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Experience Starlite Occident With Us | TA-DAH.TV

It’s billed as the ‘best boutique festival in the world’, so you know TA-DAH.TV had to go there and see it for ourselves. And we’re glad we did! 

But Starlite is no ordinary music festival, it’s a feast for the senses. With incredible food, music, shows and DJ sets all laid out across three awesome months over the stunning Spanish summer. 

Let’s take you closer to this incredible event to give you everything you need to know about Starlite. 

Where is Starlite Occident Festival?

Around one hour down the Alboran Sea coast from Malaga – the host city of Andalucia BIG Festival, Starlite Occident is an annual cultural event located in the shadows of the gorgeous Sierras Blanca mountains in Marbella. 

The 8km journey northeast from central Marbella up to the Cantera de Nagüeles takes around 20 minutes, which offers enough time to take in the gorgeous scenery.

The annual event runs from mid-June to late August and brings together some of the biggest names in music and entertainment. Plus, if you time your experience towards the end of the festival, you may need to don your glad rags as superstar actor Antonio Banderas hosts a grand charity event – just like the gala we experienced at the Santa Maria Polo Club. 

Away from the glamour of the gala, around 60,000 people attend the festival each year and previous acts include the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Lenny Kravitz, Maluma and Sting!

Come with us to Starlite Occident Festival.

What Type of Music is Played at Starlite Occident?

As you may have guessed from that distinguished and varied line-up of previous performers (or our experience where Nicky Jam and the great Tom Jones rocked the stage), Starlite Festival has a space for all performers. 

But the most magical thing about the whole experience is the open-air vibes. From your seat in the auditorium, you can sing along to all the hits and dance the night away – while overhead, the starry night sky puts on its own performance. 

Truly a unique experience that everyone needs to feel at least once! In fact, when Jamie Cullum played at Starlite, he described the feeling as like being “on the moon”. 

Top Things to do at Starlite Festival

Of course, music is the top attraction at Starlite Festival. But it’s not the only pleasure your senses can delight in. 

The three main music areas are the Auditorium Stage, Sessions Stage and DJ Sessions. But away from the beats, you could also indulge your tastebuds and even go shopping. 

Let’s break down the best things to do at Starlite Occident now. 

Tom Jones performing one of the 3 main staging areas at Starlite Festival

Auditorium Stage

The Auditorium is the main stage in the venue. This is where we saw Nicky Jam and Tom Jones ripping it up. But the great thing about this area is, because it only has a capacity of 3,000, you get the feeling of seeing huge stars in an intimate setting.

Also, the quarry’s unique layout and high rock walls offer incredible acoustics. In fact Plácido Domingo and Julio Iglesias said it is “one of the best acoustics they have ever found”.

Sessions Stage

If you don’t fancy the big tunes and bright lights of the main stage, why not take yourself off to the Sessions area, where big-name acts perform stripped-back versions of their hits. 

Plus, this even more intimate setting offers the opportunity for more crowd interaction from the artists.

DJ sets

On the other hand, if the EDM scene is more your flavour then the DJ sessions which run after the main concert are your best bet.

Gastronomy

Not to be outdone by the music, the spectacular range of gastronomic options at Starlite also offers a feast for the senses. Across four main restaurants, you can enjoy delicious dishes from across the world. 

Restaurants at Starlite Occident

  • Tanabata: Treat your tastebuds with a trip to Tokyo, fine Japanese cuisine adorns every plate here. Taking inspiration from the legend of shepherd Hikoboshi and the seamstress Orihime, romance is injected into every element of the experience. 
  • Temazo: A gorgeous open-air Mediterranean grillhouse. Feast on delicate cuts of meat, succulent fish and vibrant veg all coloured from the hot coals.
  • Anima: From tacos to tequila this rooftop-style Mexican cantina delivers all the Latin vibes in a kaleidoscope of incredible colour and flavour. 
  • Sandra’s Caviar Bar: Go lavish, you deserve it. Grab a unique experience by heading to Starlite’s caviar bar. Sandra’s is all about gourmet selections and classic cocktails. If it wasn’t for the majestic mountains and bumping beats, you’d swear you were on the glitzy shores of Monaco. 

