Just outside San Pedro de Alcántara, on the Finca La Caridad estate, there’s a venue that has become one of the most versatile event spaces on the Costa del Sol.
In the space of a few years, it has hosted Spain’s biggest gourmet burger festival, open-air music events drawing thousands of people, indie rock nights, reggaeton festivals, a Latin superstar concert that was the only one of its kind in all of Andalucía that summer, and, every October, one of the most beloved traditional ferias on the southern coast.
This summer, the Bella Marbella Fest returns on 1st August for its fourth edition – a one-night Spanish indie pop and rock festival headlined by Lori Meyers, Sexy Zebras, and Niña Polacaq. In May, the RÊVE Festival brought a new name to the site’s growing calendar. And in October, the annual Feria y Fiestas de San Pedro Alcántara fills the ground with casetas, horse-drawn carriages, traditional Andalusian dress, and a week of celebrations centred on the feast day of the town’s patron saint on the 19th.
Finca La Caridad spans over 80,000 square metres of open-air space, with proper infrastructure for large crowds, food and bar areas, and a layout that adapts to wildly different types of event, it has become proof of what a well-built, permanent, multi-purpose venue can do for a town’s cultural identity and year-round appeal.
Marbella town hall has taken note, and is now planning something even larger.
What is Marbella Building?
The new fairground will form part of the urban development of Arroyo Segundo, a major new zone currently being planned to the north of Marbella. The fairground itself will cover between 70,000 and 80,000 square metres within a total land area, including parking and complementary spaces of up to 140,000 square metres.
Plans include a large landscaped central avenue, different areas for children’s and adults’ attractions, restaurant areas, day and night entertainment zones, dedicated spaces for younger visitors, and a proper auditorium capable of hosting concerts and large-scale events. The aim is to create a venue that generates activity throughout the year, rather than just lying empty
The broader Arroyo Segundo development will also deliver 1,330 new homes (40 percent of which will be subsidised housing) and significant road infrastructure, including new north-south connections between La Cañada and the A-7 and east-west links between Las Albarizas, the local industrial estate, and Bello Horizonte.
When Will it Be Built?
The fairground will be built progressively as the Arroyo Segundo urban development moves through its phases, so this is a medium-to-long-term project rather than an immediate opening. That said, there’s already a near-term benefit: advance land transfers from the developers involved mean this year’s Feria de Marbella will have an additional 10,000 square metres of space compared to previous editions.
Looking To The Future
Permanent, well-designed public infrastructure – the kind that brings communities together, attracts national and international events, and gives a town genuine cultural identity – has a real effect on the quality of life in an area. Finca La Caridad has shown that clearly in San Pedro de Alcántara. The fact that Marbella is now investing in something of comparable scale, with an even more ambitious brief, speaks to the continued momentum of this stretch of coastline as a place people really want to be.
Looking to Live Here?
At Winkworth, we’ve spent years getting to know Marbella – the neighbourhoods, the communities, the lifestyle, and everything in between. From the established elegance of Guadalmina to the hills above Benahavís and the growing appeal of Estepona, we help buyers find not just a property, but the right place to build a life.
If you’re thinking about the Costa del Sol, take a look at our current listings or get in touch with the team. We’d love to help you find your place here.