Some might say that it will be pretty hard to top last year’s Mad Cool festival in Madrid which saw the likes of Metallica, Baby Queen, and Arlo Parks perform.
One of the world’s most explosive and colourful music festivals, Mad Cool is known for star-studded lineups and friendly crowds. Mad Cool Festival 2023 will offer three days of live music where audiences can enjoy the performances from the very best artists from all over the world.
Taking place in Madrid from July 6th to 8th, Mad Cool have confirmed yet another stellar line-up for their 2023 festival which includes some big hitters like Liam Gallagher, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Rina Sawayama, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many more.
Sitting alongside these internationally-acclaimed acts are lesser known but equally talented vocalists and bands, so which new acts should you be looking out for at Mad Cool in 2023?
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Morgan
Acclaimed alt-Americana / folk outfit Morgan are one of the biggest bands in Spain. They recently released an EP called the ‘Cool Mood Sessions’ which was a follow up to 2021’s ‘The River and the Stone’ which includes the stirring track ‘River’ and the intoxicating ‘Paranoid Fall’.
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Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama’s star is ascending to stratospheric levels especially after the release of 2022’s critically acclaimed sophomore album ‘Hold The Girl’ which has further cemented her reputation as a modern day music chameleon.
This is genre-bashing at its finest with Rina tearing down walls mixing up genres with a collection of beautifully crafted songs that are as far reaching as pop punk, trance, alt-rock and even country while weaving in intimate storytelling with intoxicating hooks and ambitious production values.
The product of Rina and these collective minds coming together is an album which melds influences from across the pop spectrum and is a bold and honest statement of Rina’s personal evolution; coming to
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Thumper
With their soaring melodies and big crunching riffs, Irish rockers Thumper are swiftly becoming a force to be reckoned with. The Dublin-based group released their debut album ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ last year which included the singles ‘25’, the explosive ‘Ad Nauseam’ and the ‘Topher Grace’.
2023 so far has seen them release a frankly thunderous cover of Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten’ a firm favourite in their live setlist along with brand new single ‘Circles’. Think frenetic propulsive guitars, psych-drenched driving bass lines with a similar sonic to the likes of Fontaines D.C, Feeder and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Without doubt Thumper is a mosh pit must-see at this year’s Mad Cool.
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Sila Lua
Sila Lua is a Spanish singer and producer who has over six years become one of the emerging figures in urban music in not just her home town of Madrid, but in the whole of Spain too.
Effortlessly fusing hip-hop with European experimental and electronic music and has seen some of her tracks like ‘Nada’ be used on top shows on NetFlix. Her last album ‘ROMPE’ was released in November last year and you can fully expect an effervescent show from the talented Spaniard.
Don’t forget to look out for the nine winners from the festival’s Mad Cool DJ Talent by Vibra Mahou who will also perform across the three-day event. Victor Carre b2b Body-O, Loopi.ta, Armis, Mobox, Alvaro Valero, Miss Deep’in, Chalkyninenine, DJ Trapella and L.A.S DJs were all victorious in that contest and have also secured a slot on the bill.
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Stacey Ryan
Canadian singer-songwriter Stacey Ryan swiftly rose to fame last year after posting a snippet of her single, ‘Don’t Text Me When You’re Drunk’ on TikTok, and asked the public to finish the lyrics creating an open verse challenge. Whether this was a genius ploy or a smart tactic to outmanoeuvre writers’ block, it resulted in 40,000 users creating duets which saw even The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon creating his own lyrics.
The finished track saw the Montreal-born singer collaborate with Zai1k and is set to be an anthemic festival highlight, especially with lines like ‘One dates, two dates, it was fine. But then you said you had too much on your mind’.
2022 also saw Stacey tour with Duran Duran as well as release her follow up single , ‘Fall in Love Alone’ which appears on her recently-released debut EP ‘I Don’t Know What Love Is’.
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Want to join the party at Mad Cool? Tickets are on sale now from 189€ + booking fee. The festival runs between July 6th – 8th.
Words: Emma Harrison
