Starlite Festival’s Bold Expansion Plans: A New Music World in Estepona

After twelve successful years, the renowned Starlite Festival is ready to take a giant leap forward by introducing its most ambitious plan yet – the creation of a cutting-edge music complex in Estepona. The festival, which has outgrown its original Nagüeles quarry venue, is set to establish a supersize cultural hub with a large auditorium boasting a capacity for 15,000 people, along with a hotel, and a multifunctional conference center. The proposal has received initial approval, with the regional government’s committee for economic affairs recognizing the project as a business investment of strategic interest for Andalucía. This designation is expected to expedite planning procedures, showcasing the regional support for this transformative venture. Starlite Music World, as the new complex is named, represents a significant investment of over 286 million euros. This move marks the festival’s transition from a publicly owned venue to a fixed location, allowing the possibility of hosting events year-round. Festival founder Sandra García-Sanjuán emphasized that this venture signifies the expansion and growth of Starlite, consolidating its position alongside the flagship Starlite Occident Marbella Festival. The chosen location for this groundbreaking project is the hilly area of La Panera, next to the Selwo adventure park in Estepona. Spanning over eleven hectares, the complex will feature an artificial quarry paying homage to the iconic Nagüeles venue. The highlight of the project is the large, open-air auditorium, which can accommodate an audience four times larger than the Marbella venue, making it one of the largest permanent concert venues in Malaga province. García-Sanjuán highlighted the potential to compete at a higher level, offering audiences access to global music stars whose popularity demands a larger venue. While it may not replicate the intimate setting of Starlite Occident Marbella, the concept remains to deliver a premium experience with meticulous attention to the audience. The ambitious plans extend beyond the music venue, as Starlite Music World aims to build a hotel and a multi-purpose conference center catering to various corporate needs, from meetings to trade fairs. The complex will also feature its own boulevard, a lake, a central square, and an area dedicated to hospitality, creating a theme park for music enthusiasts. One notable addition is the incorporation of an audiovisual hub, addressing a long-standing need on the Costa del Sol. Starlite Music World plans to provide recording studios, sets, warehousing for AV equipment, and in-house service areas over six hectares, becoming a permanent center for all things audiovisual in the region. This transformative project not only promises a new era for the Starlite Festival but also positions Estepona as a cultural and entertainment destination with a world-class music complex.