A Rüfüs Du Sol headline performance in Spain’s capital was called off as a result of extreme heat, just hours before it was set to take place.

The Australian band were due to deliver a DJ set at Brunch Electronik Madrid in Juan Carlos Park yesterday (29 June), in partnership with Alma Occident Festival, but the event was suspended following a red weather warning after doors opened at 4pm.

“The meteorological agency AEMET has decreed a red alert in the entire community of Madrid,” read a statement from organisers. “This level of alert implies a serious and imminent risk to public safety. Consequently, the local authorities have informed us in writing that the Juan Carlos I Park will be compulsorily closed and the event is consequently suspended with immediate effect.

“We regret the inconvenience caused by this circumstance and are currently evaluating what measures we can take in response to this exceptional situation. In these extreme weather conditions, everyone’s safety is of the utmost importance.”

The nomadic, open-air electronic music series had hosted headliners Keinemusik at the same Madrid venue the night before and will host a stage at the city’s Mad Cool Festival on 13 July, featuring Peggy Gou, Jungle, Mau P and Macarena Hoffman.

“Excessive heat is increasingly a problem across most of the world”

Last night’s cancellation once again brings into focus the impact of unpredictable weather conditions on music events around the globe.

Earlier this month, organisers of Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in the US were forced to pull the plug after just one day due to severe weather as heavy thunderstorms ripped through the local area. Festivals such as Pohoda, Gazebo Festival, Sueños Music Festival, Slam Dunk Festival, Electric Love and Graspop were also hampered last summer.

Meanwhile, a 2025 report by Green Music Australia, Rain, Heat, Repeat: How Music Fans Are Experiencing Extreme Weather,  found that 85% of festivalgoers had experienced what they perceived to be extreme weather at a music event over the past year.

“Excessive heat is increasingly a problem across most of the world – and that’s for both outdoor shows and indoor shows,” leading broker Martin Goebbels of Miller Insurance told IQ last month. “Certainly, there are a lot of places where indoor shows don’t have suitable ventilation and air conditioning, and in these increasing times of 40-odd degrees temperatures, it’s a danger. So weather is going to continue to be a problem.”

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Reunited Spanish rock duo El Último de la Fila (The Last In Line) have sold over 350,000 tickets to their first outing in 25 years.

Manolo García and Quimi Portet will embark on a 12-date stadium tour across Spain between April and July next year.

Earlier this week, the pair made history after selling out at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium (cap. 70,000) in just 90 minutes. Tickets for the 23 May 2026 show in Madrid ranged between €60 (£70) and €90 (£105).

El Último de la Fila will also visit Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville, Avilés, Valencia, A Coruña and Roquetas de Mar on the 2025 tour, with eight of the 12 dates sold out.

The pair made history after selling out at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium (cap. 70,000) in just 90 minutes

Formed in 1985 by García (vocalist) and Portet (guitarist), El Último de la Fila was one of the most successful musical groups in Spain during the 1980s and 1990s.

The Barcelona-based duo released a total of seven full-length albums before disbanding in early 1998. The pair are responsible for Spanish pop-rock anthems such as Insurrección, Querida Milagros, Aviones platados, Sara and Como un burro amarrado en la puerta de un baile.

Reunion tours have become a roaring trade in the past couple of years, with acts such as Oasis, Sugababes, Busted, Five, Girls Aloud and McFly reuniting.

Recently, popular Flemish girl group K3 sold at least 300,000 tickets in six hours for their reunion tour in Belgium and the Netherlands.

CAA’s Paul Franklin discussed the roaring trade of reunion tours last year, while IQ took stock of the biggest reunion tours in music history.

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Oak View Group and Live Nation are teaming with Parque Metropolitano – a subsidiary of Spanish football club Atlético Madrid – to transform the city’s unfinished Aquatic Center into a multi-functional complex.

Under their joint venture Barsento SL, the companies have submitted a proposal to Madrid City Council to reimagine the 15,000-cap scheme, which was abandoned in 2010 in the wake of the Spanish capital’s unsuccessful bids to host the Summer Olympics.

La Liga giants Atlético revisited the space in Madrid’s San Blas neighbourhood after moving to the nearby Metropolitano Stadium in 2017.

