- On Wednesday, The Tenerife International Film Music Festival unveiled the highlights of its 20th anniversary edition from the rooftop terrace of Madrid’s iconic Hotel Emperador in Gran Vía.
-This year’s programme will be delivering some of the greatest scores from cinema’s history. A special tribute will be paid to John Williams with two live-to-picture concerts to celebrate his iconic compositions for Star Wars.

For the first time in its history, the Tenerife International Film Music Festival (FIMUCITÉ) was officially presented in Madrid at an exclusive event held this Wednesday on the rooftop of the Hotel Emperador, in the heart of Gran Vía. The festival unveiled some of the principal highlights of this year’s 20th edition, an event that commemorates this important anniversary with an unbeatable celebration of film music designed to pay tribute to the scores that have shaped the history of the seventh art.

The 20th anniversary edition of FIMUCITÉ will take place from 3rd - 19th July, 2026. Once again, the festival will transform Tenerife into an international hub for film music, a role the festival has continued to strengthen through its growing international presence and promotional events at the national and international level. This special edition will feature red-carpet events, meet-and-greets with audiences, and artistic projects that celebrate iconic film scores and their enduring emotional power within popular culture.

During the presentation in Madrid, special mention was made of the tribute concert that FIMUCITÉ will dedicate to John Williams, one of the defining figures of film music. Two live-to-picture concerts showcasing his work for Star Wars were conceived as one of the major events of this anniversary edition. For the first time in the Canary Islands, FIMUCITÉ will present Star Wars: A New Hope in Concerton 17th and 18th July, with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST) performing Williams’ legendary score - nominated for ten Academy Awards and winner of the Oscar for Best Original Score - live-to-picture during the screening of the original 1977 film. This event has been made possible through an exclusive licence from Disney. The concerts will both be conducted by pioneering Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone, the first woman to conduct the orchestra at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2020.

The grand finale of FIMUCITÉ’s 20th anniversary will take place on Sunday 19th July with the FIMUCITÉ 20 Red Carpet Gala, conducted by Diego Navarro—a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—and performed by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST) and the Tenerife Film Choir. The closing concert will journey through Academy Award-winning scores from films such as Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Lord of the Rings, Dances with Wolves, Titanic and Dune, among others. This marks the first edition in which the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST) will perform three symphonic concerts instead of the traditional two.

Lope Afonso, Vice-President and Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo de Tenerife, had this to say, “FIMUCITÉ represents one of the strongest expressions of Tenerife’s strategy to position itself as an internationally recognised cultural destination. Its 20th anniversary celebrates not only a trajectory of excellence, but also the island’s commitment to a diverse, innovative and high-value tourism offering.”

Afonso also noted that, “The presentation in Madrid reinforces our commitment to bringing Tenerife closer to key markets through distinctive initiatives such as this festival, an event that combines culture, creativity and international projection. FIMUCITÉ is a clear example of how music and audiovisual culture can become drivers of tourism.”

Dimple Melwani, CEO of Turismo de Tenerife, stated, “FIMUCITÉ is much more than a festival: it is a strategic platform that projects Tenerife’s image internationally through culture and film music. On its 20th anniversary, we celebrate not only its consolidation as a global reference point, but also its ability to connect with audiences around the world through a unique identity.”

She further emphasised that “The presentation in Madrid reflects our commitment to continuing to expand the festival’s reach and strengthen its positioning in key markets, promoting Tenerife as a leading cultural destination. Events such as FIMUCITÉ generate a highly positive impact on the island, both in terms of tourism and in economic and cultural dynamisation, contributing to the diversification of our offering and attracting visitors seeking high-quality experiences.”

For his part, FIMUCITÉ’s founder and director, Diego Navarro, remarked that “Reaching twenty years is profoundly moving and also a great responsibility. We have curated this edition as a major celebration of film music, and have picked the scores that have accompanied entire generations of audiences, reaffirming their artistic, cultural and emotional value. Presenting the festival in Madrid for the first time also opens a new window through which to share the identity and international ambition of FIMUCITÉ.”

Programme Highlights
Among the new additions unveiled in Madrid is the open-air pre-festival concert And The Winner Is…,. This concert will take place on Saturday 6th June at 9:00 p.m. in the Plaza de la Candelaria, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Free admission). The performance will be led by the Pop Culture Band, which has been the festival’s resident pop-rock ensemble since 2014. The group will be offering two hours of music featuring iconic songs that were either nominated for or awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The show is designed to keep audiences on their feet and dancing throughout!

Led by Gonzalo de Araoz, the band will perform music associated with unforgettable titles such as Ghostbusters, Footloose, Flashdance, Top Gun, Grease, Back to the Future, Armageddon and Dirty Dancing. Bringing the evening to a close will be a DJ set by NAGOBA, percussionist, composer and music producer with an established career in electronic sound creation.

The festival also announced Golden Piano Stories, scheduled for Saturday 11 July at 20:00 at the Teatro Leal in La Laguna. Conceived as an intimate and unique artistic experience, this opening concert of FIMUCITÉ 20 will feature one of the finest pianists of his generation, Polish musician Aleksander Dębicz, who will present the world premiere of a carefully curated selection of exclusive arrangements of Academy Award-winning film scores.

The Teatro Leal programme will include music associated with titles such as Pinocchio, Mary Poppins, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Exodus, Jaws, The Omen, The Brutalist and this year’s Academy Award-winning score, Sinners, composed by Ludwig Göransson.

John Williams Reimagined
Another of the festival’s major highlights will be the concert John Williams Reimagined. Its Spanish premiere will be held on Thursday 16th July in the Chamber Hall (Sala de Cámera) of the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, before being presented again on Saturday 18th July at the Teatro Guiniguada in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Produced by Robert Townson, the concert offers a unique journey through the musical universe of John Williams, combining some of his most celebrated scores with lesser-heard gems that have rarely been performed live.

The concert features  special arrangements by Italian pianist Simone Pedroni, performed by the composer himself alongside flautist Sara Andon and cellist Cécilia Tsan, the trio format will be enriched by Townson’s live narration. The programme will include music from films such as Star Wars, Schindler’s List, Memoirs of a Geisha, Far and Away, Harry Potter and Hook, in a production that has received the approval of John Williams himself.

Among the festival’s guests will also be composer Stephen Warbeck, Academy Award winner for Shakespeare in Love, who returns to FIMUCITÉ fifteen years after participating in the festival’s fifth edition. Further announcements will be made in upcoming weeks.

Institutional Support
The Tenerife International Film Music Festival will be marking its 20th anniversary in style with the support of its main sponsor, Turismo de Tenerife under the Cabildo de Tenerife, and additional support from the island’s Department of Culture. The festival is also sponsored by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council and the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development of the Government of the Canary Islands. FIMUCITÉ extends its gratitude to the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (OST), the Auditorio de Tenerife, and its many public and private partners for their continued support.