People walking around the shops and restaurants at Starlite Festival in Marbella

Shopping and Fashion

Speaking of Monaco, if it’s glamourous shopping you’re after, you can get that done too! 

Alongside the Starlite Festival store for all your merch needs, find boutiques from international brands like Kiehl’s and Fnac among others.

Festival stores open from 8 pm and close up and 1:30 am, leaving plenty of time for you to enjoy some music and food before grabbing some products

Starlite 2024 Line Up

As we mentioned earlier, previous line-ups have been glittering with huge stars. And the 2024 instalment of the long-running festival looks well set to continue that trend. 

Catch all of these incredible acts across the 60-day event this summer! We’ll be there, will you?!

Artist  Date
Jamie Cullum  Friday 14th June
Sheryl Crow Friday 21st June
Aitana Saturday 22nd June
Vanesa Martin Saturday 29th June
Myke Towers Wednesday 3rd July 
Emilia Thursday 4th July
Camilo Saturday 6th & 8th July
Keane Tuesday 9th 8th July
Christan Nodal Saturday 13th July 
Take That Sunday 14th – 15th July
Gipsy Kings Wednesday 19th July 
Simple Minds  Monday 22nd July
Tom Jones Tuesday 23rd July 
Diana Krall  Wednesday 24th July 
Aitana  Monday 29th July 
Luis Miguel  Wednesday 31st July 
Los Secretos Thursday 1st August 
Luis Miguel Friday 2nd – 3rd August 
Antonio Jose  Tuesday 6th August 
Hauser Wednesday 7th August 
Miguel Poveda Thursday 8th August 
UB40 ft. Ali Campbell  Friday 9th August 
Oreja de Van Gogh Wednesday 14th August 
Abraham Mateo and Nil Moliner  Friday 16th August 
Sara Baras Saturday 17th August 
Siempre Así   Monday 19th August 
Ana Mena Friday 23rd August 
Hombres G Saturday 31st August 

Check Out More Amazing European Music Festivals Today

If Starlite Occident sounds like your cup of tea, then you’ll love the other festivals we’ve been to across the continent. 

Check out our Music Channel where we reveal all, including exclusive interviews with top acts, huge festival news and unique events that you need to know about – like Lost Nomads for example. 

Or head over to our Arts & Culture Channel for more details about big performances across the superb stages of Europe 

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Europe’s Leading Film Festivals: Stockholm Int’l Film Festival 2023 from 8 – 19 November

Without culture, we have nothing – and film festivals are the perfect outlet to learn about your own and foreign cultures too! Inviting you to visit and experience the culture of the festival’s venue is yet another way of bringing us all closer, whilst enjoying the razzmatazz and glamour provided by all the film stars & directors, the glitzy locations do the rest.

What do we take away from visiting and taking part at a film festival: enjoying its locality, hospitality, food & drink, getting to know its people, as well as making friends is just the start. Learning about a country’s artistic talent is another, and learning about other countries’ artistic talent and another nation’s social issues, or whatever a film’s subject might be, will be yet another highlight of being part of it all.

Whether you might visit a metropole or make the effort to travel to a boutique event, the adventure starts right at the beginning. Seeing your favourite stars in the flesh is where the highlights continue and making it a city break, staying somewhere in style, gives it all another dimension. Try Berlin, Vilnius, Istanbul, Krakow, Rotterdam, Málaga, Munich, Brussels, Cannes and Locarno, and you’ll experience a wild variety of all sorts of adventures. Check the list below for the best film festivals in the most picturesque locations in Europe and then start making plans…

 

LEADING EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVALS:

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REA Danza’s spectacular abseiling show Picasso’s Earrings (Pendientes de Picasso) takes places on the facade of Picasso’s home and birth place