The Starlite Marbella Music Festival is rapidly becoming one of the finest music festivals in Europe. The festival is held just 3.5 kms outside Marbella, about 8 minutes in your car. The spectacular auditorium is close to the higher part of the exclusive Urbanización Sierra Blanca. Follow the Starlite signs till you get to a checkpoint. Access to the auditorium is a little complicated. You will need to park your car a kilometre away and take one of the shuttle buses to the auditorium. But don’t worry. It is all fantastically well-organised.
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Starlite Catalana Occidente
The boutique festival is now known as Starlite Catalana Occidente and has grown longer through the years. It now lasts throughout the summer. From the first galas and concerts the festival has become a great mix of culture appealing to tourists from many countries. These days there are always other activities alongside the concerts. There have been some great film premieres, exhibitions and musical play-offs between bands. The festival has been running since 2010 when a charity gala was performed in the Nagüeles quarry. Every year it gets better.
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The Starlite Gala
The charity gala which is hosted by Antonio Banderas and Sandra García-SanJuán, the president of Starlite group, remains a feature of the festival. Every year it hosts more than 500 guests at a very special dinner. It is now one of the most important fundraising galas in Spain and attracts international stars. All the money raised goes to charitable foundations. There is a specially invited guest foundation amongst these, every year.
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The Nagüeles quarry
The Nagüeles quarry provided the stone to build Puerto Banús, Marbella’s main church and parts of Malaga Cathedral. When its industrial use finished it became a spectacular venue for concerts. In 1983, Prince Alfonso Hohenloe-Langenburg from the Marbella jet set put together a recital including Julio Iglesias and Placido Domingo. The shape of the quarry makes for exceptional acoustics. The quarry auditorium is floodlit for concerts and the 60 metre majestic rock faces are perfect as a backdrop for lighting effects behind the performers. The auditorium holds over 2,000. As well as the usual seats there are VIP boxes for up to eight people close to the stage where you can drink champagne and be treated like a millionaire.
Marbella
Prince Alfonso had already discovered Marbella decades before when his Rolls Royce broke down there. He fell in love with the area and bought land and persuaded the Thyssen and Rothschild families to invest. The rest is history. Marbella became a luxury resort with international movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn buying property. It has stayed glitzy and popular with the rich ever since. You could stay in Marbella and take in one concert by a star you have always longed to hear or stick around for several. You won’t be disappointed. Treat yourself to a slice of the luxury lifestyle.
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The Starlite Lounge
The Starlite Lounge has become the fashionable area where you can enjoy dancing under the stars with music from a DJ after the concerts. Or hang out there before. There are restaurants and VIP areas alongside. Some concertgoers choose to spend an hour or two here with a relaxing cocktail after the show. Much better than everyone trying to leave at the same time.
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El Bulli Catering
El Bulli Catering´s chef Paco Roncero is responsible for the cuisine at the festival. Apart from the wonderful dishes at the gala dinner, he has designed unique tapas and cocktails for the lounge and other bar areas. Every year new dishes are added. Paco Roncero is known as one of the most influential chefs in Spain.
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Starlite Moda and Starlite Shop
Every year Starlite has fashion shows of haute couture from different designers attracting top models. Starlite also has its own label, and you can buy fun items online from this. Antonio Banderas has his own design label too. Pick from sunglasses, polo shirts, watches and other accessories. It is all casual but smart. Browse the Starlite Shop online to get yourself in the mood for your visit. Starlite has become a brand associated with style.
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Starlite App
Starlite has an app where you can buy tickets and get all the information you need for your trip. There are concerts to suit all tastes. The operatic phenomenon Andrea Bocelli is one of this year’s stars. You will be spoilt for choice from Spain’s greatest Flamenco singers and dancers to major international stars. Elton John and Tom Jones are among the elite list that have played at Starlite.
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Nagüeles Park
Don’t forget to enjoy Nagüeles Park near the auditorium while you are in the area. It is 10,000 hectares of pine forest with olive trees and carobs, an oasis of peace outside the city. It is a perfect spot for a family picnic and has stone tables and a barbecue area as well as a play area for children.
