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Spanish Phrase

¿Quién toca esta noche?

/ˈkje̞n ˈto̞ka esˈta ˈno̞t͡ʃe/
Meaning"Who is playing tonight?"
💡

Meaning

Literally, 'Who plays tonight?' It is used to ask which musician, band, or performer is scheduled to perform during the upcoming night.

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When to use

Use this question when you’re at a concert venue, a bar, a festival, or even planning a night out and you want to know the act for the evening.

✦Grammar Breakdown

¿Quiéntocaestanoche?

1

Interrogative pronoun ¿Quién?

Used to ask about a person; it functions like 'who' in English and does not change for gender or number.

2

Verb tocar (present tense, 3rd person singular)

Here 'toca' is the present indicative of tocar, meaning 'plays' (as in a musician performing).

3

Demonstrative adjective esta

Matches the feminine noun 'noche' and means 'this'.

4

Noun noche (feminine)

Means 'night' and is used with the demonstrative 'esta' to specify the upcoming night.

5

Question marks in Spanish

Spanish uses an opening inverted question mark (¿) and a closing one (?), both are required.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿Quién toca esta noche?

Who’s playing tonight?

Esta noche toca la banda 'Los Soles'.

The band 'Los Soles' is playing tonight.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • ¿Quien toca esta noche?

    The accent on 'quién' is mandatory; without it the word becomes a relative pronoun meaning 'who' in statements.

  • ¿Quién toco esta noche?

    Use 'toca' (3rd person) not 'toco' (1st person) when asking about someone else.

  • ¿Quién toca este noche?

    Noche is feminine, so the correct demonstrative is 'esta', not 'este'.

↔Alternatives

  • ¿Qué grupo actúa esta noche?

    Which group is performing tonight?

  • ¿Quién es el artista de esta noche?

    Who is the artist for tonight?

  • ¿Quién va a tocar esta noche?

    Who is going to play tonight?

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Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking countries, live music is a central part of nightlife. Asking '¿Quién toca esta noche?' is a friendly way to start a conversation with locals, bar staff, or fellow concert‑goers. Remember that the verb tocar can also mean 'to touch', so context is key. In formal settings you might hear '¿Quién se presentará esta noche?' which sounds more polished.