This June 21 to 26, Madrid will be the place to be. In commemoration of the European Music Day, Mad Music City 2016 provides the soundtrack to the city by taking it over for an entire week. An eclectic festival that includes such distinct styles as rock & roll, flamenco and experimental electronic music, Mad Music City will provide something for everyone. In addition to the music, there will be talks given by respected culture experts, the screening of films yet to be seen in Spain and even a space with musical and creativity-oriented activities for children.
Index
Location
Photo credit: Dave Pinter via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND
The festival will take place at Matadero Madrid. A former slaughterhouse now converted to an arts center, the venue has taken the role of a cultural laboratory for the city, a forum open to all fields of creation that is often the stage for dialog and discussion about contemporary issues and values. With a multidisciplinary spirit, it has been home to a plurality of events and a showcase of diversified artistic perspectives. You can get there easily by taking the subway or bus. Check out the festival’s official website for a map and more detailed information on public transport.
Artists
The commemorations of European Music Day will reach their highest point on June 25, with a full day of concerts featuring artists you won’t want to miss.
Parov Stelar – The father of “electro swing” is Austria’s most internationally successful musician and has played more than 600 live shows all around the planet. Well-respected in the music world, he has worked with big names like Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Marvin Gaye and Brian Ferry. If you haven’t heard him yet, you have a lot of great music to discover in his discography. Why not start by seeing him up-and-close at Mad City Madrid 2016?
Imelda May – Are you ready for a one-woman rockabilly revival? Because that’s what you get with Imelda May, a singer with such irrepressible energy that it will make you wonder if she is simultaneously possessed by the spirits of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Very recommended!
Photo credit: EricJonEvans via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-SA
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Orchestras might be mortal, but music is immortal – like a phoenix, it constantly renews itself to rise again in new forms. Unknown Mortal Orchestra might be considered psychedelic music, but they are far from restrained by the tropes of the genre, instead reinventing it at every step, not only in terms of aesthetics but also in subject matter, making it intimate and inwards instead of interstellar. The real journey is within and a ticket for this show will be well worth your money.
As if these weren’t enough reasons to be excited about Mad City Madrid, there are also other acts you might want to check. Make sure to learn of the full lineup at the festival’s official website.
Tickets
Tickets for the full day of concerts cost 35€ and you can get them at the ticket section on the festival’s official website. We hope you have a good time and don’t forget to come back here to tell us how it was!
