Mad Cool 2025: Olivia Rodrigo triumphs with the Madrid audience

Third night seen, enjoyed, and finished. Excitement vibrated in the air, and inexplicable nerves permeated the final hours of Mad Cool 2025. Plenty of music and many genres graced the six stages. The Teskey Brothers opened Stage 1 with a blues that calmed the incipient unease. Refreshing melodies, sad lyrics, and sounds typical of their genre; a brilliant piano and brass represented by the trumpet and saxophone that accompanied all their songs. Fatigue may begin to take its toll on the body, but the Australians transmit a peace that energizes us for the rest of the evening.

With her mind set on hearing as many concerts as possible, Girl in Red greeted all the curious who came to see her with a sea of arms waving from left to right. This was her fans' response to the great show put on by the singer and her band; a woman worthy of occupying the main stage. In "Midnight Love," tranquility and a beautiful depth fill the little space left by the audience; " We Fell in Love in October " is beautiful, dedicated to a woman and sung along to by those present; with "Phantom Pain," a real party ensues; and in "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend," the pit becomes the singer's dance floor, with her fans surrounding her as they sing along.

Fortunately, this Saturday was less hot than the previous two days. Although it was noticeably cooler last night, we're seeing more long pants and jackets today. That doesn't mean some daring outfits continue to emerge, from sheer tops, cowboy hats, and extremely short pants to shirtless men; a good variety.

Many attendees ran from one stage to another to get to the concert of Finneas , Billie Eilish's brother and producer. A man who doesn't shy away from his family to make a name for himself, although he doesn't need to take advantage of their fame either. The American has a very powerful discography of his own and a very loyal audience that sings along to 'Angel' - a beautiful piano ballad - or ' Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa ' - a great song, let's not deny it. A rich variety with which to achieve a very good balance between festival songs and sadder themes.

One of the lessons festival-goers learn is that sometimes small stages are more fun than big ones—but only sometimes. On Stage VI, Chilean AKRIILA brought urban sounds and deep autotune. Just after this performance, on the next stage, Stage V, Pvaris played. A band that returned to more rock-forward sounds with songs like "Take My Nirvana." And shortly after, on Stage III, St. Vicente showcased their virtuosity on the electric guitar.

And here the problems began. There were no blackouts, but there were delays. Specifically , Thirty Seconds to Mars started 17 minutes after the scheduled time. The group led by Jared Leto landed in Madrid after playing at Barcelona's Cruïlla, and the show was ready. With an incredibly good voice, the singer spent more time asking the audience to sing, clap, or bend down before jumping. A show that delivers what the audience wants. In ' Up in the Air ,' he threw confetti, then columns of fire, went down to sing with the audience, and brought fans up on stage; a true showman who also brings out his most vindictive side in 'Walk on Water.'

The 10-minute delay didn't stop Arde Bogotá from giving it their all in front of an enchanted audience. The singer's slow and powerful voice gives tremendous depth to each song they perform; songs like "Abajo," "La Torre Picasso," and " Cowboys de la A3 " reach deep into your heart, and even though they're not dedicated to you, they feel like your own; a difficult skill to achieve, but one this group achieves with astonishing ease. However, they couldn't compete with a child who, beneath the Ferris wheel that hasn't stopped spinning for three days, danced and applauded every song, giving it his all alongside happy parents who constantly filmed the little dancer.

Just like yesterday, the Spanish artists were pushing each other's schedules, and while Arde Bogotá was on Stage II, Rodrigo Ramírez was on Stage V. A young man of immense talent, a singer-songwriter with a spark that could explode at any moment and make this talent known. He sang "Morderte" and "Loco" (a previously unreleased song), among others. He was accompanied by a band and with the special touch of a violin that creates a very unique and beautiful sound.

5 minutes late. The pop star of the moment kicked off her concert with 'Obsessed,' and what came next was absolutely outrageous. Olivia Rodrigo is a phenomenon worthy of study, a singer who could have been just another one, but who has distinguished herself with powerful melodies and unique lyrics. She played 'Vampire,' 'Drivers License,' on the piano, 'Bad Idea, Right?'—this being one of the most-seen merchandising t-shirts—'Pretty Isn't Pretty,' and ' Good 4 U' —her most famous song—a review of the hits of the singer who, at just 22 years old and with four albums under her belt, has conquered the world. She also maintains a meticulously curated image; her angelic face hides a booming voice that got Mad Cool on its feet; and a brilliant visual aesthetic, all in shades of purple (like her albums) combined with reds that reinforce the young American's "bad" side. A character on stage, enjoying herself and being applauded with shouts of "and beautiful, and beautiful, and queen, and queen." A superstar who proves that youth is coming on strong.

A WARNING sign greeted attendees of the only electronic band present on the main stages. Justice is a French electronic music duo with a hint of seventies influence, and the warning sign for possible epileptic consequences was no small feat. The show closed Stage II in style, combining the best beats with outrageous, heart-stopping lighting, a finale of madness.

With the glow of another day of great concerts, the attendees leave the venue located in the Marconi industrial estate in Villaverde. But before that, you can see people applauding the bands, even though they're extremely far away; children enjoying, probably, their first live performances; families gathering, the older ones enjoying the veterans and the younger ones enjoying the young talents; groups of friends enjoying music and beer (or water). Simply people enjoying music . Just another festival for some, the first for others, and all united by the magic created around the songs of the more than seventy bands that have performed on the stages of Mad Cool 2025.