El espectáculo empieza tarde.

Because Spanish usually uses the definite article with a specific noun when you are talking about a particular thing: the show.

• el = the
• espectáculo = show / performance / spectacle

Also, espectáculo is a masculine singular noun, so it takes el, not la.

Empieza is the third-person singular present tense of empezar.

The subject is el espectáculo, which is singular, so the verb must also be singular:

• yo empiezo = I start
• tú empiezas = you start
• él / ella / usted empieza = he / she / you start(s)

So El espectáculo empieza means The show starts.

Not completely. It is a stem-changing verb.

In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to ie in most forms:

• empiezo
• empiezas
• empieza
• empezamos
• empezáis
• empiezan

So empieza comes from that e → ie change.

Here, tarde means late.

In this sentence, it works like an adverb, describing when the show starts:

• empieza tarde = starts late

So it does not mean afternoon here, even though la tarde can mean the afternoon in other contexts.

Usually, empieza tarde means it starts at a late time.

For example:

• a show that begins at 10:30 pm could be described as empieza tarde

It can sometimes also suggest that something starts later than expected, but if you specifically want to say it is delayed, Spanish often uses clearer expressions such as:

• empieza con retraso
• lleva retraso
• se retrasa

So the exact nuance depends on context.

Because espectáculo is stressed on the third-from-last syllable:

• es-pec-TÁ-cu-lo

Words stressed on the third-from-last syllable are called esdrújulas, and in Spanish they always take a written accent.

That is why it is written espectáculo, not espectaculo.

Because Spanish stress rules already make the pronunciation clear.

Empieza ends in a vowel, so the natural stress falls on the second-to-last syllable:

• em-PIE-za

Since that follows the normal stress pattern, no written accent is needed.

A common Spain pronunciation is roughly:

• el es-pek-TA-ku-lo em-PIE-tha TAR-de

More precisely, in much of Spain:

• empieza sounds like em-PIE-tha, because z is often pronounced like the th in thin

And tarde is roughly:

• TAR-de

In parts of Spain and in most of Latin America, the z sound is more like s, so you may also hear:

• em-PIE-sa

Both are normal depending on the region.

Yes. Comenzar and empezar both mean to begin / to start.

So you can say:

• El espectáculo empieza tarde
• El espectáculo comienza tarde

Both are correct. Comienza can sound a little more formal in some contexts, but the difference is small.

Yes, but El espectáculo empieza tarde is the most neutral, standard order.

You could also say:

• Empieza tarde el espectáculo

That is grammatically correct, but it sounds more marked or stylistic, as if you are emphasizing starts late.

For learners, the basic order subject + verb + adverb is the safest choice.

Because es tarde means it is late, usually referring to the time.

But this sentence is not saying it is late. It is saying that the show starts late.

So:

• Es tarde = It’s late
• El espectáculo empieza tarde = The show starts late

Those are different ideas.

Not always. Espectáculo can mean:

• show
• performance
• spectacle

The best translation depends on context. In a sentence like this, show is very natural, but if you were talking about theatre, dance, or a big event, performance might also fit.