Every year thousands of fans are on the lookout for fun and good music, but it’s not just concerts they’re after. They’re also looking to discover tourist attractions in the cities where the concerts are held.
Nowadays, music is a great excuse to travel and considered a form of tourism in itself. Music and summer become one and give us with reasons to travel, and for many, there’s no better plan. The festival season hasn’t started yet, but many are already “SOLD OUT”. With just a few months to go before the start of the musical merry-go-round, these are some of the best music festivals to check out in Spain this summer.
Sonar Festival is 25! – BARCELONA – June 14-16, 2018
The action-packed Sonar Festival takes place in Barcelona on June 14, 15, and 16. This year is a very special edition to celebrate the 25th anniversary and features the very best in electronic music, urban rhythms, contemporary music and Japanese animation. An edition for the history books with big names like Gorillaz returning to Spain for the first time in five years to present their long-awaited new show with special guests. New Yorkers, LCD Soundsystem return to the festival just 1 year after reforming to present their newly released American Dream and thrill the crowds with some of their older hits. Then there’s Diplo, Richie Hawtin “Close”, Bonobo, Laurent Garnier, Helena Hauff, Black Coffee, Ólafur Arnalds, Bicep, Lorenzo Senni, Wiley, Kode9, Mueveloreina and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.
Barcelona is always well worth a visit, a stroll through the old town to check out the Roman remains, medieval buildings and amazing examples of modernism and avant-garde art from the 20th century. Some of its big attractions include Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, the Joan Miró Foundation and the Picasso Museum.
Mad Cool, a benchmark in the capital – MADRID — July 12-14, 2018
The countdown’s begun to the Mad Cool Festival 2018. This is the third year of the festival in the Spanish capital; it’s crammed full of new additions and takes place on July 12, 13, and 14. One of the big changes this year is that it’s moving to the new Valdebebas-IfFEMA area with space for 80,000 people in an area of 100,000m2. The organisers felt the increase in capacity was needed to put Madrid on the map for large-scale live music concerts, and they’ve also added to the offer and variety of bands playing to meet public demand. This year there will be 5 stages featuring Pearl Jam, Tame Impala, Massive Attack, Franz Ferdinand, Depeche Mode, Queens of the Stone Age, Justice, Snow Patrol Fleet Foxes and Alice in Chains. And Madrid always has plenty to see and do!
The cosmopolitan city has a wealth of heritage going back centuries and many famous people have shaped the Spanish capital into how we know it today. Madrid has an endless supply of leisure activities to suit all tastes. Its tourism offer is among one of the most solid and diversified in the world covering culture, food, business, entertainment and sports. Charming gardens and parks with centuries-old trees, historic palaces and lakes for a boat ride are just a few of the possibilities to experience Madrid differently and you’re always sure to be surrounded by beauty. As they say in Madrid, ‘From Madrid to heaven!’
BBK Live, a trip up north – BILBAO – July 12-14, 2018
Bilbao has started to pay special attention to BBK Live, one of the most popular festivals on the national scene that’s on from July 12-14 in Kobetamendi, an outdoor space surrounded by nature. This year is the 13th edition of the festival, and the organisers hope to attract more than the 110,000 fans that attended last year. Big names confirmed for this year include The XX, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, Noel Gallagher, Bomba Estéreo, Alt-J, Benjamin Clementine, Fischerspooner, James, Jungle, Temples, Parquet Courts and David Byrne. The line-up combines Bilbao to perfection, a city full of contrasts.
The city shows the region’s most modern aspect and is without a doubt a must visit for design and architecture fans. Nowadays, Bilbao is a recognised worldwide as an urban benchmark due to the city’s respect for its industrial past. The Guggenheim Museum, designed by the architect Frank Gehry and opened to the public in 1997, is undoubtedly the city’s main attraction.
Since then it has been acclaimed by the public and critics, and today is considered one of the world’s most admired works of contemporary architecture. Local food is among the best in the world and a source of great pride for the Basque people and an authentic delight to test for those discerning palates visiting the city.
