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An unmistakable Michael Jackson, on stage at the Marbella Football Stadium in August 1988. Josele When Michael Jackson rocked Marbella: the unforgettable concert attended by 28,000 fansWith the premiere of the authorised “biopic” of the King of Pop happening today, revisit memories of his historic Costa del Sol show - his first performance in Spain ·
Málaga
Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 15:26
Tickets cost 5,000 pesetas, 30 euros back then, which would be a little over 90 euros today. Still a lot of money but even more if you were a teenager in the 80s. Back then, a Michael Jackson concert in Malaga was something of science fiction - until it happened.
During the height of the movida madrilaña movement, with acts like The Refrescos performing shows organised by the council which felt much more realistic to the location.
However when the King of Pop announced his first concert in Spain, rather than Madrid or Barcelona, it was going to be at the municipal football stadium in Marbella. Tickets were sold at El Corte Inglés and unlike today’s virtual queues, fans had to break open their piggy banks to find 5,000 pesetas before running to buy them.
A physical ticket with a picture of the captivating performer represented a show the likes of which had never been seen in this area. On 5 August 1988, 28,000 people sang and danced the night away at the unforgettable concert.
Michael Jackson, in typical pose. JoseleThe premiere of the authorised biopic “Michael”, out today, brings back that legendary concert that made history in Spain, and simultaneously captures the electrifying live performance of an artist whose reign was a blend of sheer willpower, infectious music, mesmerising choreography and charisma, combined in his live shows with the use of the very latest technology as part of the spectacle.
At the Marbella stadium there were no lights; instead, the sunset over the performance. There was no smoke machine, but rather a whole arsenal that transformed Marbella in August into London in the depths of winter when the first notes of ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ played. This was followed by a sea of screams, even though nothing could be seen, until the unmistakable silhouette of the five-star Jackson began to emerge from the fog. By then, it was pure madness.
The kilometre-long stage was too small for him and Jackson flew over thousands of spectators on a crane. Without a harness or anything, reflecting the artist’s penchant for high-altitude stunts.
Everyone who was there will undoubtedly cherish that moment. By now, it’s hard to recall every detail of that night, which was like something out of a film, but there are some memorable flashes.
From the struggle to park the car to the rivers of people at the entrance. The incredible atmosphere inside the stadium. The bars with no Coca-Cola, just Pepsi, the legend’s official sponsor. The immense stage, fit for a star. A thousand square metres that Jackson never stopped running and traversing.
With all that coming and going, the vast stage became too small for him and he ended up flying over thousands of spectators on a crane, from which he even hung completely outside. Without a harness or anything. Back then, health and safety regulations weren’t as present in the workplace as today. With the passage of time, it’s impossible not to recall the artist’s flirtation with high-altitudes. Both personally and with his own family. Like the controversial day he dangled his baby from a hotel balcony in Berlin as if his whole life were a spectacle.
A revelation
Going back to 1988, I asked Josele - an institution in the world of photography on the Costa del Sol - for his pictures of that August night when the ‘Bad Tour Live’ hit Marbella. The archive has uncovered images of that great story, brimming with the pop and glamour of the music legend, but also of the smaller, more personal story experienced by those in the crowd. Snapshots of the audience which, when revisited today show an enthusiastic crowd, young and utterly captivated by the electrifying music of Michael Jackson at the height of his powers.
With arms raised, the crowd at the Marbella concert cheered for their idol, the King of Pop, who arrived as part of his 'Bad' album tour.
. Josele Josele . Josele JoseleA sea of people and raised hands stretched as far as the eye could see in a packed Marbella Municipal Stadium for the American star's first-ever concert in Spain
. JoseleThe concert had it all, including a moment that disappointed some. In the days leading up to the event, it had been announced that, at this first concert in Spain, a young woman would go on stage to kiss the King of Pop. It was never stated that it would be a prize draw, but it was implied that any member of the audience could be the chosen one. That wasn’t the case. In a show planned down to the last detail, the young woman selected ‘at random’ was Chabeli Iglesias, whose father, Julio Iglesias, was signed to the same record label as Michael Jackson: Sony.
Prince, Simple Minds and The Rolling Stones have all passed through the Costa del Sol. But none raised as much expectation or headlines as Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.
The once-in-a-lifetime concert dazzled with its non-stop rush of excitement and hits. Like the performance of ‘Thriller’ with the backing dancer’s iconic moves. The great tracks just kept coming. He sang ‘Dirty Diana’ as if Diana Ross were in the front row of the audience. The rumoured relationship between Jackson and Ross is an urban legend that flourished in the pre-internet days, spreading like wildfire by word of mouth. The crowd also joined in, enjoying ‘Smooth Criminal’ and the classic ‘Billie Jean’, dedicated to the ‘groupies’.
Those who were there, and those who weren’t, will each have their own favourite Jackson song. For me, it wasn’t the most played or essential one. I resonate more with a lesser-known tune, but an anthem nonetheless. The moment when he began to sing softly, like a ballad, ‘Uh, uh, uh, I’m gonna make a change’, before it builts to the chorus of ‘Man in the Mirror’.
In that moment, the man reflected Jackson himself, a man convinced that music could change the world. The song speaks to poverty and injustice, urging us to look inward and proclaim that change starts within.
Jackson, however, took this message literally. It’s bittersweet, even tragic, to realise that his own personal change, of appearance, of skin, of face, seemed to come from a place of discontent with what he saw in that mirror. It’s a beautiful, melancholic, and revolutionary song, its relevance and power more alive than ever.
The tour was part of a unique era when the Costa del Sol was on the itinerary of major tours. Prince, Simple Minds and the Rolling Stones all passed through here. But none generated as much excitement or made as many headlines as Micheal Jackson at the peak of his career. A performance that even graced two consecutive front pages of SUR. First to mark the occasion with a photo of Jackson in Spain, and the second front page to report on the concert.