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Starry Soirée in Sparkling Summer Setting

[caption id="attachment_1515" align="alignright" width="300"] Gala glamour from 2013 Festival[/caption] The countdown has begun for the most glamorous date on Marbella’s summer calendar. Now in its third year, the Starlite Festival is a month-long extravaganza from 23 July to 23 August of concerts by top Spanish and international stars, as well as a diverse array of other cultural and leisure activities including fashion, art, film and gastronomy… and the annual Starlite Gala hosted by Antonio Banderas. The Auditorio de Marbella (La Cantera) venue – dubbed “the only club in the world inside a quarry” – is an open auditorium with capacity for 2,500 spectators (for an “intimate and close concert experience”), including numerous VIP guests from the worlds of entertainment, culture, business, media and politics. [caption id="attachment_1521" align="alignright" width="300"] Spanish singer Rosario[/caption] In addition to music (see schedule below), highlights of the 2014 festival – as much a social event as a cultural showpiece – will include fashion runways, and “special actions that will make the public feel unique experiences and play an active role”; several artists’ exhibitions; restaurants where guests can enjoy a wide and varied range of culinary delicacies; and cinema, “with the largest outdoor Spanish screen”. For many, however, the most important date on the calendar is 9 August, when Málaga-born Banderas hosts the Starlite Gala, a star-studded philanthropic fiesta that raises funds for organisations that aim to improve the education resources, other needs and quality of life of less privileged communities, families and children around the world. [caption id="attachment_1523" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Beach Boys[/caption] This year the programme of concerts in July includes shows by artists including: the summer sounds of the legendary The Beach Boys (23 July); Afro-Cuban jazz maestro Chucho Valdés (24 July); top Latin star Ricky Martin (25 July); celebrated song-writer Albert Hammond (26 July); avant-garde pop stars Pet Shop Boys (30 July); and Catalonian tenor Josep Carreras and Basque soprano Ainhoa Arteta, accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Málaga (31 July). [caption id="attachment_1525" align="alignleft" width="300"] Kool & The Gang[/caption] Then in August: iconic Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández (1 August); Spanish flamenco singer Miguel Poveda (2 August); “Divas” Marta Sánchez and Gloria Gaynor (6 August); Spanish romantic swooner Sergio Dalma (7 August); the irrepressible Julio Iglesias (13 August): Spanish pop-rocker Dani Martin (14 August); “Otra Noche Movida”, featuring leading Spanish “new wave” bands and artists from the 1980s (15 August); the smouldering Rosario, daughter of famous Spanish singer Lola Flores (14 August); charismatic vocal powerhouse Tom Jones (17 August); R&B chart-toppers Kool & The Gang (19 August); rumba and flamenco fusion group Siempre Así (20 August); “Abba the Concert – A Tribute to Abba” (21 August); and multiple Grammy Award-winning Spanish singer-composer Alejandro Sanz (22 August). [caption id="attachment_1513" align="alignright" width="300"] Peaceful setting in heart of Marbella[/caption]   Not far from the Starlite Festival’s “Marbella Quarry” venue is the exclusive Golden Mile residential area Sierra Blanca – and this property is one of the last prime villas still for sale in the area. It is built to exceptionally high standards and stunningly reflects Andalucía’s charm and beauty. Click here to see more.