An evening of live entertainment, affordable food and family-friendly celebrations will once again bring the local community together.

Patron saint celebration returns

Velez-Malaga will once again come together celebrate its patron saint with the II Verbena de la Patrona (Patron Saint Festival), taking place on Saturday, August 15, at the Explanada del Cerro in the historic town centre. Organisers confirms a full evening of entertainment, with performances beginning at 8.30pm and continuing in true Spanish style until well after midnight. Put together by the local religious brotherhood, the cheery annual event gives attendees a chance to relax, eat, drunk and socialise while fundraising at the same time.

Evening programme packed with music and dance

Opening the event at 8.30pm will be the Elsa Guerra Dance Academy, followed at 9.30pm by performances from the Cristina Gallardo Dance Academy. Live music will begin at 10.30pm with the talented singer Benito Garcia, before Spanish group Ñ Clan headline the celebrations from midnight. Keeping your feet tapping throughout the evening will be DJ Palomares providing the tunes into the early hours.

Food, drink and scratch-and-win prizes

Visitors will also find a bar serving food and drinks at affordable prices, Another attraction will be the popular “Rasca y Gana” scratch-and-win raffle, where hundreds of prizes donated by local businesses will be available.

Organisers say more than 50 local companies, shops and commercial sponsors have contributed to this year’s festival. Their support has helped make the event possible and reflects strong backing from the wider Velez-Malaga business community.

Community support at the centre of the festivities

Much more than a night of entertainment, the festival serves as a fundraising and social event for the religious brotherhood responsible for organising celebrations connected to the town’s patron saint. Scheduled for August 15, on a public holiday and major religious feast day across Spain, the II Verbena de la Patrona is a wonderful opportunity for residents to support local traditions.

You’ve had your day at the beach, you are freshly showered and ready for dinner and drinks. Well, rather than heading to a restaurant this August, try popping to Elviria to sample some delicious street food and listen to some incredible live music. Maybe even have a dance?

Mouth-watering flavours and eight pumping live acts

Gastronomy awaits visitors at Pinar de Elviria, where nine food trucks will be serving up tasty bites from Thursday, August 13 through to Sunday, August 16. Starting at 7pm each evening, guests can wander through a lively market and choose from the variety on offer.

Live performances will take place every night, featuring eight live musical acts across the four days. Fans of classic pop hits can catch Abba Angels taking the stage at 9:30pm on Thursday, August 13, followed by the extremely popular Zak & Bruno, at 10:30pm. Rock enthusiasts will want to mark Friday, August 14 on their calendars when Queen of Magic delivers their rocking tribute performance starting at 10:30pm.

Weekend festivities kick in on from Saturday, August 15 with dual performances starting at 11pm, featuring live sets from local favourites Layla and Mami Curl. Sunday, August 16 rounds off the four-day extravaganza with early evening sets from the talented Joaco Viera at 8pm, followed by Ollie Hugs at 9:30pm. Every performance will keep audiences singing and dancing into the warm evening.

Not just food and music

Craft market shoppers can stroll along the artisan walk, discovering handmade treasures and unique local goods. Younger visitors will find excitement in the designated children’s area, ensuring parents can get a chance to soak in the evening atmosphere while their kids play.

So head to Pinar de Elviria if you are looking for some late evening entertainment and a nibble on something a bit different. This 4-day foody festival really has something for everyone.

A huge fish has given beachgoers in Marbella quite a fright after appearing just metres from the shoreline at Playa del Ancon. Footage circulating online shows the large fish, initially thought to be a shark, moving through the shallow water at the popular Costa del Sol beach on Saturday, August 8.

Local online social media page, fuengirolasequeja published the sighting, describing the creature as a large fish and saying it was apparently a tuna. However, no official identification has been released yet, so it is too early to say for certain what species was swimming so close to the beach.

Huge fish surprises swimmers at Marbella beach

Beachgoers were left surprised by the unexpected visitor, which was filmed close to the shore rather than further out at sea. Despite the initial fright, there is no report of anyone being attacked or injured. Nothing currently suggests that the fish posed a threat to swimmers.

No information has been released indicating that the beach was closed or that people were ordered out of the water because of the sighting. Marbella’s lifeguard service and town hall have not, so far, issued a public statement confirming the fish’s identity or giving its size.

Was the fish really a tuna?

A tuna is certainly possible, but the available footage and reports do not provide enough evidence to identify the species with certainty. Large tuna are found in the Mediterranean, with bluefin tuna making seasonal migrations between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Spain has a dedicated management programme for bluefin tuna, including specific rules for the 2026 fishing season.

Marbella is therefore no stranger to waters used by large pelagic fish. An incident once in the resort involved a moonfish, or opah, becoming stranded in shallow water off Playa de la Bajadilla. Firefighters eventually helped guide it back towards deeper water.

A surprising sight off the Costa del Sol

Sightings of large marine animals close to busy beaches are always likely to attract attention, particularly during the busy August holiday period. Nothing currently indicates that Saturday’s fish sighting was linked to an emergency or dangerous situation. Instead, it appears to have been a brief and unusual encounter between beachgoers and a large marine animal.

Marbella’s coastline regularly attracts holidaymakers looking for a swim, while the Mediterranean waters offshore are home to a wide range of marine species. Saturday’s unexpected visitor simply provided beachgoers with a rather memorable addition to their day at Playa del Ancon.