Stages in high altitudes, floating above lakes, amid volcanic landscapes, bucolic towns, gardens… The increasingly remarkable settings where music festivals are held are offering a more sustainable and friendlier alternative for those overwhelmed by crowds. In addition, their line-up covers every taste: rock, folk, classical, jazz, flamenco, indie, pop, Afro…
Castile and León: mountains, rivers, and gardens
As with many others, our adventure begins in the Sierra de Gredos. On its northern face, in Hoyos del Espino (Ávila), the festival Músicos en la Naturaleza has been held since 2006. The stage is set on the splendid meadows beside the slope that climbs up to the Plataforma de Gredos, so the audience finds themselves surrounded by lush forests and high peaks. A single day in summer (this time July 4), which this year brings back the iconic Deep Purple (they headlined in 2013). Alongside them, two top openers: the progressive rock of the Britons Alan Parsons Live Project, and the Madrid-based Burning with its classic rock and roll.
In the city of Segovia, in the privileged setting of the Garden of the Zuloaga (beside the Romanesque church of San Juan de los Caballeros), the fifth edition of the Afroblue Festival will be held on June 5 and 6. The event aims at a diverse and family-friendly audience with a reduced capacity to enjoy without feeling crowded, offering free entry to minors under seventeen (included) and providing reduced prices for attendees up to twenty-four. Regarding its music, it leans toward Afro-American trends: Pajaro Sunrise, The Free Label, Charlie Wood, Principles of Joy, John Németh, Lehmanns Brothers, Yuley Díaz and Tiwayo, along with special acts such as Vega-Olivares and The Shu Shus, forming part of its international lineup.
We continue our journey through Castile and León and head up to Balboa, in the Bierzo region (León). There, since 2018 Observatorio, festival of music and independent art has been held. It defines itself as a beacon of the “empty Spain” — by the harmony between village, audience, organizers, and artists. Sustainability and inclusion in this friendly natural setting, in a young and intimate atmosphere. This seventh edition takes place from June 25 to 27, once again betting on emerging and independent music: Las Petunias, Stonzee, Amor Líquido, Lorna, Mercromina Club…
