With the UK’s version of summer now creeping in and group chats starting to buzz with excitement for the days ahead, Mad Cool ticket holders are officially counting down the days. Madrid in July? Sizzling. The line-up? Even hotter. And with so many names fighting for space on your must-see list, it begs the question—where do you even start?
Don’t stress. We’ve broken things down into a few handy categories to help you figure out which sets are worth the sunscreen sprint. Whether you’re chasing mosh pits, late-night bangers or big, emotional singalongs, Clash has done the digging so you can do the dancing.
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Pop Powerhouses
Some artists dominate the airwaves and set trends, and at Mad Cool, the pop scene is packing heavy hitters you just can’t miss. If you’ve been living under a rock, now’s the time to catch up.
Missed out on Glasto yet again? Us too. Wipe those tears, grab some SPF, and swap cider-in-a-field for sangria-in-the-sunset—headliner Olivia Rodrigo is waiting in Madrid. At 22, with two albums under her belt, she’s ready to offer some group therapy, but with confetti. Meanwhile, Noah Kahan’s performances will have you crying and laughing in equal measure as he navigates mental health and personal growth with sincerity, all while embracing his playful self-deprecating monikers, like Folk Malone or the Jewish Ed Sheeran. His rise since 2022’s ‘Stick Season’ LP is no joke, though.
Gracie Abrams may have quiet vocals, but her career is less timid – she’s steadily taking over with her hushed heartbreak and lyrical gut punches. Her second album ‘The Secret of Us’ expanded her emotional range, with festival-ready hits like ‘That’s So True,’ while a Swift collaboration only added fuel to her growing momentum. Benson Boone, on the other hand, brings a vocal power that’s unforgettable—his hit ‘Beautiful Things’ still dominates the airwaves, and with his upcoming album ‘American Heart’ dropping just in time for Mad Cool, expect big hooks in a technicolour package.
Legends Still Loud
They might not dominate the daily scroll, but don’t be fooled—these artists are far from relics. Just one riff or vocal line from their iconic hits is enough to catapult you back to where you first heard them, proving exactly why their discographies still hit hard today.
Punk’s original wild child, Iggy Pop, is still tearing through stages nearly 50 years on from ‘Lust For Life’, and few can match the unfiltered chaos he brings. If anyone can make raw energy look ageless (and shirtless, of course), it’s him—and if there’s one place to witness that unhinged brilliance, it’s Mad Cool. Over in nerd rock territory, Weezer’s straight-to-the-heart melodies and no-fuss chord progressions span genres from grunge to emo to power-pop. With sing-alongs like ‘Say It Ain’t So’ and ‘Buddy Holly’, they remain a comfort blanket for festival crowds of all stripes.
Alanis Morissette holds the torch for angsty lyricism with her piercing honesty and unmistakable voice. Her 90s-era confessions paved the way for today’s emotionally fluent songwriters—catching her live is like uncovering the emotional DNA of modern pop. And Kings of Leon? They turned personal turmoil into “Sex on Fire” and never looked back. Their brand of Southern-fried rock still delivers full-throttle choruses and arena-ready emotion, the kind that feels just right with a beer in hand and a sunset stage behind them.
Club Heat, Festival Sized
When the sun dips and the basslines rise, Mad Cool’s dance offering proves it’s not just about guitars and glitter—this year’s lineup boasts modern electronic trailblazers, ready to turn hazy days into euphoric nights.
French duo Justice have stormed back into the spotlight with ‘Hyperdrama’—a no-skips, high-octane return that’s equal parts cinematic and feral. With a Grammy in the bag and a jaw-dropping stage show currently lighting up festivals worldwide, their Mad Cool set promises to be part rave, part religious experience. Salute delivered on years of bubbling hype with debut album ‘TRUE MAGIC’, blending lush synths and skittering percussion into something deeply emotional. The result? A record that lives up to its title, and a live show that moves hearts as much as it moves feet.
Chloé Caillet brings sleek, underground energy with a genre-fluid mix of deep house, acid, and trance, delivered with magnetic confidence and curated cool. She’s a rising star with serious selector instincts, ready to own the moment. And while The Blessed Madonna is a more seasoned presence, her fire is undimmed—her 2024 album ‘Godspeed’ was a sprawling, club-ready love letter to dance culture, full of pulsing highs and unsettled lows; her sets are spiritual, sweaty affairs you’ll be talking about for weeks.
