Back in 2024, during the Starmus Earth festival in Bratislava, I discovered that there is a multinational group of fans who try to attend every Starmus festival. The group’s unofficial name is Starmus Gang  - that’s what their group is called on the WhatsApp app.

I spoke with four of the group members backstage at the Starmus La Palma festival in La Palma this year. I am grateful to Armine Petrosyan for her support.

Javier Rosales: Starmus feeds both the intellect and the soul

Javier Rosales is 45 years old, originally from Venezuela, and has been living in the United Kingdom for the past 20 years.

Javier has worked for some of the world’s most famous companies. He currently holds an executive role at Amazon, and over the course of his career also held senior positions at McKinsey & Company and Procter & Gamble. Outside of work, he has a strong personal interest in science, astronomy.

Javier Rosales

Photo: Personal archive

Javier discovered Starmus by chance, in the travel magazine of IBERIA, while travelling from Madrid to London

“My first [Starmus] festival was in Tenerife, and it was such a powerful experience that I became a committed attendee. It was the first time I saw Hans Zimmer perform live - and hearing the Interstellar soundtrack, accompanied by real simulations of black hole collisions and narrations by Kip Thorne, was absolutely unforgettable. That moment was the perfect representation of what Starmus does best: combining awe-inspiring science with artistic and emotional impact,” said Javier.

He also admits that seeing and listening to Stephen Hawking speak was another life-changing moment - his presence was electrifying.

Photo: Max Alexander/Starmus

Sharing his impressions of the Starmus La Palma festival, Javier Rosales said he was especially impressed by the festival’s outreach to schools and the connection with the local community. He noted that talks by people like Jane Goodall and Spanish astronauts were incredibly inspirational, especially for young audiences.

“Starmus has deepened my commitment to lifelong learning and reminded me of the value of staying connected to your passions. In my case, that’s science and space. Even while working in a demanding professional environment, I’ve found that nurturing these interests helps maintain a healthy, balanced, and meaningful life. Starmus connects people from all walks of life who are curious and inspired – it’s a festival that feeds both the intellect and the soul,” Javier said.

Javier Rosales at the La Palma Observatory

Photo: Personal archive

After attending his first festival, Javier decided to embark in a 2 year journey and complete a certificate in Astronomy and Astrophysics at University College in London.

Charo Madrigal: Starmus played a significant role in the way my life is and will develop after

Charo Madrigal is 42 years old and lives in Madrid. He is an astrophysicist and works as a satellite operator.

“In May 2016, I was attending a concert of a band named Anathema in Madrid. That day, I learned that they were going one month later, to an event called Starmus in Tenerife. When I researched a bit more about that event, and checked about the talks and who was attending, I immediately purchased my ticket,” Charo said.

Charo Madrigal

Photo: Personal archive

“Well, after my first edition, I made a decision that I didn’t want astrophysics to be a hobby any more. A couple of months later, I enrolled in university and 2 years later I got my Master Degree in Astrophysics. From that point (I was 35) I got the challenge of trying to find the way in space industry. The opportunity came from a German company. So I moved to Germany and became an expat for the next 2 years and a half. And also I met my other half in Germany. So, I would say that indeed Starmus played a significant role in the way that my life would (and hopefully will, because this travel is still ongoing) develop after,” Charo Madrigal said.

Michael Omer: I regret missing the first festivals

Michael Omer is a pianist and composer. His great joy is improvisation, which he uses in his one-man jazz-piano cabaret shows he has performed in London and on Broadway.

“I first learnt about Starmus, by finding the website quite by chance, but unfortunately, I had just missed the latest edition by a couple of weeks. I have so far attended Zurich, Bratislava and La Palma.

Hans Zimmer at Starmus V festival

Photo: Max Alexander/Starmus

Brightest memory of the Starmus Festivals so far, was the opening night concert in Zurich in 2019 with Hans Zimmer, Brian May, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, a symphony orchestra, and the attendance of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin,” Michael said.

Starmus festivals have hugely contributed to his creative work as a composer:

“Many of my serious concert hall pieces have been inspired by space events and the cosmos, including “To the Stars” - in memory of the Space Shuttle Challenger.”

Brad Dibble: “It’s like having been that close to Newton or Einstein”

Brad Dibble is 59 years old and lives in Midhurst, Ontario, Canada. He is a cardiologist.

“I first learned about Starmus from an article I read in “Astronomy” magazine which I subscribed to in early 2016. It was about Starmus III scheduled for Tenerife later that year in June. I immediately checked if there were still spots available to attend and there were, so I registered. I have only missed one Starmus since then, the one held in Armenia because it was too difficult to coordinate with my schedule,” Brad said.

He too specially memorized seeing Professor Steven Hawking. “My very first Starmus in Tenerife in 2016 was such an amazing highlight. It was the last one where Professor Steven Hawking was able to attend in person. To see him give a lecture on the main stage was absolutely thrilling. He ended up seated on the aisle just one row over and one row in front of where I parked myself everyday, so I was often seated next to his nurse and felt so close to greatness. It’s like having been that close to Newton or Einstein,” he noted.

 

“I have always been a huge fan of science in all aspects. Although astronomy and cosmology are always the topics I come back to, I also like biology, physics, chemistry and anthropology and in time Starmus has covered all of these.

For someone like me who thirsts for knowledge, Starmus is the perfect place to discover the beauty in understanding how everything works,” said Brad Dibble.

Speaking about Starmus Gang, he said that the original group of three in 2016 expanded to four in 2019, then five in 2024 and now it already has six members.

The exclusive partner of the Starmus festival coverage on Mediamax.am is IDBank. IDBank’s Travel card is designed to reveal the map. With this card, you can not only feel confident while traveling, but also receive 0.5% to 1.5% cashback from transactions, and have free access to business lounges at 1,300 airports. To learn more about the card’s benefits, visit https://idbank.am/cards/other/travel-card.

A special promotion is also currently available, the full terms and conditions are available at this link.

Ara Tadevosyan (La Palma-Yerevan)