La Velá in Istán 2026: free concerts by candlelight with Javier Ojeda and live music across the village

Some festivals take place on one main stage. Others turn an entire village into part of the experience. La Velá in Istán clearly belongs to the second category.

The Málaga village will celebrate the eighth edition of this distinctive summer event on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August 2026. For two nights, candles will once again illuminate streets, squares and viewpoints while different artists perform across some of Istán’s most characteristic locations.

The programme is free to attend and will combine flamenco, Latin music, pop, classical music, piano, string instruments, street performances and family entertainment. One of the biggest names on the bill is Javier Ojeda, the historic voice of Danza Invisible, who will close Saturday night in Plaza de Andalucía.

A festival designed to explore Istán on foot

One of the main attractions of La Velá is that there is no single stage where everything happens.

Music will be spread across locations such as El Chorro, Torre Escalante, Mirador El Peñón, Plaza del Pueblo, Plaza de Andalucía, Calle Marbella and Auditorio del Coto.

That means visitors can create their own route through the village: stop for one performance, walk through candlelit streets, discover another stage and continue exploring until late at night.

The village itself becomes the setting, with music acting as the thread connecting the different corners of Istán.

Friday 28 August: flamenco, piano and a Manuel Carrasco tribute

The first evening will begin before nightfall.

At 8.15pm, Rafa Taleguilla will perform near the Giant Swing and Bench. At 9pm, younger visitors can enjoy children’s entertainment by Brillantina in Plaza del Chá.

At 9.30pm, Alba y Álvaro will bring flamenco fusion to El Chorro, followed at 9.45pm by Marisa Cano and Leyani Valdés with a voice-and-piano performance at Torre Escalante.

At 10.15pm, singers from the Municipal School will perform at Mirador El Peñón, while one of the main shows of the night will arrive at 10.30pm in Plaza del Pueblo, where Samuel Tosso will present a tribute to Manuel Carrasco.

Saxophonist Gabi will perform in Calle Marbella at 10.45pm, before Versión 2.0 closes the night at 1am in Plaza de Andalucía.

Saturday 29 August: classical music, Latin rhythms and Javier Ojeda

Saturday begins at 8.45pm with a string quartet at Auditorio del Coto.

Brillantina returns with children’s entertainment at 9pm, while Trova Malacitana begins a street parade through the village at 9.15pm.

At 9.30pm, César Jiménez and Juan Ramón Vereda will perform cello and piano at Torre Escalante.

Trova Malacitana will then appear at El Chorro from 10pm, while the Municipal School singers return to Mirador El Peñón at 10.15pm.

At 10.30pm, Plaza del Pueblo will switch to Latin rhythms with El Gremio, followed by trumpeter Mati in Calle Marbella at 10.45pm.

Javier Ojeda closes La Velá in Plaza de Andalucía

The final headline performance will come after midnight.

At 1am on Saturday night, Javier Ojeda will take to the stage in Plaza de Andalucía to close the eighth edition of La Velá.

The Málaga-born singer is closely associated with Danza Invisible, one of the most important Spanish pop bands to emerge from Málaga, as well as a long solo career.

His concert will bring to an end two nights in which very different musical styles will take place just a few streets apart.

Full programme for La Velá de Istán 2026

Friday 28 August

• 8.15pm – Rafa Taleguilla, Giant Swing and Bench
• 9pm – Brillantina, Plaza del Chá
• 9.30pm – Alba y Álvaro, El Chorro
• 9.45pm – Marisa Cano and Leyani Valdés, Torre Escalante
• 10.15pm – Municipal School singers, Mirador El Peñón
• 10.30pm – Samuel Tosso, Manuel Carrasco tribute, Plaza del Pueblo
• 10.45pm – Gabi, saxophonist, Calle Marbella
• 1am – Versión 2.0, Plaza de Andalucía

Saturday 29 August

• 8.45pm – String quartet, Auditorio del Coto
• 9pm – Brillantina, Plaza del Chá
• 9.15pm – Trova Malacitana, street parade
• 9.30pm – César Jiménez and Juan Ramón Vereda, Torre Escalante
• 10pm – Trova Malacitana, El Chorro
• 10.15pm – Municipal School singers, Mirador El Peñón
• 10.30pm – El Gremio, Plaza del Pueblo
• 10.45pm – Mati, trumpeter, Calle Marbella
• 1am – Javier Ojeda, Plaza de Andalucía

Free bus between Marbella and Istán

A special transport option will also be available for visitors travelling from the Costa del Sol.

On both nights, a free bus service will operate between Marbella and Istán.

The bus will leave Marbella at 8pm, with the return journey from Istán scheduled for 3am.

The timetable makes it possible to arrive before most of the performances and stay until the main late-night concerts have finished.

A different way to spend the final weekend of August

La Velá offers a very different festival experience: no large arena, no single main stage and no need to stay in one place all night.

Visitors can move from piano and flamenco performances to local singers, street music and late-night concerts while discovering Istán under the glow of candlelight.

For two nights, the village itself becomes the star of the festival, combining live music, atmosphere and some of its most scenic corners.

The VIII edition of La Velá will take place on 28 and 29 August 2026, with the full programme and any last-minute updates available through the official Istán Town Hall website.