According to a statement by the new JV, the project will create an “iconic, multi-functional space combining culture, education, sports, and leisure, designed to attract a diverse audience and solidify Madrid’s position as a leading international cultural and recreational destination”.

The initiative further aims to provide “added value to the city of Madrid, particularly the district of San Blas-Canillejas, and to enhance the lives of its residents”.

Madrid’s main indoor arena is the 17,400-cap Movistar Arena (formerly WiZink Center), which was rebuilt and reopened 20 years ago.

“This strategic agreement with PRISA Media will allow us to amplify the reach of the music of the artists who entrust their tours to Live Nation”

Elsewhere in Spain, Live Nation has signed a strategic agreement with media conglomerate PRISA Media, which also has a significant presence in Latin America, to collaborate on joint projects and strengthen music communication and promotion at a national and international level.

The deal, which also seeks to promote Spanish music worldwide, will see collaborations around advertising campaigns, sponsorships, merchandising and “high-value experiential events”.

“Music has the power to unite, harmonise differences, and forge lasting relationships,” says Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco. “This strategic agreement with PRISA Media will allow us to amplify the reach of the music of the artists who entrust their tours to Live Nation, connecting them with broader and more diverse audiences. We are excited to join efforts in this mission.”

As part of the agreement, Live Nation will have a presence in PRISA Media’s multi-platform music channels, as well as advertising spaces in other leading outlets, while PRISA Media will be able to participate as the main media partner in Live Nation’s events and artists in Spain.

“Music is one of the main attributes of our brands, and this agreement with Live Nation will help PRISA Media strengthen its already well-established content in this sector and open new windows of opportunity for the music industry business,” adds Carlos Núñez, executive president of PRISA Media.

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Portugal’s Meo Kalorama has been brought forward by two months due to the “reduced availability of artists” at the end of August, when the festival has typically taken place.

The Last Tour-promoted event will now take between 19–21 June at its usual location of Parque da Bela Vista in Lisbon, per yesterday’s approval from the city council.

“It was found that holding the festival at the end of August 2025 poses constraints regarding the reduced availability of artists, thus reducing the possibility of choosing the best options, with potential for quality and diversity of the offer that is intended to be provided to the target audience,” read the proposal from Last Tour.

“It was found that holding the festival at the end of August 2025 poses constraints regarding the reduced availability of artists”

It is unclear whether Meo Kalorama’s Spanish counterpart, Kalorama Madrid, will also be moved forward from August. After the debut edition last year, the festival has not announced a return in 2025.

The twin festivals took place between 29–31 August 2024, with acts including Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem, Death Cab For Cutie, The Postal Service, Sam Smith and The Smile.

Meo Kalorama was founded in 2022 by Last Tour and House of Fun, which is no longer involved in the festival. The likes of Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Chemical Brothers, Kraftwerk, Róisín Murphy, Years & Years, Disclosure, Jessie Ware and Bonobo have performed at the event.

Kalorama Madrid was launched after Last Tour axed its Spanish festival Cala Mijas, following a dispute with the local municipality.

Last Tour is also behind events such as Bilbao BBK Live, Azkena Rock Festival, Cala Mijas and BIME Live.

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Madrid’s WiZink Center will rebrand as the Movistar Arena in 2025 as part of a new sponsorship deal with telecommunications company Telefónica.

Telefónica, the parent company of Movistar, agreed the deal with Impulsa Eventos e Instalaciones, the company that manages the arena. Movistar also sponsors arenas in Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Santiago.

Spanish online bank WiZink has sponsored the 17,400-capacity arena since 2016. In 2020, the company agreed a new six-year deal that had been due to run until 2026, but it has now been replaced by Movistar.

In a statement, WiZink Center said that WiZink expressed a willingness to end its sponsorship early, motivated by the launch of its new strategic plan which will run from 2024 to 2028.

WiZink Center serves as the home of basketball teams Real Madrid and Movistar Estudiantes. It has also hosted EuroLeague, EuroBasket and FIBA events, as well as regular concerts.

