STARMUS La Palma: Stellar Party of the Year

La Isla Bonita is a world-renowned Astro tourism destination and one of the best places to enjoy the stars

STARMUS is the world-class festival where the science aligns with universe, music, and the stars dancing to the live performances of Glenn Hughes, Jorge Drexler, Efecto Pasillo, Simona Todaro-Pavarotti, and many others

London, 24 March 2025 – Under one of the clearest skies on the planet, La Palma is back in the global spotlight with STARMUS La Palma 2025 co-hosted with the Starlight Foundation. Under the slogan "The Island of Stars'', La Isla Bonita will shine from 25-28 April as one-of-a-kind epicentre of science, music, and space exploration.

STARMUS La Palma aims to build a strong narrative and create greater awareness about the main challenges of protecting the skies from light pollution and space debris. The Starlight Foundation adds value to this key platform within the framework of the "Starlight Declaration" or "La Palma Declaration" in Defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Starlight. Their efforts are further promoted by the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), with a seal of approval from international institutions such as UNESCO, UNWTO, and the IAU, among others.

The program will feature more than 45 prestigious speakers, including eight Nobel Prize winners, legendary astronauts, experts in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, alongside inspiring figures. Star-studded line up includes a renowned ethologist Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, along with Brian May, astrophysicist, and musician. The presentations will take place in Puerto Naos on 25, 26 and 28 April from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., paired with two exclusive panel discussions with the most scenic views at Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in Roque de los Muchachos towering over the island, scheduled for 27 April at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

A first-class music program:  Sonic Universe Concert

STARMUS La Palma 2025 will not only be a space for scientific exchange, but also a first-class music festival. Music will take center stage with a series of concerts bringing together national and international artists. The festival will launch on April 25 in Santa Cruz de La Palma with a symphonic concert by the STARMUS Orchestra, conducted by José María Vicente. The musical performances with continue on the following day in Puerto de Tazacorte, and dazzling STARMUS concert, headlined "Sonic Universe,” featuring the debut of the STARMUS All Stars—band boasting a list of iconic performers: rock legends Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (formerly Guns & Roses), Derek Sherinian (ex Kiss), Ash Sheehan, Tony Franklin (formerly Black Sabbath) Dino Jelusic (Whitesnake) and the iconic Glenn Hughes (ex-vocalist of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, etc.) as a 'special guest'.

Composer and winner of an Oscar and 15 Latin Grammys, Jorge Drexler will also have a star-performance along with popular Efecto Pasillo, the great duo Knarias, astro-pop brought from Chile by Flangr. The grand finale will sparkle on 27 April, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, with the long-awaited Classical Night showcasing unbeatable quartet led by Montserrat Martí Caballé and Simona Todaro-Pavarotti, accompanied by baritone Luis Santana and Víctor Carbajo on piano.

Science and camping

Alongside the presentations and concerts, STARMUS La Palma 2025 will offer STARMUS Camps, two scientific outreach events designed for all audiences and taking place in Los Llanos de Aridane and Santa Cruz de La Palma. These spaces will offer interactive exhibitions, talks, live workshops, and musical performances accessible to all.

Environmental awareness will be further increased with the participation of the Starlight Foundation, the IAC, and the CTAO—the world's largest and most powerful gamma-ray observatory for volcanology led by the Geophysical Institute of the Canary Islands; supported by the prestigious Jane Goodall Institute. Expo area will be astronomy-themed where the ITER nuclear fusion megaproject will be also presented, accompanied with a series of renowned speakers and high-profile scientists: Mar Gómez, director of climatology at eltiempo.es; astronaut trainer and Olympic athlete Guillermo Rojo; Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón, communicator and host of the popular program Órbita Laika; renowned astrobiologist Carlos Briones; the SIGMA 5 podcast of the Spanish Astronomical Society; Isabel Béjar of CERN; and the popular communicator José Luis Oltra, "Cuarentaydos."

The event will also include sessions dedicated to "INTERSCHOLAR," the STARMUS La Palma educational project with the renowned physicist and science educator Javier Santaolalla, the Jane Goodall Institute, and collaborative forces of Efecto Pasillo and Jorge Drexler. This educational program encompassing 49 schools is designed to reach primary and secondary school students with science, the environment, and music under the clearest skies and unspoilt setting of STARMUS Camps.

Astro tourism with a difference

STARMUS is hosted on La Palma because of the island's prime location. Starlight Destination and Reserve is one of the best places in the world for observing the night sky owing to exceptional visibility conditions and protection from light pollution. La Palma's recognition as a benchmark in Astro tourism is reinforced by the presence of the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the world's largest optical and infrared telescope in the world, which will serve as the setting for some of the festival's activities. The festival will help consolidate La Palma as a privileged destination for lovers of the universe and position the island as a leading destination for Astro tourism, a growing travel trend that offers opportunities to diversify La Palma's tourism offering and attract visitors all year-round.

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About La Palma

La Palma is a Biosphere and Starlight Reserve, located in the northwestern corner of the Canary Islands. Rugged, beautiful, surprising, and wonderful surface area stretches over ​​706 square kilometers, and boasts a wide landscape enriched with climate diversity defining it as the "Beautiful Island." La Palma echoes exceptional natural beauty that makes it a fascinating island with versatile flora and fauna, inviting for new discoveries.

https://visitlapalma.es/en/

 About STARMUS

Founded by Garik Israelian, PhD in astrophysics from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), and Brian May, PhD in astrophysics and lead guitarist of the iconic rock band the Queen, Starmus is an annual science, art, and music festival that brings together astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners, and the leading figures from various scientific disciplines and music industry to celebrate, exchange knowledge and experiences in the search for answers to the great questions of our time. STARMUS also tributes exceptional work with Stephen Hawking Medal for Scientific Outreach. This prestigious award was introduced by the great Stephen Hawking and Alexei Leonov, alongside Brian May and Garik Israelian to reward scientific outreach in film, television, music, and literature. Stephen Hawking Medal winners include world-renowned figures such as Jane Goodall, Brian May, Jean-Michel Jarre, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Christopher Nolan, Brian Eno, Hans Zimmer, Elon Musk, and the Apollo 11 documentary.

www.starmus.com

About AVIAREPS 

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