bought myself a ticket to see Tom Jones perform at the bullring in Murcia. I’ve seen him around ten times over the years, but the excitement never fades. Today was finally the day, and I made a little overnight trip of it.
Travelling to Murcia,
Since I no longer drive, I caught the bus from the stop just 350 metres from my apartment. I left home at 12:15, reached the stop quickly, and sat down to wait. An Indian man asked if this was the Murcia bus stop, and I told him it was, and that I was heading there too.
A few minutes later, four Dutch ladies crossed the road to ask the same question. I said it was, and they joined me. We all boarded together, stopped briefly at Torre Pacheco, and then continued to Murcia.
From the bus station, I took a slow walk to Hotel Hesperia Murcia Centro. I’ve stayed there several times now, it’s clean, comfortable, affordable, and perfectly located for both the bullring and the bus stop. Once checked in, I put the air‑conditioning on and had a short siesta.
When I woke up, I had a message from my friend Donna. She was also going to the concert with her brother Chris and his wife Sarah, and asked if I wanted to join them for food and a drink. Perfect timing.
Dinner at Mercado de Correos.
I headed over to Mercado de Correos, a food‑hall‑style complex I’d never visited before. I was impressed the moment I walked in. It’s a large, lively space with food stalls around the edges and in the centre, and plenty of seating.
We all ordered different meals, Chris had a steak skewer, Donna a cheeseburger, Sarah a carbonara she wasn’t thrilled with, and I had mango chicken with fried rice. We had a few drinks and listened to music drifting in from the courtyard.
One thing I loved was the ordering system. You can scan the QR code on the table, browse all the menus, and pay directly from your phone. Even better, you can split the bill instantly, each person pays their part, and the remaining balance updates in real time. It was simple, quick, and avoided the usual “who owes what” chaos.
Before we left, Donna’s friend Marina joined us, and we all walked to the bullring together.
Tom Jones at the Plaza de Toros de Murcia,
We separated at the entrance because I had a VIP ticket. I went through a different gate, had a paper VIP wristband attached to my arm, and walked straight to my front‑row seat, directly in front of the stage. It was perfect, plenty of legroom, nobody in front of me, and a clear view.
I chatted briefly with the English lady next to me, then went to the bar for a beer. I returned to my seat just as the show began, impeccable timing.
I asked security if I could place my walking stick at the front of the stage so I didn’t have to hold it or risk knocking anyone. They said yes, so I tossed it gently forward, took a big gulp of beer, and settled in.
Tom Jones was incredible. His voice was powerful, rich, and full of emotion. He performed a mix of early hits, later songs, and covers he clearly loves, Dusty Springfield, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry. A few songs hit me personally, and I felt tears welling up more than once.
Hearing The Green Green Grass of Home, It’s Not Unusual, Sex Bomb, and of course Delilah live again was fantastic.
After the show, I walked back through Murcia to my hotel and went straight to bed.
The Morning After.
I slept well. After washing and dressing, I went down for the complimentary breakfast, complimentary because I’d booked through Booking.com. Unfortunately, the buffet hadn’t improved since my last stay. The cold meats and cheese were fine, but the hot food consisted of flavourless scrambled eggs and tiny hot‑dog sausages that barely counted as a mouthful.
I had a small selection, a hot chocolate, and some juice, then checked out and walked to the bus station. Since I was early, I sat in the air‑conditioned café with a coffee. Outside, at 10:00, it was already 30°C.
When the bus arrived, I joined the queue, about 30 teenagers heading back to Los Alcázares. We all squeezed on. A few hundred metres into the journey, a car cut in front of us and the driver had to brake hard. He shouted something colourful in Spanish, and we carried on.
We stopped at a few villages and Torre Pacheco before reaching Los Alcázares. Normally I’d get off at the Town Hall, but I wanted to see if the bus would stop closer to my apartment. As we approached the stop near my home, I stood up and asked the driver, in my best Spanish, if he could stop there. He looked at me, saw the walking stick, and pulled over. Whether it was an official stop or just kindness, I was grateful.
A few minutes later, I was home, unpacked, and resting.
Summary.
I had a brilliant time. Murcia is always a great place to visit for a show, easy bus connections, affordable hotels, and plenty of places to eat. Tom Jones was outstanding. Honestly, this might have been the best performance I’ve seen from him, and that’s saying something after ten concerts.
I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more shows in Murcia, and if Tom Jones tours again somewhere I can get to, I’ll be there.
Add comment