- Starlite aside, the nearest big season is Marenostrum Fuengirola: Castillo Sohail, about 30 minutes away, from 25 April to 12 September 2026
- July is the busiest month: Weekend Beach in Torre del Mar ran 9 to 11 July 2026 and Brisa filled Málaga's port from 23 to 25 July
- Flamenco has its own calendar: the Festival de Jerez returns from 19 February to 6 March 2027, and Seville's Bienal ran 9 September to 3 October 2026
- Already on sale for 2027 at Marenostrum: Fulanita Fest (27 to 30 May), Take That (11 July), Don Omar (16 July) and David Bisbal (22 July)
- Cala Mijas is gone: its promoter cancelled the 2024 edition and it has not returned
Marbella's own summer festival is Starlite, but it is not the only one within reach. Fuengirola runs a five-month concert season in a Moorish castle half an hour east, Málaga's port hosts a three-day festival in July, Torre del Mar has a beach festival, and the flamenco world gathers in Jerez and Seville. Clients of our agency often plan a trip around one of them. The music festivals worth travelling to from Marbella are Marenostrum Fuengirola from April to September, Weekend Beach and Brisa in July, the Festival de Jerez in late February and, in even years, Seville's flamenco Bienal in September.
Below, month by month, are the verified 2026 dates, what is already on sale for 2027, and how a festival night works with one of our escorts in Marbella.
Which Music Festivals Are Near Marbella?
Within two and a half hours there are seven worth knowing, Starlite aside: the Festival de Jerez, Marenostrum Fuengirola and the festivals held inside it, Weekend Beach, Brisa, Seville's Bienal and the feria concerts in Marbella and San Pedro. Here they are by month, with 2026 dates and 2027 announcements.
The Year at a Glance
| Month | Festival | Where, from Marbella | 2026 | 2027 so far |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb – Mar | Festival de Jerez (flamenco) | Jerez de la Frontera, about 2 h | 30th edition | 19 Feb – 6 Mar, 31st edition |
| Apr – Sep | Marenostrum Fuengirola | Castillo Sohail, Fuengirola, about 30 min | 25 Apr – 12 Sep | Take That 11 Jul, Don Omar 16 Jul, Bisbal 22 Jul |
| Late May | Fulanita Fest (at Marenostrum) | Fuengirola | 30 May | 27 – 30 May |
| June | Feria concerts, Marbella | Town centre | 12 – 14 Jun | Week of 11 June |
| July | Weekend Beach Festival | Torre del Mar, about 1 h 15 | 9 – 11 Jul | Not yet announced |
| July | Brisa Festival | Dique de Levante, Málaga port, about 50 min | 23 – 25 Jul | Season pass on sale, €59.90 |
| August | Sun & Thunder (at Marenostrum) | Fuengirola | 27 – 29 Aug | Not yet announced |
| Sep – Oct | Bienal de Flamenco | Seville, about 2 h 30 | 9 Sep – 3 Oct, 24th edition | None: next Bienal in 2028 |
| October | Feria concerts, San Pedro Alcántara | San Pedro, about 15 min | 16 – 18 Oct | Mid-October |
Starlite, Classical and the Feria
Marbella's own big season, Starlite, ran 49 concerts in a quarry above the Golden Mile from 19 June to 4 September 2026 and has its own Starlite guide. Opera in August and the September piano festival belong to the town's classical calendar, covered in our arts festivals guide. The free concerts of feria week, which closed with Medina Azahara and Manzanita on Avenida Ramón y Cajal on 14 June 2026, are in our Feria de San Bernabé guide. This page covers everything else.
February to May: Jerez, Then Fuengirola Opens
The year starts with flamenco. The Festival de Jerez, held for the 30th time in 2026, returns from 19 February to 6 March 2027. Then, from late April, Marenostrum Fuengirola opens its season at the Castillo Sohail: El Último de la Fila played the first night in 2026, on 25 April.
The Festival de Jerez
For two weeks every winter, Jerez de la Frontera, about two hours west of Marbella, becomes the capital of flamenco dance, with performances every night and a programme of courses by day. The 31st edition runs from 19 February to 6 March 2027; in 2026 the audience award, run by the Diario de Jerez, went to the dancer María Moreno. It is a festival for people who care about the art; if you want flamenco closer to home, our old town flamenco guide covers the tablaos.
Marenostrum's Spring Nights
The Marenostrum Fuengirola season has filled the grounds of the Castillo Sohail every year since 2016, with a main stage for more than 18,000 people and a smaller one inside the castle for about 2,000. Spring 2026 brought El Último de la Fila on 25 April, Fito y Fitipaldis on 2 May, Camela on 9 May, Medina Azahara on 22 May and Fulanita Fest on 30 May. Fulanita returns from 27 to 30 May 2027.
