Credit: Starmus Festival
Today, at the World Travel Market in London, STARMUS and The Canary Islands proudly unveiled the line-up for the highly anticipated STARMUS La Palma festival. The announcement was made during a special presentation led by STARMUS co-founder and Director, Prof. Garik Israelian, featuring the President of the Cabildo de La Palma, Sergio Rodríguez.
Under the title “The Island of Stars,” STARMUS La Palma will sharpen its focus on the major challenges we face in protecting the skies from pollution and space debris. Thus, within the framework of the ‘Starlight Declaration or La Palma Declaration’ in Defense of the Night Sky and the Right to Starlight—promoted by the Starlight Foundation and the IAC and drafted and signed by international institutions such as UNESCO, UNWTO, and IAU among others, with the Starlight Foundation as the responsible body—this edition will be a key drive to generate greater visibility and awareness on this issue.
A Stellar Gathering of Eminent Personalities
With this shared goal, in partnership with the Starlight Foundation, the festival will bring together an extraordinary array of luminaries, including renowned Ethologist, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace and STARMUS Advisory Board, Jane Goodall, DBE, STARMUS co-founder and legendary musician Brian May, eight Nobel Laureates, world-renowned astronauts, and a host of other world-class experts in science, technology, environment, and space.
The STARMUS La Palma festival will feature a remarkable roster of speakers, including Nobel Laureates like John Mather, Kip Thorne, Michel Mayor, Steven Chu or Donna Strickland; famous astronauts such as Col. Chris Hadfield, Terry Virts, first female private space explorer and entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari or ESA astronaut reserve Sara García; popular scientists and communicators like Jim Bell, David Eicher or Javier Santaolalla, who is also a collaborator of Starmus; world-renowned inventors and entrepreneurs like Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod and co-creator of the iPhone; environmental experts like Maureen Raymo and Chris Rapley; and scientific luminaries such as Rafael Yuste, Juan Luis Arsuaga, Carlos Briones, Xavier Barcons, Juan Ignacio Cirac, Jesús Martín-Fernández, the leading representatives of the prestigious IAC, Valentín Martínez and Eva Villaver, or Miguel Alcubierre.
This impressive gathering will lead a spectacular multidisciplinary scientific program with its main focus on the protection of the sky, serving as a crucial call to action against threats such as pollution and space junk. As we rapidly enter a new space age, breaking all known boundaries, the discussions in La Palma will be pivotal in shaping our approach to safeguarding the skies for future generations.
In addition to becoming the epicentre of science and the future of sky protection, this edition in La Palma also has a very special goal: to support the recovery of the island after the disaster caused by the major volcanic eruption in 2021.
Festival Highlights and Programming Structure
STARMUS La Palma will feature:
- X2 STARMUS CAMPS: Located in the historic capital of Santa Cruz de La Palma and Los Llanos de Aridane. Full 5-day program of exhibitions, workshops, music performances and a variety of scientific shows.
- X2 MAIN CONCERTS: The Opening Concert in Santa Cruz de La Palma on April 25 and The Island of the Stars Concert in Puerto de Tazacorte on April 26.
- KEYNOTE LECTURES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS: A four-day program of keynote lectures and unique panel discussions from April 25 to April 29. (venue to be announced with the full program)
Open and Free to the Public
This edition of STARMUS will be 100% open and free to the public. While keynote lectures will require accreditation due to limited venue capacity, they will be live streamed at the STARMUS CAMPS. Most keynote speakers will also deliver special talks at the Camps. Pre-registration for those wishing to attend the keynote lectures program is now open on the STARMUS website (please visit www.starmus.com).
Turning La Palma into the World’s Epicenter of Science and Sky Protection
Prof. Garik Israelian, STARMUS co-founder and Director, shared his thoughts: “La Palma is the birthplace of STARMUS, the place that inspired its creation. We are thrilled to bring the festival back to this island, which is not only a natural paradise but also a beacon of scientific and technological innovation. It is a hub of many advancements, hosting numerous significant milestones and facilities like the world’s largest optical-infrared telescope, offering unparalleled opportunities for research and discovery.”
He added, “With its unique volcanic and Atlantic landscape, rich cultural heritage, and many natural attributes, La Palma, together with the celebration of STARMUS, will definitively be positioned as the Island of the Stars, becoming an awareness hub of sky protection and aiming to create the most inspiring call to action about it.”
In representation of La Palma island, Sergio Rodríguez, President of the Cabildo de La Palma, stated that “The Starmus Festival positions our island as a global reference in the scientific and cultural fields. La Palma, with its privileged sky and rich astronomical history, saw the birth of this international event, and it is the perfect setting for a festival of this magnitude. Starmus is not just a gathering of scientists and astronauts; it is a bridge that connects knowledge with art, music, and philosophy. It is a unique opportunity to inspire new generations and spark scientific vocations.”
Furthermore, he added, “By bringing Starmus back, we reaffirm our commitment to research, innovation, and scientific dissemination. We demonstrate to the world that La Palma is an island looking to the future, committed to knowledge, and aiming to be a driving force for development in the Canary Islands and Spain.”
The Director of the Starlight Foundation, Antonia Varela, conveyed to the organisation that “It is an honour and also a great responsibility to be part of organizing a festival of this magnitude, which will bring so many renowned international scientists and artists to La Palma, an island that has seen the birth of the most significant initiatives in defence of the sky. This festival will help us promote the environmental, cultural, and scientific values associated with the protection of our skies and raise awareness in society about the urgent need to protect this resource for present and future generations, as we do at the Starlight Foundation.’”
The music line-up and the full program for STARMUS La Palma will be unveiled in January 2025. This announcement promises to reveal the spectacular array of performances and events, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding this extraordinary festival.
STARMUS Welcomes Nobel Laureate Steven Chu and Astronaut Chris Hadfield to Its Esteemed Board
In addition to sharing the incredible line-up for its upcoming edition, STARMUS is thrilled to announce the addition of two remarkable members to its prestigious Advisory Board: Nobel Laureate Steven Chu and former Astronaut Chris Hadfield. Steven Chu, a physicist and former U.S. Secretary of Energy, is renowned for his groundbreaking research in laser cooling and trapping of atoms, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997. Colonel Chris Hadfield, celebrated for his command of the International Space Station and his contributions to space exploration, is also known for his engaging educational outreach as a writer and public speaker.
Both figures will join an illustrious group of scientific and musical luminaries, including Brian May, Peter Gabriel, Jane Goodall, Jean-Michel Jarre, Richard Dawkins or Jill Tarter, further enriching the STARMUS community with their expertise and passion.
With these amazing announcements, the countdown begins for the Canarian archipelago, which, in addition to being a highly valued tourist destination worldwide, will transform into a global hub for science and innovation with the celebration of STARMUS La Palma. This edition is generating immense excitement, as it returns to its roots in the Canary Islands after traveling to countries like Norway, Switzerland, Armenia, and most recently, Slovakia in May. This remarkable event promises to elevate La Palma’s status on the world stage, showcasing its unique blend of natural beauty and scientific excellence.