Future Headliners
They’re already filling big rooms—and they’re only getting bigger. These artists have graduated from cult status to serious contenders, with bold, career-defining records and crowds that grow louder by the month. 2025 feels like a tipping point: catch them in this golden window, before their names are printed in the largest font on next year’s festival posters.
Melodramatic and brutally honest, Blondshell is the indie queen of our dreams. Her biting self-titled debut set the tone with sardonic wit and emotional depth, and her new follow-up confirms she’s a songwriting force to be reckoned with. Expect cathartic chaos, clever one-liners, and fuzzy guitars that work through inherent sadness. Speaking of, girl in red continues to evolve beyond her introspective origins—tracks like ‘Phantom Pain’ bring slick, festival-sized production to her confessional heart, without losing the angst that made her an early Gen Z icon.
Royel Otis are an Australian duo on the cusp of indie-pop domination, blending jangly guitars, dreamy melodies, and dry charm into something refreshingly new. Their quietly anthemic hooks are already filling rooms; it won’t be long before they’re headlining them. And while FINNEAS is no stranger to global success as Billie Eilish’s right-hand man (brother, producer, cowriter), his latest solo album ‘For Cryin’ Out Loud!’ is a compelling showcase of his own vision—lush, naturalistic, and lyrically sharp, it proves he’s just as potent on his own terms.
The Ones You’ll Brag About
Every festival has its hidden gems—acts tucked halfway down the poster that end up stealing the whole weekend. This is your chance to be the one telling your mates, “I saw them way before they blew up.” Whether they’re fresh off a breakthrough or riding a growing cult following, these artists are proof that great taste starts early.
almost monday are a Californian indie-pop trio—which might not sound revolutionary on paper—but their hooks are crisp, colourful, and impossibly addictive. Their 2024 debut album ‘dive’ bottles the breezy rush of a sun-soaked festival weekend: hazy, hopeful, and made to be played loud. Alessi Rose, on the other hand, opts for a gentler sway. Her shimmering single “oh my” wraps warm vocals around dreamy textures—but don’t let the calm fool you. With her UK and EU tour selling out in just ten minutes, the buzz is real. Mad Cool is your chance to see her before the venues become even tougher to get into.
For romance with a dark twist, meet Luvcat. With only a handful of tracks released so far, her brooding blend of lust, longing, and woozy guitars is already winning her a devoted following. And if you’re after something to shake you out of your sun-drenched stupor, DEADLETTER bring the chaos. Sharp, wiry guitar lines, saxophone blasts, and frontman Zac Lawrence’s theatrical swagger turn cultural commentary into a full-body workout. Spit might fly—but you won’t want to look away.
Brits Abroad
Discovering new artists abroad is the dream—but sometimes, mid-festival chaos calls for something familiar. Between dodging queues, chasing shade, and reapplying SPF, there’s real joy in hearing a chorus you already know by heart drifting across the field. Luckily, Mad Cool’s UK contingent has plenty of that feel-good firepower, ready to soundtrack your singalongs.
Does anything capture the start-of-summer feeling quite like ‘T-Shirt Weather’? Liverpudlian indie-rockers Circa Waves are festival regulars for a reason, bringing riff-ready favourites and an increasingly euphoric catalogue that keeps finding new fans. Fellow Scousers The Wombats are old hands at this too. With bangers like ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’, ‘Greek Tragedy’ and ‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’, their sound has evolved into glittering indie-pop without losing the bite—and new album ‘Oh! The Ocean’ proves the trio still know their way around a hook.
Oxford outfit Glass Animals went from cult favourites to global chart-toppers thanks to ‘Heat Waves’, and there’s no better place to hear it live than this. Over four shapeshifting albums, they’ve paired smart songwriting with bold, immersive production, and bring their vivid sonic world to life onstage in a burst of colour. (Leave the pineapples at home, though.) And when Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson points the mic your way, you already know the word is ‘Ruby’. Still leaping around with the energy of their early days, they’re the ultimate nostalgia fix: familiar, chaotic, and undeniably fun.
Whatever your vibe—sweaty singalong, euphoric rave, or lying in the grass discovering your new favourite band—Mad Cool 2025 has something with your name on it. With this cheat sheet in your back pocket, you’ve got a head start on the best sets of the weekend. So slap on that suncream, charge your phone, and get ready to lose your voice, find your new favourite artist, and make memories that outlast any hangover.
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Mad Cool 2025 runs between July 10th – 13th, tickets are available here: https://madcoolfestival.es/tickets
Words: Finlay Holden
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