June and July: The Peak of the Year
Two months carry most of the calendar. Marenostrum programmes its biggest Spanish and Latin names, Weekend Beach takes over Torre del Mar for three days in early July, and Brisa fills the port of Málaga at the end of the month. In 2026 they ran on 9 to 11 July and 23 to 25 July.
Fuengirola's Big Names
Marenostrum's 2026 summer ran from Pablo Alborán on 6 June and Aitana on 19 June to Romeo Santos and Prince Royce on 26 June, La Oreja de Van Gogh on 27 June, Sting on 13 July and Alejandro Sanz on 24 July. The castle is close enough for a concert and a late dinner back in Marbella. For 2027, Take That on 11 July, Don Omar on 16 July and David Bisbal on 22 July are already on sale, and the Latin nights draw the biggest crowds; our Latina companions know the songs.
Weekend Beach, Torre del Mar
Weekend Beach, on the seafront at Torre del Mar east of Málaga, ran from 9 to 11 July 2026, and its line-up shows its range: David Bisbal chose it for his only Málaga concert of the year, Dellafuente closed it with his only Andalusian show, and Abraham Mateo, Boris Brejcha and Mägo de Oz shared the bill. It is a three-day festival with its own official bus service, built for people who stay for all three days; at about an hour and a quarter each way from Marbella, one day is plenty for most of our clients.
Brisa, in the Port of Málaga
Brisa Festival is Málaga's own, staged on the Dique de Levante in the port. Its sixth edition, from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 July 2026, put Love of Lesbian, Amaia, Siloé, M-Clan, La M.O.D.A. and OBK on the bill and drew more than 25,000 people across the three days, according to the organisers. Its programme leans towards Spanish indie and new local bands, and a 2027 season pass is already on sale at €59.90, before a single name is announced.
August: Electronic Nights in Fuengirola
August is Marenostrum's busiest month and its most varied. In 2026 it held Satisfaxion with Underworld live, Sven Väth and Bonobo on 8 August, Gipsy Kings the next night, Lola Indigo and Antonio Orozco mid-month, and Sun & Thunder from 27 to 29 August. Starlite runs in parallel above Marbella.
Festivals Inside the Season
Marenostrum works as a season with festivals inside it. Besides Fulanita in May, the 2026 programme included Vibras on 2 August, Bocata Fest on 6 and 7 August and the electronic night Satisfaxion 30 + 3 on 8 August, before Sun & Thunder closed the month over three nights from 27 August. If electronic music is the point, those are the dates to watch; for afternoon DJ sets on the beach instead, our beach club calendar lists the parties.
Getting to Fuengirola and Back
The castle is about 30 minutes from Marbella by car. The AP-7 toll at Calahonda, between Marbella and Fuengirola, costs €9.25 from June to September at 2026 rates; the free A-7 coast road is the alternative and is slow on August nights. A taxi home after midnight runs on the night tariff of €4.64 plus €1.41 a kilometre. Book a driver for the return, because a concert for 18,000 empties all at once. Our car hire guide sets out the tolls.
September and October: The Bienal and the Last Concerts
Marenostrum closes in early September, with Chambao on 6 September and Apulanta on 12 September in 2026. In even years Seville stages the Bienal de Flamenco, the art's biggest festival: the 24th ran from 9 September to 3 October 2026. San Pedro's feria then closes the year with free concerts in mid-October.
The Bienal de Flamenco in Seville
The Bienal de Flamenco is held every two years by Seville's city council, in theatres across the city. The 2026 edition, the 24th, ran for almost four weeks, from 9 September to 3 October, and closed with Carmen Linares at the Teatro de la Maestranza alongside Marina Heredia and María Terremoto. The next Bienal is in 2028. Seville is about two and a half hours from Marbella, so treat it as an overnight, not an evening.
Feria Concerts: Mijas and San Pedro
The village ferias book well-known Spanish acts and charge nothing. Mijas holds its village feria in early September, and our Mijas feria guide lists the 2026 concerts. San Pedro Alcántara's feria runs from 13 to 19 October 2026, with OBK and Modestia Aparte on the 16th, Pasión Vega on the 17th and Camela on the 18th, all free in the auditorium of the La Caridad grounds. San Pedro is 15 minutes from Marbella and is covered by our San Pedro companions.
What Happened to Cala Mijas?
It stopped. The promoter, Last Tour, ended its sponsorship contract with Mijas town hall and cancelled the 2024 edition, citing unpaid sponsorship for the 2023 festival, according to its own statement. The festival has not returned since, so older guides that list it as a September fixture are out of date.
