Mad Cool Festival
8 Artists We Think You Should Catch
Photo: Mad Cool Festival.
Every festival has its headliners—the names everyone already knows, the crowds everyone expects, the songs thousands of people will sing back word for word. But one of the best reasons to keep coming back to festivals is discovering something unexpected. Here are eight acts we think you shouldn't miss at Mad Cool Madrid this year.
MADRIN | TMN Editorial
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Mad Cool Festival returns to Madrid from July 8–11 with one of its strongest lineups to date. Across four days, the festival brings together stadium rock, indie, electronic, hip-hop, alternative pop and some of the most exciting emerging artists currently touring.
Beyond major names like Foo Fighters, Florence + The Machine, Lorde, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Twenty One Pilots, Kings of Leon, Pulp, Wolf Alice, The War On Drugs, Pixies, Jennie, Charlie Puth, Teddy Swims and Halsey, the lineup is packed with artists worth discovering before they become much bigger.
This is our selection for the festival, mixing a few established artists you shouldn't miss with some newer acts we believe are well worth your time.
HotWax
Wednesday, July 8
One of the UK's fastest-rising rock bands, HotWax blend garage rock, grunge and post-punk into loud, energetic songs built for festival stages. They're still early in their career, which makes this exactly the kind of set that can become one people talk about afterwards.
Foo Fighters
Wednesday, July 8
Not every recommendation needs an introduction.
Foo Fighters remain one of the defining live rock bands of the last three decades. Whether you've seen them before or not, they know how to turn a festival headline slot into something that feels massive.
Yung Prado
Thursday, July 9
Madrid's own Yung Prado represents the city's growing electronic underground. His sets move comfortably between house, breaks and club music while keeping one foot firmly in local culture. A good reminder that festivals aren't only about international headliners.
La Paloma
Thursday, July 9
Few Spanish indie bands have built momentum as naturally as La Paloma. Their guitar-driven sound sits somewhere between classic alternative rock and today's post-punk revival, making them one of the most interesting local acts on this year's lineup.
Linka Moja
Friday, July 10
Still flying under many people's radar, Linka Moja combines intimate songwriting with atmospheric production. If your festival schedule usually includes one quieter discovery between bigger shows, this could easily be it.
Interpol
Friday, July 10
Twenty years after redefining New York's post-punk revival, Interpol continue to sound unmistakably like themselves. Dark guitars, precise rhythms and one of alternative music's most recognizable aesthetics make this one of Friday night's essential performances.
Bad Tomato
Saturday, July 11
One of those names that perfectly captures what festivals are about: curiosity.
Bad Tomato bring an unpredictable mix of punk attitude, alternative energy and youthful chaos. If you enjoy finding artists before everyone else does, don't overlook this set.
TTSSFU
Saturday, July 11
Dream-pop, shoegaze and beautifully textured guitars have made TTSSFU one of the UK's most exciting emerging projects. Their music feels immersive rather than immediate, making them a perfect late-evening discovery before the festival's final headline performances. If you want to explore their music further, take a look at our exclusive interview with TTSSFU.
And don't stop there...
One of Mad Cool's strengths is how naturally established artists sit alongside newer voices.
Electronic fans should make time for Boys Noize, BUNT. and The Blaze (DJ Set), while David Byrne, Moby, Kasabian, Renée Rapp and Candela Gómez add even more variety across the four days.
That's before even mentioning artists like A Perfect Circle, Wolf Alice, Pixies, The Black Crowes, Matt Berninger, The Vaccines, Richie Hawtin, Palms Trax, Nina Kraviz, CMAT, Chloe Slater, Zimmer90, Son Mieux, Frost Children, Jalen Ngonda and many more spread across the festival's multiple stages.
At its best, Mad Cool isn't just about catching the biggest names on the poster—it's about leaving Madrid with a few new favorite artists you weren't expecting to discover. That's where festivals become memorable.
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