Premios Juventud Comes to Europe, With Marbella as Its Stage

Marbella, Spain. On a warm September evening, the 2026 edition of Premios Juventud brought one of Latin music’s most prominent television events to Europe for the first time, transforming Starlite Marbella into the setting for a night that connected the entertainment industries of two continents.

Set within the natural landscape of the Costa del Sol, Starlite occupies a former quarry surrounded by the mountains and vegetation of Nagüeles. It was an unconventional setting for a large scale television production, and one that gave the ceremony a distinctly European backdrop.

Thinking Lion was responsible for the show direction, bringing its experience in multicamera television and live entertainment to the Marbella stage.

The September 3 ceremony marked the first time in the awards’ 23 year history that Premios Juventud was held outside the Americas. Artists from Spain, Latin America and the United States gathered in Marbella for an evening that reflected the increasingly international reach of Spanish language entertainment.

For Thinking Lion, the project also represented another step in a growing presence beyond the United States and Latin America. The company works across Spain and Europe, alongside its longstanding work on major television and live productions in the Americas.

The choice of Marbella was significant beyond its setting. In recent years, the city has become an increasingly visible destination for international music and entertainment, making Starlite a fitting stage for an awards show designed to bring Latin culture to a broader global audience.

For one night, the center of gravity of Premios Juventud moved from the Americas to the Mediterranean, placing Marbella at the intersection of Latin music, European entertainment and international television.