Cala Mijas and Other Missing Dates
Cala Mijas's website still carries Last Tour's statement: the contract with the town hall dated from 15 December 2021, and the company withdrew over unpaid 2023 sponsorship and other breaches. The Cueva de Nerja's music festival, held in the caves since 1960, is another to check: its official page still shows a 2025 notice that the tender to run the festival had been suspended by an appeal, and lists no 2026 programme. Before you plan a trip around any festival, check its own site, not a listings page.
November to January: The Quiet Months
From November to January the big outdoor festivals stop and the music moves indoors: the theatre season at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella, hotel bars with resident musicians and the tablaos of the old town, as our live music guide explains. The calendar restarts in late February with Jerez, then in late April with Fuengirola, and that is the moment to buy the summer's tickets. Even Starlite goes north for the winter: its December edition is in Madrid.
Planning a Festival Night From Marbella
Base yourself in Marbella and treat Fuengirola and Málaga as evenings out, with a driver booked for the return. Torre del Mar, Jerez and Seville are long enough drives to justify a night away. Buy tickets when the name is announced, and book dinner and transport on the same day.
Evening Out or Night Away
Fuengirola, at about 30 minutes, and Málaga, at about 50, work as evenings out: dinner near the venue, the concert, a driver at the door afterwards. Torre del Mar, at about an hour and a quarter, is borderline, and a three-day festival rewards a hotel nearby. Jerez and Seville, at two hours and more, are overnight trips by any measure, and Seville in Bienal season fills its central hotels early. In every case, the return journey is the part to arrange in advance, not on the night.
When to Buy
Most of these festivals sell by name and by day, so buy when the artist you want is announced: Marenostrum has already put five 2027 dates on sale, from Fulanita Fest in May to David Bisbal in July, and Brisa is selling its 2027 pass before announcing anyone. The Festival de Jerez has already fixed its 2027 dates. If you are planning a whole trip around one concert, book the hotel when you buy the ticket.
Booking a Companion for a Festival Night
Match the format to the distance. A Fuengirola concert with dinner suits a dinner date; a festival night in Málaga that ends late suits an overnight; a trip to Seville or Jerez is a travel booking, priced per day. Tell us the festival, the date and how you are getting there, and buy her ticket with yours.
Dinner Date, Overnight or Travel
A dinner date, three hours at least and from €900, covers dinner and a Marenostrum concert; you pay her taxi to Fuengirola, and our Fuengirola companions page covers the town. A Brisa night or a long night at the Castillo Sohail suits an overnight of 10 to 12 hours at €3,000–€4,000 depending on the companion and the length, and our party companions are the natural choice for Weekend Beach or Sun & Thunder. A Bienal weekend in Seville is a travel booking: €5,000 a day, or €6,000 for a 48-hour weekend, plus flights and hotel.
Changes, Tickets and Payment
Festival plans change, and our cancellation guide sets the windows: free until 24 hours before a dinner date, 48 hours before an overnight and seven days before travel. Tickets are sold per person, and some festivals print the holder's name on them, so buy hers when you buy yours. You pay her directly before the booking starts, in cash, by bank transfer or in crypto; a booking made in advance takes a 25 per cent deposit by transfer or crypto, to her or to us, with the balance paid to her at the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What music festivals are near Marbella?
Besides Starlite in Marbella itself, the nearest is Marenostrum Fuengirola, from April to September at the Castillo Sohail, about 30 minutes east. In July there are Weekend Beach in Torre del Mar and Brisa in the port of Málaga. Flamenco has the Festival de Jerez and, in even years, Seville's Bienal.
What is on at Marenostrum Fuengirola in 2027?
Five dates were on sale by October 2026: Fulanita Fest from 27 to 30 May, Siloé on 11 June, Take That on 11 July, Don Omar on 16 July and David Bisbal on 22 July. The 2026 season ran from 25 April to 12 September, so expect more names through the winter.
When is Brisa Festival in Málaga?
The 2026 edition, the sixth, ran from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 July on the Dique de Levante in the port of Málaga, with more than 25,000 people over three days. The 2027 dates have not been announced, but a season pass is already on sale at €59.90.
Is Cala Mijas festival still running?
No. Its promoter, Last Tour, cancelled the 2024 edition and ended its contract with Mijas town hall, citing unpaid sponsorship for 2023, and the festival has not returned. For a big September concert near Marbella, look at Marenostrum's final dates or the free feria concerts instead.
Can a companion come with me to a festival?
Yes. A concert in Fuengirola with dinner suits a dinner date; a late festival night in Málaga suits an overnight; Seville or Jerez is a travel booking priced per day. Buy her ticket with yours, and allow two weeks for peak summer dates.
Planning a Festival Night?
Tell us the festival, the date, where you are staying and how you plan to get there and back. We will suggest the right format, from a dinner date in Fuengirola to a weekend in Seville, and confirm a companion and the price.
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