Gibraltar Calling

Gibraltar Calling has been cancelled the last couple of years. Hopefully it will return in 2024 so check back nearer the time for more information.

A warm summer’s evening, a sea breeze and great music, if you are looking for one more festival to squeeze in before the end of the summer then look no further than Gibraltar Calling.

As I always use the excuse of concert to visit a new place when Gibraltar Calling announced Take That as their first headliner for the 2019 festival, Gibraltar went straight onto my travel wish list. 

Not being sure I’d get a chance to go back, I decided to make a weekend of it, do a bit of sightseeing and go to both nights of the festival. Right decision as it turns out when Enrique was announced as the Saturday night headliner. What are the chances of two of your favourite acts headlining each night of a festival? Doubt that will happen again any time soon!

What I didn’t bank on was the BA pilot strike making it a much more stressful trip than it needed to be – Gibraltar is not the place to get stuck in a strike I discovered – but that’s a story for another time.

If you are looking for a relaxed festival with great music, almost guaranteed good weather (don’t mention the first rain since February) and no chance of muddy fields then Gibraltar Calling is worth considering.

The festival feels more like a locals night out than your usual festival. Families, groups of friends and fans all mixed together enjoying the atmosphere. It was also the first (and probably only) place where space on the front row opened up just before the main act so that shows what a laid back festival it was!

So if you are looking for a new festival to try here’s everything you need to know about the Gibraltar music festival.

What is Gibraltar Calling?

The Gibraltar music festival, also known as Gibraltar Calling, is an annual music festival held in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The show is held over two days in September in the run up to Gibraltar’s National Day.

Venue Information

The 2019 festival was held, for the first time, at the Europa Point Leisure Complex. Previous festivals were held at Victoria Stadium, right in front of the The Rock.

Europa Point is the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. If you are lucky with the weather and get a clear day you can see views of North Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. So make sure you add in some time to see the views and visit the nearby lighthouse before going into the venue.

There are two stages, the main stage (for today’s big acts) on the pitch and the classic stage (back in the day acts) in a sports hall just off the pitch.  

Perhaps to be expected with a new venue there were a few teething problems. Long queues to buy tokens to purchase drinks (it took the guy standing next to me over an hour to get a drink at one point) and limited capacity for the classic stage due to it being held in a sports hall. A shame as pretty much everyone I spoke to there wanted to see someone performing on the classic stage so many people probably missed out. 

Impressively, the organisers recognised this quickly and made improvements, including moving some of the classic stage acts to the main stage for second night and redesigning the token stand.

How to get Gibraltar Calling tickets

Early bird tickets tickets – both day and weekend passes – went on sale in April for the 2019 festival. Tickets were available via the Gibraltar Calling website.

If you change your mind after buying a day ticket and decide you want to go for the whole weekend (like I did) you can easily upgrade to a weekend ticket (while still available). You just need to 0purchase a weekend pass and email the organisers and request a refund for the day ticket.

Gibraltar Calling 2024

Gibraltar Calling has been cancelled the last few years.

Hopefully the event will return in 2024. One of my friends visited Gibraltar recently and heard a few rumours that it may indeed be returning next year so fingers crossed!

The shows usually attract a great lineup. Past acts include Take That, Olly Murs, Rita Ora, The Script, Kings of Leon, Little Mix and Stereophonics.  A number of local bands also appear. 

If and when the date is announced I’ll update this page so keep checking back.

How to get to Europa Point

Being at the end of the Rock of Gibraltar, the venue is a bit of a trek but not difficult to get to with a few different transport options available 

Event Shuttle Bus

Courtesy shuttle buses ran between the centre of Gibraltar and the venue between 3pm and 2.30am. I didn’t find these overly busy, even after the end of the show. Yes there was a bit of a queue but both nights I didn’t wait more than 5/10 minutes to board a bus back to town and it was pretty well organised. 

Public bus services

The Gibraltar Bus Company put on additional services the day of the show up until the end of service at 9pm. 

