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Starmus VIII Opens with a Star-Studded Concert

On Friday October 17, 2026, Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosted a remarkable blend of science, rock and orchestral music as Starmus VIII opened with its "Symphony of the Stars" ceremony. The evening paired the Stephen Hawking Medal presentation with the first Jane Goodall Earth Ceremony, bringing global icons, rock stars and NASA astronauts together under the open sky.

Rick Wakeman sat at the grand piano during the awards, adding dramatic soundscapes to the honours. Sarah Brightman then made a striking entrance in a flowing white princess dress and a shining tiara. She began with a spellbinding Ave Maria and moved through an eclectic set that included a haunting take on Kansas's Dust in the Wind and her signature vocal version of Nella Fantasia, built on Ennio Morricone's theme from The Mission. Whitesnake frontman Dino Jelusick joined her for a blistering duet of Phantom of the Opera that left the crowd breathless (our exclusive footage is at 0:51:20 below).

With gentle rain falling over the harbour, the emotional peak of the night arrived. Wearing a dazzling blue sparkly jacket, tenor Andrea Bocelli came together with Brian May for a deeply moving Who Wants to Live Forever (jump to 1:01:30 to watch). Astronaut Chris Hadfield picked up his acoustic guitar for Space Oddity, weaving an interstellar story around David Bowie's Major Tom. The Artemis crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen – looked on alongside renowned figures as music and space came together.

For the grand finish, all the performers returned to the stage. The full cast joined Brian May and the orchestra for an explosive Bohemian Rhapsody, bringing the audience to its feet and setting the festival alight in spectacular style.

More exclusive footage and interviews from Starmus Festival are still to come.

Photo: Music-News
Source: Muzland
Added by Frank
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