Matadero Madrid celebrates European Music Day with ten concerts and a film series focused on visual music.
> Family-friendly morning concerts by Remate & Wild Honey and the Creativa Junior Big Band will take place on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22, respectively, at Nave Una.
> From June 18 to 22, Cineteca Madrid will screen films dedicated to avant-garde visual music.
> Javier Navarro, aka 'El dios de los tres', has designed the festival poster, rich in color and symbolism, hallmarks of the artist’s style.
> These events have been scheduled in line with the safety and accessibility commitments set by the Madrid City Council.
> Matadero Multipista will also host four sessions between May 23 and June 13, featuring talks and concerts to celebrate the latest Latin, Asian, Mediterranean, and African rhythms.
Matadero Madrid, the contemporary creation center of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Madrid City Council, presents the program for DEMM 25, the festival that celebrates European Music Day. Running from June 18 to 22, it includes concerts at Plaza Matadero, family music sessions at Nave Una, and film screenings related to the world of visual music at Cineteca Madrid.
Since its first edition in 2009, this event has become a staple in Matadero Madrid’s programming. It aims to serve as a barometer of contemporary music through an international lineup where rock, pop, and electronic music meet, showcasing emerging stars and trends.
With music promoter Nacho Ruiz curating, Heineken®'s collaboration, and poster design by Javier Navarro ('El dios de los tres'), Matadero Madrid reinforces its strong commitment to music and its evolving genres and trends at DEMM 25.
International lineup at Plaza Matadero
The opening night on Friday, June 20, will feature Emilia Grima, a rising star of the underground electronic scene. A regular in Madrid’s DJ booths, she challenges expectations with a bold and transgressive approach. Joining her is London-based Peruvian artist Sofía Kourtesis, one of the most exciting names in international electronic music, blending techno beats, sun-soaked synths, a subversive spirit, and house hedonism.
Also performing that evening is Moxie, a London DJ, radio host, and cultural agitator. Her musical knowledge spans from techno to garage, soulful house to afro beats. The night closes with a DJ set by British legends Hot Chip, who have defined international electronic pop with irresistible melodies and inventive arrangements for over two decades.
Saturday, June 21, will bring a much-anticipated performance by Error 97. Band members Álvaro Casado, Gonzalo García, Sara Guayanay, and Nicolás Escardó (ages 18 to 20) channel raw emotion and youthful intensity into their music. The lineup also includes Hinds, the internationally acclaimed Spanish rock duo formed by Carlota Cosials and Ana Perrote.
Adding to the energy of the day, La Paloma, hailed as Madrid's next big rock act, will perform songs that have already achieved anthem status, such as those from their debut album "Todavía no." The Galician artist Baiuca rounds out the lineup with his bold fusion of traditional Galician folk and electronic experimentation.
Family concerts at Nave Una
DEMM 25 also caters to young music lovers with special family concerts. At 12:00 p.m. on both Saturday 21 and Sunday 22, Nave Una will host two shows designed for families. On Saturday, Remate & Wild Honey — two of Spain’s most prestigious and unique musicians — will share the stage. Remate is one of the country’s most internationally recognized artists, and Wild Honey is the project of Guillermo Farré, a top-tier pop composer. Sunday’s concert will feature the Creativa Junior Big Band from the Escuela de Música Creativa.
Films on visual music at Cineteca
From June 18 to 22, Cineteca Madrid joins European Music Day with three curated programs on visual music, in collaboration with the Top Film Twitter team. The first three sessions focus on musical avant-gardes, exploring the mathematical structure of sound and rhythm. These films examine the interplay of music, memory, and emotion, and trace the history of visual music in avant-garde cinema from the 1930s to today.
Two additional sessions, held in partnership with the Punto y Raya Festival, will invite reflection on the concept of visual music today, with a curated selection of experimental films that highlight the relationship between sound and image in contemporary times.
Closing the program, students from the LAV (Laboratorio AudioVisual) master's program will present experimental works that explore the future of visual music and its evolution in contemporary cinema.
DEMM25 tickets and schedule
All concerts on Friday, June 20, at Plaza Matadero are free to attend until full capacity is reached and will run from 8:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Tickets for the concerts on Saturday, June 21, at Plaza Matadero (8:00 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.) cost five euros. Each family concert on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 at Nave Una (12:00 p.m.) also costs five euros.
Safety and accessibility
To ensure safe and inclusive cultural spaces, Puntos Violeta (Violet Points) will be set up to inform and raise awareness about the prevention of sexual violence against women. In addition, LSE sign language mediators will provide information for deaf attendees. All concerts on the Plaza Matadero stage will also feature magnetic loop systems, amplified sound, and vibrotactile backpacks.
Matadero Multipista lands at Nave Una
Led by Pablo Gil — former host of the Radio 3 show Multipista (2013–2021) and current culture editor at El Mundo — Nave Una at Matadero Madrid will host themed music sessions every Friday from May 23 to June 13. Entry is free until full capacity is reached.
Matadero Multipista will spotlight contemporary sounds from outside the Anglo-American industry, with four double-feature Fridays including a relaxed expert panel at 8:00 p.m. followed by a DJ set starting at 9:15 p.m.
While U.S. and U.K. music remains rooted in 20th-century genres like rock, pop, rap, and electronic dance music, the most transformative music movements are emerging from other regions, now producing some of the world’s biggest stars.
The first session on May 23 will focus on new Latin music. Beneath reggaetón’s commercial success lies a rich diversity of styles that increasingly blend modern and traditional rhythms. In the past two decades, genres like dembow, moombathon, electrocumbia, Argentine trap, electrolatino, and neoperreo have flourished, with Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Puerto Rico at the epicenter of a pan-continental wave. Pablo Gil will speak with communicator Miriam Martín, followed by a DJ set from Ms Nina.
K-pop takes center stage on the second Friday, May 30. South Korea has leveraged culture as its strongest soft-power tool, with music leading the charge. Long before Parasite won the Oscar or Han Kang claimed the Nobel Prize, bubbly k-pop tracks had already ignited global fever. DJ Sani (OfficialKEvents) will get the crowd moving after a talk between Pablo Gil and electronic pop singer-producer Marta Movidas.
Urban music, which has dominated the charts over the past decade, is the focus of the third session on June 6. The fusion of rap, trap, pop, drill, and Latin rhythms tops the charts in Spain, France, and Italy, as well as Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt. This dynamic musical exchange has become the generational soundtrack for millennials and Gen Z. Pablo Gil will talk with Sarah Robledo of indie label Dale Play Records. DJ and producer Kabasaki, a pioneer of urban music in Spain, will close the night.
The final session on June 13 is dedicated to Africa’s vast musical diversity. From South Africa’s amapiano to Nigerian rap and R&B, Ghanaian hiplife, Angolan kuduro, Congolese congotronics, and the experimental works of Uganda's Nyege Nyege label, this session will explore a rich sonic landscape. Pablo Gil will be joined by journalist, curator, and researcher Tania Safura Adam. Kampala-based DJ Catu Dioisis will deliver the final set of this much-anticipated return of Multipista.
More information and tickets: mataderomadrid.org