Parc del Fòrum has made available nine days of programming across the year for both large and small night-time music festivals

The Comunidad de Madrid-owned venue is one of the busiest arenas in the world, attracting more than two million visitors and staging more than 200 events annually.

Elsewhere in Spain, Barcelona’s Parc del Fòrum (home to Primavera Sound and Cruïlla) is going out to tender for new live music events between 2026 and 2028.

The park has made available nine days of programming across the year for both large and small night-time music festivals.

Events will be awarded by tender, with all bidders required to meet a new set of obligations regarding acoustic impact, mobility, safety and sustainability.

These measures are aimed at improving “good coexistence and the positive impact of their activity in the nearest neighbourhoods”.

“The new award formula also responds to the music sector’s demand to be able to work in the medium term, improving logistics services and artist recruitment,” reads a statement from the park.

Parc del Fòrum is permitted to host 15 days of musical activity during cultural hours and 15 concert days.

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2024 has been a pivotal year for Passline Spain, defined by strategic partnerships and a significant impact on the live field.

Since entering the Spanish market in 2021, we have become a trusted partner for exclusive ticket sales at venues such as Café La Palma, Sala Fulanita, Teatro Barceló, Sala Bao Bao, and Sala Insomnio—iconic players in Madrid’s vibrant cultural and nightlife scene.

These alliances strengthen our presence in the field and underscore promoters’ confidence in Passline as an effective ticketing solution.

Meeting Industry Challenges with Comprehensive Solutions
One of the biggest challenges in the industry, where Passline excels, is customer service. This encompasses fans purchasing tickets and the promoters relying on us daily. While we are a self-service platform, our clients highly value the personalized support we provide daily. We guide them through using our platform and advise them on best practices for ticket sales to ensure their success.

At Passline Spain, we ensure that no client is left unsupported. Every promoter has the ongoing support of a dedicated remote account executive, who is always available to answer questions and provide assistance.

Passline is committed to delivering outstanding business opportunities to our clients through a platform with exceptional global service

Balancing Technology with Human Connection
Another growing challenge is the complete digitalization of ticketing. This shift has led to the assumption that everyone understands how concert ticket sales work—but that’s not always the case. For this reason, even as a tech-driven company that embraces automation, Passline prioritizes maintaining close, human connections with our clients, ensuring they have the support they need at every step.

We have also proven our ability to handle large-scale, high-demand venues. From managing ticketing for iconic locations like La Riviera in Madrid, Razzmatazz 1, and Sant Jordi Club in Barcelona to the renowned WiZink Center, we’ve facilitated experiences that have created unforgettable moments for thousands of attendees. This growth shows our commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation.

Our Mission: Driving Success for Our Clients
This year, we’ve reinforced our mission: Passline is committed to delivering outstanding business opportunities to our clients through a platform with exceptional global service. By continuously improving our tools and solutions, we’ve established ourselves as a trusted partner for artists and promoters, ensuring their success.

At Passline Spain, we are dedicated to excellence and to reshaping the future of the live entertainment industry.

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A charity concert held in Barcelona has raised €775,000 for victims of the Spanish flooding disaster.

Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.

The event, which was coordinated by Barcelona-based promoter TheProject, featured acts such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.

The concert was co-organised by Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat with the support of ARC (Professional Association of Representatives, Promoters and Managers of Catalonia), ASACC (Association of Concert Halls of Catalonia) and APM (Association of Music Promoters). Donations can still be made here until 5 December.

The Spanish sector also united for the sold out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. Performers included Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina (Natos, Waor & Recycled J), Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

Promoter Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig on 14 December

Collaborators included Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic, as well as other Spanish event organisers, record labels, artist managers and music associations. The amount raised from the show is yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa ​​Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA. The show will be held at the theatre on 14 December.

The fundraisers come in the wake of the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which caused the deadliest flooding catastrophe to hit Europe in 50 years and led scores of events to be cancelled.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region, with the death toll exceeding 200, with fatalities also reported in the Castilla La Mancha region and Andalusia. Valencia’s live music industry reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

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The Spanish music sector is uniting for a benefit gig in aid of those affected by the worst natural disaster in the country’s modern history.

