Kalorama Madrid felt like home. With a local crowd and no overlapping sets, it was easy to drift between stages and actually be able to see every show from start to finish, which is very much appreciated during festival season. Despite weather scares, rain and the threat of storms, the show went on.
1. BadBadNotGood
The Canadian band delivered an almost entirely instrumental set, showcasing all of its member’s virtuosity to a devoted audience. Their performance was a blend of jazz, soul, and electronic touches but executed with the precision of true jazz musicians. Amid Madrid’s infernal heat the last days, their performance felt like plunging in cool water. From the very first note, we let ourselves be carried by currents and crescendos, as their meticulous compositions and spontaneous improvisations flowed like a perfect jam session while they performed songs like “Lavender” and “Confessions”. I only wished for a guest vocalist on tracks they’ve recorded with other artists, but their instrumental journey was more than enough, and we lapped it up.
2. Jorja Smith
Photography by @sergialbert_ courtesy of Kalorama Madrid
With a stage presence that balanced elegance and vulnerability, Jorja Smith commanded attention without spectacle. Backed by the tight rhythms of Ezra Collective’s drummer and leader, Femi Koleoso, she introduced her album Falling or Flying with the ease of a late-night show host and a scenography that resembled it. Her voice was rich, nuanced and effortlessly soulful, and proved that when the music is impeccable, you don’t need pyrotechnics. She moved us with tracks like “Blue Lights” and “Teenage Fantasy” and delivered some hits like “On My Mind” and “Little Things”. She’s one of the most solid and coherent artists of her generation and it was an honour to see her perform live.
3. Father John Misty
Photography by @sergialbert_ courtesy of Kalorama Madrid
Father John Misty crafted an immersive cinematic experience. With no photographers allowed in the pit, their concert felt like a single long take, combining intimacy and theatricality with their signature folk-rock. Instead of feeling like the usual live show, it felt like attending a listening party for an album recorded in pristine studio silence. The performance of “Mahashmashana”, a 9-minute orchestral song that talk about mortality in a sincere and cynical way, gave us goosebumps and shivers. They struck the perfect balance between professionalism and playfulness, forging a live version that was almost indistinguishable from the record. I even thanked the sound engineer afterwards, and he urged me to catch their next Spain dates, because they’re truly that good.
4. The Flaming Lips
Nostalgia was on full display as The Flaming Lips performed Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in its entirety. Frontman Wayne Coyne’s extravagance and playful theatrics (giant balloons, psychedelic visuals and actual pink robots) made it hard not to mistake the setup as a LSD-coloured playground from the 80s. Though I was barely two when the album first dropped in 2002, the audience’s collective joy was palpable and even I felt nostalgic. Tracks like “Do You Realize??” landed with an emotional punch, reminding us of the power of communal memory in the age of TikTok’s 15-second clips: “Do you realize that everyone you know someday Will die? And instead of saying all of your goodbyes, let them know you realize that life goes fast. It’s hard to make the good things last. You realize the sun doesn’t go down. It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning around.”
5. L’Impératrice
Suddenly it was time to let go of nostalgia and surrender to the dance floor. L’Impératrice’s only mission was joy, and they managed to do that through a display of funky-disco hedonism and joie de vivre. They didn’t speak much, but the concert felt like a constant conversation, between the band members, the audience and everyone in between. With choreographed yet playful dance moves, seamless instrument swaps and shared glances of pure hype, they made sure everyone had a good time while they performed hits like “Vanille Fraise” and “Agitations Tropicales”. The band stood in their pyramid signature formation with their name glowing in the center. In black and silver outfits, they each wore a round light on their shirts that pulsed to the beat, anchored by the ever-precise drummer Tom Daveau.
6. Alizz
A somewhat unpopular opinion: not every brilliant producer is born to be a frontman. Early in his career, Alizzz’s studio mastery raised doubts about this on-stage persona. But in recent years, especially with a full live band, he’s proven wrong all sceptics. Now he brings rock-infused energy to tracks that once lived only in loops and samples, transforming them into honest, guitar-driven anthems. Shoutout to the always great bass player Lluís Borrell. The highlights of his show were definitely “Ya no siento nada” and “Antes de morir”. The first one is a song that talks about emotional numbness from the painfully self-aware Alizzz from 4 years ago fusing modern pop with post-punk elements. The second one is the hit by the 2017 Rosalía and C.Tangana, one of the most famous songs produced by Alizz and he delivered a heartfelt soft rock version.
7. El Buen Hijo
El Buen Hijo proved they’re here for the long haul. Their gentle melodies felt like a sweet breakfast before the day’s chaos. A poignant emotional prelude that set the tone for Saturday’s crowd, which felt slightly more mellow to Friday’s. Tracks like “Pekín” and “El Hombre del Tiempo” stood out with their bittersweet lyrics wrapped in deceptively sunny major chords – a classic and ironic indie sadboy/sadgirl move. Even when Marco Frías broke a guitar string mid-set, the band didn’t lose their charm for a second. Their calm, sincere presence turned a minor hiccup into just another part of a warm, quietly joyful show.
8. Putochinomaricon
Extremely transgressive and avant-garde, Putochinomaricón (which translates to fucking Chinese Fag) delivered a punishing yet exhilarating hyperop set with songs like “Gente de mierda” or “Tú no eres activista”. Backed up by four spectacular dancers and a drag-queen in a mock high-school setting, their performance laughed at hypocrisy, especially that of affluent audiences happy to pay to bee seen and ridiculed. With political critiques ranging from Netanyahu to systemic privilege, the show prioritized message and spectacle over virtuosic musicianship, and that was precisely the point.
9. María Arnal
Now thriving as a solo artist, María Arnal reinterprets folklore through a contemporary lens. She performed her album AMA in full, accompanied by four modern dancers, in a highly conceptual show marked by layered harmonies, beautiful canons, and sharp dissonances. It felt ritualistic, almost like a solstice ceremony (June 21st), “a day to close cycle and begin new ones”. Her emotional delivery of songs like “Xiqueta Meua” (in Catalan) showcased the power of marrying past and present.
10. Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys made us forget the storm, the delay, and the rain. With a retro futuristic stage design with scientist coats, trench coats and a lamppost evoking A Clockwork Orange and Singin’ in the Rain, they turned the night into pure spectacle. Their version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was a crowd favourite, along with hits like “The Pop Kids” and “It’s a Sin”. As headliners, they leaned into nostalgia: Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live has been touring for four years now. The show felt like a time-travel ride, back in time for older fans, and anemoia for the younger ones. If the DeLorean had landed mid-set, I’m sure Marty McFly and Doc would’ve stuck around for the very last synth beat of “West End Girls”.
11. Azealia Banks
An absolute tornado of a set: Azealia Banks opened rapping in Spanish, mixing hip-hop, electronic beats, and even dembow. With sharp vocal riffs and beats that sometimes echoed Kaytranada’s signature broken beats, she sure made us us move our feet. A force of nature, she owned the stage with raw charisma. Hits like “212” and “Anna Wintour” definitely hit harder live.
12. Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters closed the festival with camp and charisma, a perfect ending that sent everyone home grinning. They brought giant scissors on stage, wore light brown outfits and sequins and delivered multiple outfit changes with style and flow. Amber Martin, exuding a hint of Róisín Murphy energy (or maybe it’s the other way around), asked the crowd “Are you guys horny? Because I am. I’m just horny, honey.” Graciously setting the playful, cheeky tone. Their show scheduled during Pride Month felt like a celebration, with “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” getting everyone dancing anyway. A fabulously fun, high-energy finale.
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Words: Mar Rubio Boné
Photography: Mateo Ibarra