Category: Art & Culture

Many top acts are back this year, which shows how much their music is loved in Marbella! Summer just isn’t the same in sunny Marbs without live gigs by international artists like Jamie Cullum, Tom Jones, Simple Minds, Ricky Martin, Placido Domingo, Juan Magán and many others. The 3000-seater auditorium makes you feel as if you’re attending a private party and the atmosphere is electric when the place gets going and is in full swing. Have you watched our video Experience The Starlite Festival Marbella With Us yet? If not, click on the link after you’ve watched this programme first…

Having a good dance open-air, surrounded by 14.000m2 of illuminated rock surface, high up in the hills above Marbella, is exhilarating! Over 350.000 festival goers from 95 different countries enjoyed over 600 hours of live music last year, having had a raving good time. So come with us this summer to create holiday memories that last a lifetime.

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!

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. 

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. 

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 

Indeed a feast for eyes and ears, this immersive and meditative exploration by the super talented AI artist Markos Kay, takes you on a journey of four different spaces! Claudia Peifer walked the show for you, and she thinks the whole thing was actually like a visual & sound healing experience! Claudia says: ’such incredible talent to create these stunningly beautiful, life-like creatures through AI art, give them some small, calming movement, add this gorgeous surround sound and you come out the other end, wondering, if this is what Atlantis was ever like! What an extraordinary experience this show is!’

With music specially created by sound composer Jesse Solomon Clark, the experience of the first two rooms, the Formation Space & Complexity Space is particularly captivating. People were sitting down to watch the show for multiple times, as every time you watched it again, new little details and features of the dazzling animation became apparent. Please note, that the music in our video is not the original soundscape.

If you’ve never had the chance to go and see this world premiere of a body of artworks, which took two years to create, here’s the perfect moment to relive the incredible beauty of Illusionaries: Latent Spaces. Hit that play button now, sit back, relax and allow yourself to be transported to a different world. Truth is, everybody who went in to see this show, came out a calmer, happier person – extraordinary! So, have fun, enjoy… and unwind 🙂

What’s it Like Experiencing Illusionaries: Latent Spaces in London

Fans of The Mighty Boosh will be all too familiar with the term “Come with us now on a journey through time and space…” You probably said it in that deep booming voice too, right?

Well, the Illusionaries: Latent Spaces AI Art Show in London’s Canary Wharf offers exactly that experience. And, if you’ve seen our coverage of the Cezanne lifetime exhibition or The Perfect Crime experience, you’ll know that we love some artistic action – especially the immersive kind.

So, you know that when Claudia Peifer was in town for TA-DAH.TV recently, she had to check it out!

Here’s more info about the show and what to expect from this calming and sometimes mind-bending exhibition. But, before all that, let’s get you and the incredible artist behind Latent Spaces more acquainted.

Who is Markos Kay?

Markos Kay is a Cyprus-born artist and creative director now based in London. His work explores the boundaries between the physical and digital realms, often incorporating themes of surrealism and science fiction.

That unique blend of contemporary vision and otherworldly creations has seen him featured in many museums, exhibitions, festivals and publications such as National Geographic, Wired and VICE.

Kay’s talents have also seen him transition into film and television, working on visual effects for blockbuster movies, popular TV shows and commercials for huge brands like Apple, Nvidia, Channel 4, Nike, Adidas and Maserati to name a few.

Renowned for his 2008 work aDiatomea, a video installation exhibited at Haeckel’s Phyletic Museum in Jena, Germany. Kay’s enviable skills and vision have now seen him touch down in Canary Wharf with this stellar new show.

What is Illusionaries: Latent Spaces?

Illusionaries: Latent Spaces is a groundbreaking immersive AI art show that showcases the very best of Markos Kay’s creative genius.

The exhibition invites you into a surreal world where AI-generated art takes centre stage. “Latent spaces” refers to the multidimensional mathematical representations that underpin AI image generation.

Sounds super interesting, right? But what’s it like getting into and feeling the show?

Experiencing the Exhibition Space of Illusionaries

Latent Spaces is housed within a sleek and modern gallery space in Crossrail Place on Canada Water in Canary Wharf.

The venue itself is already an impressive sight, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views of London’s iconic skyline. As you enter the exhibition, you’ll be greeted by a vibrant, immersive environment.

The space is transformed into a surreal world where AI-generated art comes to life. The walls are adorned with large-scale projections, showcasing a diverse range of Kay’s creations. From surreal landscapes to futuristic cityscapes and abstract compositions, the artwork is truly mesmerising and split into four core spaces:

1. Formation Space
2. Complexity Space
3. Agents Space
4. Breathing Space

Formation Space

The Formation Space delves into the genesis of forms and patterns within the digital realm. Visitors can witness the birth of complex shapes and structures as AI algorithms simulate natural processes.

Venturing to the very beginning of life itself, this space emphasizes the fluidity and unpredictability of digital creation, offering an engaging and mesmerising experience as forms continuously evolve.

Complexity Space

In the Complexity Space, the focus shifts to the intricate interplay of systems and networks. This area showcases how simple rules can lead to sophisticated and unexpected behaviours.

Interactive displays allow visitors to manipulate variables and observe the resulting complexity, providing a hands-on understanding of how AI can model and visualize complex phenomena in real-time.

Agents Space

The Agents Space explores the concept of autonomous digital entities and their behaviours. Here, you can interact with AI-driven agents that respond and adapt to their presence.

This space highlights the emergent properties of AI systems, where seemingly independent actions by digital agents result in coordinated and intelligent responses, offering a fascinating glimpse into the potential of AI in understanding collective intelligence.

Breathing Space

The final space is the “Breathing Space” where multidimensional entities grow and adapt to changing environments – a cutting-edge and space-age take on some of the environmental challenges facing us right now.

Stunning creatures react to the gorgeous sounds and almost take up a meditative state as they come to terms with the atmosphere. Seemingly encouraging us to take a minute and slow down.

Enchanting Soundtracks

We mentioned it in the Breathing Space, but underpinning the whole immersive experience is the rolling and deep soundscape that fills the vacant spaces of the exhibition.

Kay worked renowned music producer Jesse Solomon Clark to adapt a soundtrack that works in tandem with the exhibition. We have to say, the music creates a thick atmosphere that brings the whole experience to life. Bravo!

Revolutionary Art Experience

During its time in Canary Wharf, Illusionaries: Latent Spaces has become a phenomenon, attracting visitors from all walks of life.

The exhibition has garnered attention from art enthusiasts, technology buffs, and those simply seeking a unique and memorable experience.

The show has also played a pivotal role in making AI art more accessible. By showcasing the incredible potential of this emerging art form, Illusionaries has sparked conversations and inspired curiosity about the role of AI in creativity.

Discover What Other Incredible Installations on our Arts Channel

If you like the sound of this awesome exhibition (and why wouldn’t you) then you need to be following our Art & Culture Channel where we publish all our latest artistic adventures around Europe!

Head to the Channel now for more!