Music from the Heart will take place at Madrid’s WiZink Center on 24 November, featuring artists Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina, Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

It follows the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which caused the deadliest flooding catastrophe to hit Europe in 50 years and led scores of events to be cancelled.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region, with the death toll exceeding 200, with fatalities also reported in the Castilla La Mancha region and Andalusia.

Collaborators include Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic

The charity concert has the support of the Generalitat Valenciana and the Community of Madrid, which owns the 17,456-cap WiZink Center. Collaborators include Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic, as well as other Spanish event organisers, record labels, artist managers and music associations.

Tickets go on sale today (8 November), with prices starting at €30. All profits raised, plus any additional income from the show, will go to the Som Solidaritat platform of the Generalitat Valenciana, which will channel aid to flooding victims. A phone line will also be set up for further donations.

Operator Baila.fm will not charge a commission and will “assume the transaction costs to ensure that 100% of the proceeds reach their destination”.

Elsewhere, a sold-out fundraising concert in Austria on 26 October, organised by Barracuda Music, held at Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt, raised €250,000 for victims of the recent Austrian floods resulting from Storm Boris.

And in the US, Luke Combs’ Concert for Carolina at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium raised $24.5 million for the Hurricane Helene relief effort.

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Mexican music star Carin León has broken the attendance record at WiZink Center in Madrid with his debut performance in Europe.

The Latin Grammy-award-winner drew 17,426 people to his 31 October concert, achieving the highest attendance of more than 1,200 concerts held at the iconic venue.

The record sees 35-year-old León unseat American heavy metal band Metallica, who held the previous record for 17,267 attendees at their 2018 concert at WiZink Center.

León’s concert in Madrid was the first stop on the European leg of his Boca Chueca Tour, which also visited London (UK) and Amsterdam (NL) and concludes tonight in Paris (FR).

The record sees 35-year-old León unseat American heavy metal band Metallica

The AEG Presents-promoted trek also visited 23 cities in North America between July and October, and included a stop at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The tour came on the heels of the star’s historic achievement as the first Latin artist to perform at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival in the same year. In addition, León was honoured with the keys to the City of Coachella, California.

The Música Mexicana star is due to return to North America in April 2025 for two arena shows in Florida and another in North Carolina.

Carin León is represented by UTA worldwide, except in Latin America.

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Real Madrid has announced it is rescheduling all concerts at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium following noise complaints from local residents.

The Spanish football club says the decision is part of a series of measures it has been taking “to ensure strict compliance with current municipal regulations” during gigs.

The world-famous Bernabéu reopened for music bookings last year following a five-year, €900 million renovation. In 2024, it hosted the only Spanish dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as well as a record-breaking four-night stint by Karol G in July and performances by Duki, Manuel Carrasco, Luis Miguel and Aitana.

However, Madrid police reported noise levels as far exceeding the permitted decibel limit, with locals alleging the shows had turned the stadium into a “torturódromo” (torture-drome).

“Despite the soundproofing conditions of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the reinforcement measures that have been undertaken, compliance with said regulations by the various organisers and promoters has been affected by the great challenge that it has meant for them to take into account all its precepts,” says a statement from the UEFA Champions League holders.

“Real Madrid will continue to work to ensure that the right conditions for sound production and broadcasting are met during concerts”

Affected dates include headline shows by domestic artists Dellafuente, Aitana and Lola Índigo, plus K-pop’s Music Bank World Tour.

“Real Madrid will continue to work to ensure that the right conditions for sound production and broadcasting are met during concerts to enable concerts to be held in our stadium,” adds the club.

“New dates and details will be announced soon for Dellafuente and Aitana, initially scheduled for November 15 and December 28 and 29, 2024 respectively, and for Lola Índigo, scheduled for March 22, 2025. In the case of Music Bank, which was to take place on October 12, 2024, it is definitively cancelled.”

It continues: “In addition to concerts, the Bernabéu is prepared to host a large number of events and shows, which will continue to take place as part of the stadium’s operation project.

“Real Madrid will continue to collaborate with the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council for sustainability and coexistence, and its objective will always be to ensure that the stadium’s activities guarantee its commitment to the city of Madrid and are beneficial to its surroundings.”

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