Pick up and drop off 

A pick up and drop off point was set up on Rosia Road with the venue a short walk away.

Walking

There is a recommended walking route via Rosia Road, Camp Bay Tunnel, Keightley Way Road and Tunnel. Put your comfortable shoes on though, it is a bit of a walk.

Gig Tips

• Book accommodation early
• If you think there is even the slightest chance you might want to go both nights buy the weekend pass. In 2019 it was only £10 more so worth taking the gamble of more acts you like being added
• If you are not bothered by hanging over the front barrier or getting in with the action in the first few rows, take a folding chair or blanket/rug. There is plenty of space to spread out further back from the stage
• Buy your drink credits when you first get there. You don’t want to have to keep queuing up for tokens and miss all the action on stage.
• Take some supplies, there is not much around the venue so if you plan to get there early or queue it’s best to be prepared
• Dress for the weather – it’s an outside gig so check the forecast before you leave!

How to get to Gibraltar

Flights

You can get direct flights to Gibraltar from the UK and Morocco. Easyjet and British Airways are the two airlines that fly from the UK. Flight time from London is just under three hours.

A number of Spanish airports are within fairly easy reach of Gibraltar. I know that after having to research alternative options to get home, thanks to an airline strike!

Malaga is probably the easiest next option. There is a shuttle bus between Gibraltar and Malaga or there are plenty of car hire options available. The journey is around two hours. Plus you get the thrill of crossing a border into another country.

Train

If you want to take the scenic route and have a lot of time on your hands, it’s fairly straightforward to travel from London to Gibraltar on the train.  You will need to go via Paris, Barcelona, Algeciras and La Linea. Full details can be found on Seat61.

Where to stay

Accomodation is limited on Gibraltar so if you decide to go to this festival book early, particularly if you want to stay in Gibraltar itself. Hotels book up fast.

My recommendations are

Mid Budget:  Holiday Inn – located near the airport, clean and comfortable rooms. 

Splash out: Hotel Sunborn – make your trip extra special by staying on a 5 star yacht moored in the Ocean Village Marina. Any hotel that has a sparkly reception and gives you a glass of champagne on arrival is a winner with me. Rooms were comfortable, staff lovely and they did a great breakfast.  

With limited choice, accommodation can be expensive in Gibraltar, even more so when an event is on. Another option is to stay just over the border in Spain in La Linea de la Concepcion. The border is open 24 hours so there should be no trouble getting back and forth. 

Things to do in Gibraltar

If you are visiting Gibraltar for the first time then take the chance to explore. Unusually for a festival the day starts quite late, doors are around 4pm with the show starting around 6pm, so there is plenty of time to explore Gibraltar.

Points of interest near the venue

• Europa Point Lighthouse
• Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque
• Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
• Nun’s Well

Gibraltar Attractions

• Top of the Rock – take the scenic cable car up and walk down. There are plenty of stops includings St Michael’s Cave, the Great Siege tunnels.  Just watch out for the Barbary Macaques.
• Watch planes land and take off from the world’s fifth most dangerous runway
• Hang out in Casemates square and wander along Main Street
• Stroll around the Botanical Gardens

Read more | View my post on how to spend a day in Gibraltar for more things to see and do in the city.

Things to do around Gibraltar

If you make a weekend or a short trip out you’ll have time to explore a bit further afield. Options include…

• Walk across the border into Spain
• Take a day trip to Morocco 
• Visit Malaga for the day

The last word

I’m not sure I would ever have visited Gibraltar if it wasn’t for this festival and while it’s not top of my list return I’m glad I got a chance to visit. That is one of the things I love most about tying in travel with going to shows or festivals, you get to visit places you may not have ordinarily considered.

Overall the festival itself was a great night out and one I’d definitely return to if the line up was right.

If you are looking for a fairly easy weekend away or if your favourite artist is performing at the festival then Gibraltar Calling is well worth the trip.

Who would you like to see performing in 2024? Or which acts would you travel for? Let me know in the comments below.