Nerja Cave Festival to return in July 2027. Court clears contract after two lost summers

The Nerja Cave International Music Festival is set to return in July 2027, after two summers without a single concert. According to Diario Sur and SUR in English, a contracts tribunal has dismissed the last appeal against the company chosen to run it, clearing the way for preparations to restart.

The Fundación Pública de Servicios Cueva de Nerja (the public foundation that runs the caves) announced the news on Wednesday.

Key facts

• Return date: the 64th edition is planned for July 2027, with up to 12 concerts and shows.
• Venue: the outdoor Manuel del Campo auditorium in the gardens of the Cueva de Nerja, near Maro.
• Organiser: PIES Compañía Discográfica, which will run the festival from artist booking to production.
• Public funding: an annual contribution of €748,869.40, including IVA (Spanish VAT).
• Line-up: the Foundation expects to announce the first artists between December and January, then open ticket sales.

The ruling that unblocked the festival

The Central Administrative Court for Contractual Appeals (TACRC) rejected in full an appeal by Mundo Management against the award to PIES. Its resolution, number 1691/2026, is dated 22 October, according to Diario Sur.

Diario Sur reported that the appeal questioned the winning company's capacity, experience and solvency. It also challenged the suitability of its corporate purpose, its material and professional resources, the exclusivity of the proposed artists and certain quality certifications. The tribunal confirmed the award, which ends the suspension that had prevented the contract from being signed.

How the dispute unfolded

The Foundation launched a tender in November 2025 for the full organisation of the festival. It was initially for editions from 2026 to 2030, with an estimated value of more than €12 million over five years.

Mundo Management first won the award, but PIES appealed. According to Diario Sur, the TACRC upheld that appeal on 23 April, annulled the award and ordered the procedure to be rewound so that Mundo Management could be excluded.

The contract then went to PIES, and the Foundation announced a return for summer 2026. Mundo Management lodged a new appeal on 12 June, which automatically suspended the contract. The tribunal kept the suspension in place on 6 July.

The freeze stopped the programme being finalised and tickets going on sale for shows pencilled in for 10 July to 2 August. On 10 July the Foundation confirmed that the 2026 edition was cancelled, saying there was no longer enough time to organise it properly. Diario Sur noted that the 2025 edition had also been cancelled because of problems in an earlier tender. The last festival held was the 63rd, in 2024.

What the new contract covers

The plan is for the 65th edition to follow in 2028, with the option of three annual extensions for 2029, 2030 and 2031. Diario Sur said this calendar would in practice replace the one in the original tender, although the contract still has to be formally signed.

Diario Sur stressed that the annual €748,869.40 is the institution's contribution and should not be confused with the concession's overall estimated value of more than €12 million, which also counts projected commercial income.

PIES would handle artist contracts, staging, sound and lighting, catering, ticketing, security, cleaning, medical assistance, parking control and coach transport for audiences, according to Diario Sur. Programming is expected to mix flamenco, dance, classical music, pop, rock and indie.

The festival began in June 1960, coinciding with the official opening of the cave, and was long held inside it. The Foundation agreed in December 2019 to stop staging shows inside the cave for conservation reasons. Diario Sur reported that no performers or specific dates have been confirmed yet.

Political reaction at the caves

The same reports covered a separate event at the caves, where Josele Aguilar, general secretary of the PSOE in Málaga, said the site had undergone "the greatest transformation and modernisation process in their entire history" over eight years of Pedro Sánchez's government, according to SUR in English. He linked continued investment to the general election on 29 November.

SUR in English reported that Aguilar cited more than 530,000 visitors in 2025, 22 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, and Foundation revenue of €8.6 million. These are figures presented by a party official, not independently verified.

What to watch

For residents and visitors, the next markers are the contract signing and the line-up announcement expected between December and January. The Foundation said the priority now is completing the administrative steps.