espectáculo
nounCEFR B1
What does “espectáculo” mean in English?
show / entertainment event
show / entertainment event (broad term: concerts, variety shows, circus; more generic than obra or función)
Example sentences
El espectáculo duró más de dos horas, pero el público se quedó encantado y pidió un bis al final de la actuación.
The show lasted more than two hours, but the audience was delighted and called for an encore at the end of the performance.
Montar un espectáculo de esa magnitud requiere meses de preparación, un equipo técnico enorme y una inversión considerable.
Putting on a show of that scale requires months of preparation, an enormous technical team, and considerable investment.
Cuando terminó la actuación, todos los artistas salieron juntos al escenario y fue un espectáculo ver al público reaccionar con esa emoción.
When the performance ended, all the artists came out onto the stage together and it was a sight to behold watching the audience react with such emotion.
How to use it
Espectáculo is a masculine noun (el espectáculo, los espectáculos) meaning 'show', 'spectacle', or 'performance' in a broad sense — it covers concerts, circus acts, dance shows, variety performances, and any staged entertainment event. It is more generic than obra (theatrical play) or función (a specific performance session). It also appears as an evaluative noun: ¡Qué espectáculo! (What a spectacle!) — expressing admiration or, ironically, dismay. Key verb collocations: montar un espectáculo (to put on a show), asistir a un espectáculo (to attend a show), ser un espectáculo (to be a show / to be a sight to behold).
Common mistake
Espectáculo is broader than obra (a specific play or script-based piece) and función (a specific scheduled session). Use espectáculo for a staged event whose form is varied or multi-genre. The phrase dar un espectáculo can mean to make a scene / to cause an embarrassing spectacle — a different register from asistir a un espectáculo.