Candlelight concerts on the Costa del Sol in July 2026: dates, times and tickets

Candlelight concerts return to the Costa del Sol in July 2026 with a programme combining classical music, film soundtracks and instrumental versions of some of the most popular bands of recent decades.

Between 5 and 25 July, eight performances will take place in Málaga and the Marbella area, spread across three venues: the Royal Hall at Gran Hotel Miramar, the Fundación Unicaja María Cristina Concert Hall and the open-air amphitheatre at Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort.

The programme ranges from Hans Zimmer’s best-known film scores to songs by Queen, ABBA, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Metallica, Pink Floyd and AC/DC, mainly performed by string quartets.

Tickets start at around €16 for some performances, although prices vary according to the concert, seating category and availability at the time of purchase.

Full Candlelight schedule for July 2026

These are the concerts planned on the Costa del Sol during July:

Sunday, 5 July: Gran Hotel Miramar in Málaga

• 7:00 pm: Candlelight: Rock Classics.
• 9:00 pm: Candlelight: Tribute to Hans Zimmer.

Saturday, 11 July: Anantara Villa Padierna

• 9:30 pm: Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA.

Saturday, 18 July: Fundación Unicaja María Cristina Concert Hall

• 5:45 pm: Candlelight: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons.
• 7:45 pm: Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA.

Saturday, 18 July: Anantara Villa Padierna

• 9:30 pm: Candlelight: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons.

Saturday, 25 July: Gran Hotel Miramar in Málaga

• 9:00 pm: Candlelight: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Saturday, 25 July: Anantara Villa Padierna

• 9:30 pm: Candlelight Open Air: The Best of Hans Zimmer.

Rock classics open the July programme

The first concert of the month will take place on Sunday, 5 July at 7:00 pm in the Royal Hall at Gran Hotel Miramar.

The programme will feature string quartet arrangements of some of the most recognisable songs in rock history.

The planned setlist includes:

• Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.
• Space Oddity by David Bowie.
• Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
• Come As You Are by Nirvana.
• Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones.
• Everlong by Foo Fighters.
• Kashmir by Led Zeppelin.
• With or Without You by U2.
• Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.
• Thunderstruck by AC/DC.

The concert will be performed by the Ensemble Résonance string quartet and is expected to last approximately 60 minutes.

Tickets are available from €16.50, although prices increase depending on the seating area selected.

Hans Zimmer takes over Gran Hotel Miramar later that evening

The programme will continue at 9:00 pm with a concert dedicated to Hans Zimmer, one of the most influential film composers of contemporary cinema.

The performance will include music from several films and television productions associated with his career. The announced pieces include:

• Time from Inception.
• This Land from The Lion King.
• Supermarine from Dunkirk.
• A Dark Knight from The Dark Knight.
• The Wonder Woman suite.
• Cornfield Chase from Interstellar.
• The Dune suite.
• The Gladiator suite.
• Discombobulate from Sherlock Holmes.
• Flight from Man of Steel.

The combination of film music, the architecture of the Royal Hall and candlelight makes this one of the most cinematic events in the July programme.

Prices depend on the seating category and may change as the available areas sell out.

Queen and ABBA go head-to-head in Marbella

The open-air amphitheatre at Anantara Villa Padierna will host the first of its three July Candlelight concerts on Saturday, 11 July at 9:30 pm.

The performance will combine songs by Queen and ABBA in a string quartet format.

The provisional programme includes hits such as:

• Dancing Queen.
• SOS.
• Money, Money, Money.
• Waterloo.
• Mamma Mia.
• Bohemian Rhapsody.
• I Want to Break Free.
• Don’t Stop Me Now.
• We Will Rock You.
• We Are the Champions.

Ensemble Résonance will reinterpret songs by both groups in an outdoor setting surrounded by the palace-style architecture of the hotel complex.

Tickets are available from €27, depending on the seating area and availability.

Coldplay and Imagine Dragons come to the Fundación Unicaja concert hall

The programme continues on Saturday, 18 July at the Fundación Unicaja María Cristina Concert Hall in Málaga.

The first performance will begin at 5:45 pm and will be dedicated to two of the most popular international bands of the 21st century: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons.

The programme will combine songs by both groups:

• Clocks.
• Adventure of a Lifetime.
• Fix You.
• The Scientist.
• A Sky Full of Stars.
• Viva la Vida.
• Radioactive.
• Follow You.
• Bad Liar.
• Believer.

The arrangements will be performed by Ensemble Résonance in one of Málaga city centre’s historic music venues.

The concert will last around one hour, with tickets listed from €21.50.

