UK summer heatwaves are a great laugh until you’re camping in a field for days on end with no air conditioning or proper showers. That’s why the HUNGER team decided to go and check out Mad Cool in Madrid. Running from last Thursday through to yesterday (10 to 13 July), the multi-genre music festival is an annual must for many of the Spanish capital’s residents. There are also a fair few international attendees, although in much smaller numbers — which is probably one of the reasons Mad Cool is so nice. There’s a varied lineup (Beson Boone and Nine Inch Nails headlined on the same day — if that’s not variety, I don’t know what is), great food and enough to keep you entertained without getting overwhelmed. And the best part? You don’t have to camp.
Set at Villaverde’s Iberdrola Music — an outdoor music space located around a twenty minute taxi ride from Madrid’s city centre — the festival kicked off on Thursday to opening sets from Leon Bridges, Royel Otis and Gracie Abrams. It was a wonderfully chilled-out way to ease into the four-day event, singing along to ‘Texas Sun’ while being cooled down by a frozen margarita and a giant water pistol that was periodically sprayed into the crowd — a true match for a UV index of ten. Later, sets followed from Circa Waves and Deadletter in one of the venue’s indoor tents, which was completely packed out with hardcore fans (who knew the Yorkshire-born band had such a big Spanish following), before the night came to a close with performances from The Wombats and Weezer.
While there was always something to watch at any of the venue’s six given stages, there were, essentially, other things to get up to. Between a couple of dancefloors, activations from Dyson and Lancôme, where you could get your hair and makeup done respectively, arcade-style games and even an IRL (but decidedly less violent) version of Squid Game, there was plenty of off-stage entertainment. There was also a nicely varied foodhall, which served everything from traditional Spanish croquetas to fusion dishes such as Chinese kebabs (whatever those are). There were actually pretty good vegan and gluten-free options, too. And, while we’re on the F&B, there were tonnes of bars, which meant that, unless you wanted to opt for one of the specific branded ones, you never had to wait for a drink. Glorious.
Friday was, perhaps, my personal favourite day for the line-up. It started with an (admittedly unexpected) fantastic set from Benson Boone — I never thought I’d see the day I became a Benson Boone convert — before an iconic performance from Alanis Morissette, and then Kaiser Chiefs. The former’s rendition of ‘You Oughta Know’ was nothing short of a personal spiritual experience, while the latter’s set was a wonderful gathering of pretty much all the Brits at the festival. Still, it was much more dignified than a set at a UK festival might have been — only one cup of beer was thrown over the crowd and there was no actual rioting during ‘I Predict a Riot’ besides some light moshing. With Jet and Nine Inch Nails also on Thursday’s roster, it was a great day for catching up with some nineties and noughties music legends.
If Friday was one for nostalgia, Saturday was maybe the opposite of that. With Olivia Rodrigo headlining, the day-ticket crowd of young girls and their parents emerged en masse, which actually only added to the vibes and injected a new level of youthful excitement to the weekend. Before Rodrigo’s set, though, there were performances from Glass Animals (who doesn’t love ‘Gooey’?) and Luvcat that also deserve a mention. When Rodrigo’s set eventually came around just after 11pm, it covered the whole spectrum of emotions, very much embodying ‘screaming, crying, throwing up’ energy, except the throwing up was metaphorical (Europeans just don’t get as messy as us Brits when they drink). The screaming part was, however, completely literal thanks to that bit in ‘All-American Bitch’ — a cathartic end to a day of music for those who didn’t stick around for post-headliners Justice and Bloc Party.
While some attendees called Mad Cool 2025 a day there, this year marked the first time the festival put on an extra day dedicated to electronic music. Put on with Brunch Electronic, there were four sets, which concluded with Peggy Gou, and brought another layer of meaning to the festival’s ‘multi-genre’ description. It’s a description that the festival truly delivers on — from pop and indie to rock and electric, from legends to rising stars, Mad Cool is one of the best in the business for variety. Pair that with a physically and metaphorically warm atmosphere, immaculate vibes, Spanish food and sunsets, and you have yourself the perfect weekend. Being able to go back to a nice hotel when you’re done dancing at 3am doesn’t hurt either. So, if you missed out this year, keep Mad Cool 2026 on your festival radar — we guarantee you’ll have a mad good time.
- WriterScarlett Coughlan
