Starlite Marbella Guide: Dinner, Concert and Club in the Quarry
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Starlite is Marbella's big summer festival, set in the Cantera de Nagüeles, an old quarry turned open-air auditorium above the Golden Mile. The Marbella season runs from June to August: in 2026 it went from 19 June to 29 August, according to Panorama. So, straight away: it's closed now, and the 2027 programme hasn't been announced. This guide is for planning ahead, so you know how the night works before the dates land.
How a Starlite night works
Starlite describes itself as three acts. La Cena is dinner close to the stage. El Concierto is the main show. El Club comes after, with resident and guest DJs playing until dawn. You don't have to do all three, but the people who enjoy it most usually arrive early, eat on site, watch the concert and then stay for the club part instead of rushing for the exit with everyone else. Panorama also mentions DJ sessions and parties carrying on inside the venue, in what it calls the Sessions area.
The Marbella venue holds 3,500 people. That's big enough for a proper concert atmosphere and small enough that you're never miles from the stage. Starlite also runs a Madrid edition this winter, from November 2026 to February 2027, indoors in the city centre with room for 7,500, but that's a separate thing: in Marbella, the quarry only opens in summer.
Where it is
The address is Calle Albinoni s/n, 29602 Marbella. The quarry is in Nagüeles, at the top end of the Golden Mile, up towards Sierra Blanca. It isn't somewhere you stroll to from the port. Plan the trip up and, more importantly, the trip back down, because thousands of people leave at roughly the same time.
The quarry itself is now an open-air auditorium, which the organisers describe as the only one in southern Europe with natural acoustics.
Getting there: parking, shuttles and taxis
| Option | How it worked in 2026 | Price (as published, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Star | Pre-booked parking | €30 |
| General parking | Shuttle buses run from here up to the venue | €10 |
| VIP parking | For Gold and Silver box holders | With the box |
| Platinum parking | For Platinum box holders | With the box |
| Taxi | Drops you near the entrance; at the end you may need the shuttle down to the taxi queue | Fare only |
Those figures come from Panorama's 2026 festival guide; the 2027 setup hasn't been published, so treat them as a reference, not a promise. The practical advice holds every year: if you drive, book parking in advance; if you take a taxi, agree in the group where you'll meet at the end, because finding each other in the queue at two in the morning is half the battle.
The festival's own access guide fills in the rest. By car, take the AP-7 and the Marbella centro exit; there is signposted parking about 150 m from the venue. There is also a shuttle bus from Puerto Banús and Marbella centre, a taxi rank by the main entrance and a drop-off point for ride-hailing cars (VTC) at the VIP entrance. In 2026 the box parking (VIP for Gold and Silver boxes, Platinum for Platinum boxes) also came with a chauffeur service.
Where to eat
In 2026 the food area opened from 20:00, with several restaurants inside the venue, according to Panorama:
- Sandra's Caviar Bar
- Ánima, Mexican
- Tanabata, Nikkei
- Temazo, grill and Mediterranean
- Raffaella, Italian
Eating on site means you're already in when the queues build, and it's the natural way to do the full three acts. The line-up of restaurants can change from one summer to the next, so check again when the 2027 season is announced.
A few practical tips
- Check exactly what your ticket includes before you go: dinner, concert and club are three different parts of the night.
- If you're eating on site, arrive early; in 2026 the food area opened from 20:00.
- Charge your phone before leaving, because you'll need it for tickets, taxis and finding your group.
- Agree a meeting point for the end of the night before the concert starts.
What to wear
Starlite doesn't publish a strict dress code in the sources we checked. It's a summer night out in Marbella, so smart-casual is the safe bet: something you'd wear to a good dinner, and shoes you can stand in for a few hours on uneven ground. Bring a light layer, because nights up in the hills can feel cooler than on the seafront.
Closed until summer 2027: where to go now
Starlite is a June-to-August thing, so there's nothing on in the quarry this autumn or winter. If you want a night out in Marbella now, TIBU in Puerto Banús is open all year, and Newscafé on the port's front line is open every night of the week.
Starlite tickets: see the venue page →Who is playing Starlite 2027 so far →How the Starlite auditorium is laid out →Open this winter instead: TIBU Banús →Ready for your night in Marbella?
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