The sun was shining over Madrid as the gates opened for another day at Spain’s premier music extravaganza (July 12) and, with some huge names on the bill, it looked set to be the best yet.
Finneas brought slacker cool to the Orange Stage, Olivia Rodrigo pulled a mammoth crowd and had her devoted legion of fans moved to tears thanks to an emotional headline set – before Justice closed out the night with their captivating, larger-than-life production. Check out the best photos from the day below.
Finneas brought feel-good summer vibes
Finneas got the crowd moving with his early evening set over on the Orange Stage, breaking out tracks like ‘Lotus Eater’, ‘Cleats’ and ‘Sweet Cherries’, before wrapping up via the title track from his latest album ‘For Cryin’ Out Loud!’. With only a minimalist backdrop on the big screens, the songwriter, producer and (of course) Billie Eilish’s big brother, let his music speak for itself.
Girl In Red opened the Ouigo stage in style
Girl In Red got things going on the Ouigo stage after a warm, sleepy morning in Madrid. Fresh from her unforgettable set at Glastonbury just two weeks before, the Norwegian singer-songwriter gave an energetic turn – kicking things off with ‘DOING IT AGAIN BABY’, and progressing into more tender tunes – including new single ‘Hemingway’.
The Teskey Brothers chilled everyone out
While Girl In Red opened the Ouigo stage, Aussie band The Teskey Brothers were over at the main Region Of Madrid stage, mellowing out punters with their signature blend of blues-rock. Mammoth sets from Olivia Rodrigo and Justice were still to come, and this was the perfect way to build momentum ahead of the main event.
Thirty Seconds To Mars let the crowd dance on stage
Thirty Seconds To Mars gave the headliners a run for their money with the monster-sized crowd they drew yesterday, as they dropped a hit-filled setlist that rattled through most of the biggest tracks from throughout their 27-year career.
“I want to see at least a thousand people getting up on shoulders,” frontman Jared Leto called out midway through the gig, going on to lead a mass singalong to tracks like ‘The Kill’ and finale ‘Closer To The Edge’ – during which Leto invited dozens of screaming fans on-stage for a spirited end to their performance.
Arde Bogotá made history with their headline set
Arde Bogotá made history at this year’s festival, becoming the first Spanish-speaking artist to headline a Mad Cool stage. With thunderous guitar riffs, powerhouse vocals and one of the biggest crowds of the entire festival in attendance, we predict this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the Murcian rock and rollers. Onwards and upwards!
Olivia Rodrigo’s headline gig was all guts and glory
There are few artists who can command a crowd in the same way as Olivia Rodrigo, and her emotional set at Mad Cool was no exception.
Following on from her already-iconic headline slot at Glastonbury 2025, there were high expectations for this latest festival appearance. Luckily, pop-rock hellraiser Rodrigo knows how to go above and beyond, breaking out powerhouse performances of hits like ‘Good 4 U’ and ‘Vampire’ – and triggering undoubtedly the biggest chant of the festival for fan favourite ‘Deja Vu’.
Justice brought visual panache to their late night disco
It can’t have been easy, following on from Olivia Rodrigo – but if anyone was up to the task last night it was French electro-giants Justice. With their usual impressive live spectacle out in full force, and hits like ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ on the setlist, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay had the entire crowd in the palm of their hands, all without saying a single word.
NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool