There were no special guests or references to Colin the Caterpillar, but Olivia Rodrigo showed once more she is a bona fide rock star with a commanding set at Mad Cool Festival.
The 22-year-old took Madrid in her stride after conquering Glastonbury and Hyde Park BST. And in headlining the third night of Mad Cool, after Muse and Nine Inch Nails, respectively, she showed herself deserving of a place at the table alongside rock legends.
The Madrid-based festival is in its ninth year, but it continues to draw in superb talent from around the world, laid out across the festival’s six stages and three days, and culminating in Rodrigo’s standout Sunday night set.
If she was able to endear herself to the Glastonbury faithful by bringing out Robert Smith, she showed here she is able to pack a punch, live, without a guest star. Her openers Obsessed and Ballad of a Homeschool Girl hit hard and set up Rodrigo for the piano epics of Vampire, Driver’s Licence, and Traitor that follow. Perhaps the third part of the set, the home of the album tracks, is the weakest and might yet be replaced when Rodrigo has more than two albums under her belt. But the thumping, one-two closer of Good 4 U into Get Him Back was a worthy end to a weekend of excellent music.
Things started off strong. Opening night headliners Muse were a late replacement for Kings of Leon – but as subs go, you can't get much better. Matt Bellamy brought out an eight string guitar for opener Unravelling, a “take us seriously” statement of a song to show their run of European festivals that they still mean business. From there they were willing to blend the OTT rock opera with some tongue in cheek stage antics. With their most rousing numbers (Hysteria, Uprising, Starlight) now all past or approaching 20 years old, the trio have perfected their song introductions for maximum impact – plus fans were also treated to rare performances of two of their finest anthems, Map of the Problematique and Undisclosed Desires.
Nine Inch Nails’s headliner set, by contrast, was delightful in its lack of effort to try and win over neutrals. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have become as well known for their electronic film scores in recent years, but here they are true to their industrial rock roots - appearing mostly from behind dull, misty stage backlighting. There are none of the (literal) fireworks of Muse but a comitted and uncompromising statement of intent.
NIN’s set is proof that the festival is just as much for those paying by the day than staying a whole weekend. Mad Cool has gone through several incarnations in its near decade of existence; establishing a city centre base, being moved out for a controversial Formula One project, gaining a foothold in its current out-of-town Valdebebas site, and booking Taylor Swift for 2020, before being hit by Covid and starting again.
There are still signs of teething issues as the festival seeks to become a mainstay. A frustratingly long power outage on day one caused by “unexpected” heat (in Spain? Who would have thought…) put paid to half of Gracie Abrams’ planned set. However, kudos to Abrams for soldiering on a-cappella, a faithful crowd singing back every word. Iggy Pop has seen it all and, though less tolerant about his 20 minute delay, then led a huge crowd in a singalong to The Passenger.
But there are plus sides, too. The ease of access between the stages is a blessing for Glastonbury veterans who are used to 45 minute treks between sets, with all six stages being a short walk across the astroturf-laden grounds.
Plus, though the line-up and set time decisions baffled, they ultimately paid off. If the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Glass Animals, St Vincent, and Girl in Red were put out at being relegated to third stage it did not show, as they all delivered enthusiastic and full-blooded performances. Conversely, Mother Mother and The Teskey Brothers may have looked out of place on main stages on paper, but when the volume was cranked up to 11 it proved an inspired decision.
Who would have said 2000s Australian band Jet should be the penultimate act on the Friday mainstage? But as the sun finally began to set, a cover of It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) into Are You Gonna Be My Girl equaled straight up pandemonium. There were also crowd pleasing sets from Benson Boone (who finished Beautiful Things with a backflip, as per usual) and Alanis Morissette – who served up a carbon copy of her Glastonbury show.
It's a festival that defies expectations and challenges fans to leave their preconceptions at the gates. You might turn your nose at the sheer number of promotional stands from sponsors on the site. But the randomness of the sets, baking heat, and easygoing vibe makes this a far more fun and accepting experience than you might find at, say, Live ‘25. And even the grumpiest of Oasis purists might find themselves enjoying Olivia Rodrigo and co after a weekend at Mad Cool.
Mad Cool returns for its tenth anniversary in 2026; tickets here
