Spain is not only about flamenco, tapas and fiestas โ it is also one of the best countries in Europe for music festivals. Every summer, thousands of music lovers travel across the country to enjoy ๐ธ live music, ๐ beautiful beaches and ๐ perfect weather.
In this guide, we present the most important music festivals in Spain: when they take place, where, what kind of music you can enjoy, and why they are so special.
๐ถ Variety: from indie rock to electronic, from reggae to Latin rhythms.
๐ด Location: many are by the beach or in historic cities.
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง Community: people come from all over Europe and Latin America.
๐ Weather: most festivals are in summer, with warm nights and open-air concerts.
๐ Where? Barcelona (Catalonia)
๐ When? End of May / beginning of June
๐ผ Music style: Indie, pop, rock, electronic
๐ฅ Number of people: Around 500 000 visitors during the week
โจ Why go? It is one of the biggest indie festivals in the world. You can see artists like Arctic Monkeys, Bjรถrk or Rosalรญa. The festival takes place near the beach, in Parc del Fรฒrum.
๐ Vocabulary:
๐ค Mรบsica en vivo = live music
๐ Playa = beach
๐ธ Concierto = concert
๐ Where? Madrid (capital of Spain)
๐ When? July
๐ผ Music style: Rock, pop, indie, alternative
๐ฅ Number of people: Around 300 000
โจ Why go? Perfect if you love big international names. Past artists include The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Pearl Jam. It is easy to reach by metro and has a very international atmosphere.
๐ Vocabulary:
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง Ambiente internacional = international vibe
๐ Metro = underground, subway
๐ Where? Benicร ssim (Valencian Community)
๐ When? Mid-August
๐ผ Music style: Reggae, world music, ska
๐ฅ Number of people: 200 000 โ 250 000
โจ Why go? It is the biggest reggae festival in Europe. It lasts 7 days and includes workshops, yoga, African dance, debates, and lots of sunshine. Very family-friendly and relaxed.
๐ Vocabulary:
๐ Mรบsicas del mundo = world music
๐ง Yoga = yoga
โ๏ธ Soleado = sunny
๐ Where? Aranda de Duero (Castilla y Leรณn)
๐ When? August
๐ผ Music style: Spanish pop & rock, indie
๐ฅ Number of people: 100 000+
โจ Why go? This is the best festival to discover Spanish bands. The concerts take place in the town centre, people drink local wine and eat traditional food.
๐ Vocabulary:
๐ท Vino = wine
๐๏ธ Plaza = town square
๐ถ Grupo espaรฑol = Spanish band
๐ Where? Bilbao (Basque Country)
๐ When? July
๐ผ Music style: Indie, rock, electronic
๐ฅ Number of people: 120 000
โจ Why go? The festival takes place on top of a mountain with views over Bilbao. You can camp, enjoy the green landscape and still listen to top artists.
๐ Vocabulary:
๐๏ธ Acampar = to camp
โฐ๏ธ Montaรฑa = mountain
๐ Vistas = views
๐๏ธ Entrada = ticket
โบ Tienda de campaรฑa = tent
๐ต Escenario = stage
๐ Comida callejera = street food
๐ฟ Ducha = shower
๐ถ Precio = price
Because you will:
๐ Hear real Spanish (announcements, songs, people chatting).
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง Meet Spanish people and practise speaking.
๐ถ Discover Spanish bands and culture.
๐ Enjoy life like a local!
Which of these festivals in Spain would you like to experience first? ๐๐