Queen and ABBA complete the double bill on 18 July

The Fundación Unicaja María Cristina Concert Hall will host a second performance that same Saturday.

Another musical encounter between Queen and ABBA will begin at 7:45 pm, featuring a selection of their greatest hits arranged for string instruments.

The two performance times allow audiences to choose between the contemporary sound of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons or the classic repertoire of two defining groups from the 1970s and 1980s.

Tickets for this concert are available from €16, although the final price depends on the category selected.

The venue is accessible to wheelchair users. Individual seats are not reserved and are allocated in order of arrival within the purchased area.

Coldplay and Imagine Dragons will also be heard in Marbella

The music of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons will feature in another Costa del Sol concert later that evening.

The performance will begin at 9:30 pm at Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort.

The programme will be similar to the Málaga concert and include songs such as Clocks, Fix You, The Scientist, Radioactive, Believer and Viva la Vida.

The open-air amphitheatre will provide a different atmosphere from the afternoon performance, combining music and candlelight under the summer night sky.

Tickets start at €26.

Vivaldi headlines the month’s main classical performance

The programme returns to Gran Hotel Miramar on Saturday, 25 July at 9:00 pm with one of the best-known works of Baroque music.

The concert will be dedicated to Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, a composition consisting of four concertos representing different times of the year.

The programme will include:

• Spring.
• Summer.
• Autumn.
• Winter.
• La Folia.

The performance will take place in the hotel’s Royal Hall, a venue particularly suited to classical music because of its decoration, scale and acoustics.

Tickets are available from €19. Audience members will be able to enter approximately 50 minutes before the concert to use the hotel bar service.

Hans Zimmer closes July with an open-air concert

The final concert of the month will also take place on Saturday, 25 July, this time at Anantara Villa Padierna’s amphitheatre.

Candlelight Open Air: The Best of Hans Zimmer will begin at 9:30 pm with a programme devoted to his most famous film scores.

Ensemble Résonance will perform music from films including Inception, The Lion King, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Dune, Gladiator and Man of Steel.

The concert will last approximately 65 minutes and tickets start at €26.

The organisers advise that the amphitheatre is not recommended for wheelchair users, so accessibility conditions should be checked before booking.

The main Candlelight venues on the Costa del Sol

The July programme is concentrated across three very different venues.

Royal Hall at Gran Hotel Miramar

The historic hotel is located on Paseo de Reding in Málaga, close to La Malagueta and the historic centre.

Its Royal Hall will host the rock, Hans Zimmer and Vivaldi performances. The venue’s classical decoration and lighting create a particularly elegant atmosphere.

Fundación Unicaja María Cristina Concert Hall

This concert hall is located in central Málaga and has a long history connected to music.

On 18 July, it will host the concerts dedicated to Coldplay and Imagine Dragons, and Queen and ABBA.

Anantara Villa Padierna Palace

The resort is located on the western Costa del Sol, in the Marbella and Benahavís area.

Its July concerts will take place in the open-air amphitheatre, surrounded by gardens and architecture inspired by Tuscan palaces.

How long do Candlelight concerts last?

Most performances last approximately 60 minutes.

Doors usually open 45 minutes before the starting time, and late admission is not permitted once the concert has begun. Arriving well in advance is therefore recommended.

Seats are allocated on arrival according to the purchased category. Tickets guarantee access to a particular area, but not to a specific seat within it.

The open-air Hans Zimmer performance at Anantara Villa Padierna is expected to last approximately 65 minutes.

Entry conditions for children

The general minimum age for Candlelight concerts is eight years old.

For most performances, visitors under the age of 16 must attend with an adult. Some event listings apply slightly different rules, including mandatory adult accompaniment for anyone under 18.

The specific conditions for each concert should be checked before purchasing tickets, particularly when attending with children or teenagers.

Tickets for Candlelight in Málaga and Marbella

Tickets are sold in different categories, with prices based on the distance from the stage and the location within each venue.

Published starting prices for July are approximately:

• €16 for selected Málaga concerts.
• €19 for Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
• €26 for the outdoor Coldplay, Imagine Dragons and Hans Zimmer concerts at Anantara Villa Padierna.
• €27 for Queen vs. ABBA in Marbella.

Prices may vary according to demand, applicable fees and the seating categories that remain available.

Visitors should also confirm the programme and performers before attending, as the organisers state that the repertoire may be subject to change.

These are tribute concerts and are not officially affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the featured artists or their representatives.

The full programme, ticket availability and updated prices can be found on the official Candlelight Málaga page on Fever and the official Candlelight Marbella page on Fever.