From this Thursday, August 27, until Saturday the 29th, Guadalajara is hosting a new edition of Festival Gigante. Thursday’s program is free to attend, while tickets for Friday and Saturday cost just 30 euros, and the passes are 40 euros.
Across three stages, welcoming best-selling projects such as Ultraligera, and others small yet also very interesting like Musgö, Gigante will be another synthesis of the drift of national indie-spirited pop-rock. From the untamable Belén Aguilera and Zahara to acts as sui generis as Ortiga, these are JENESAISPOP’s 10 favorites.
Belén Aguilera
Even before a year has passed since the release of her major lyrical work, ‘ANELA’, Belén Aguilera has gifted us another EP with a more summery vibe. ‘mediterrania’ is, in a sense, a return to pop, reflected in tracks like ‘mejores momentos’ or ‘otra suerte sería’, though without neglecting the experimental. This very summer we’ve been able to see that her festival performances are tremendous “greatest hits.” We’ll be able to see her on Saturday the 29th at 21:40.
Zahara «Rave»
Soon after, on the same Saturday, at 0:20 (that is, technically on Sunday), Zahara will present her new “rave.” This is a show different from the one a few years ago, more focused on queer culture and more raw in its techno assertions. There’s no trace left of Taylor; now the night’s climax could pay homage to The Prodigy. All of this while the hits ‘PUTA’ or ‘Lento ternura’ continue to play.
Chimo Bayo
The party won’t stop after the rave, and in the early hours from Saturday to Sunday it will be time for Chimo Bayo to deliver his perennial proclamation of the Ruta. He rarely misses any of the 90s hits he released, notable among them ‘Así me gusta a mí’ or ‘La tía Enriqueta’.
Ginebras
Ginebras have been at the center of many of the most fun festival moments in the last five years, thanks in particular to performances of upbeat tracks such as ‘La típica canción’, ‘Alex Turner’ or ‘Paco y Carmela’. This year they’ve released an album titled ‘Donde nada para es tanto’, where they take some risks on tracks like ‘Con las chicas en Berlín’. They’re sure to bring energy to the stage in their trance-tinged encore. They perform on Saturday at 23:00.
Queralt Lahoz
Over the last year, Queralt Lahoz has drawn attention for collaborations with artists such as Lia Kali, Curro, SALMA, and even Lola Indigo, but the bulk of her repertoire remains defined by, of course, her notable 2025 album ‘9:30 PM’, as well as earlier tracks that never forced her to be boxed as neo-flamenco, neo-R&B, or anything of the sort. We’ll see her on Saturday the 29th at 20:20 h.
Repion vs La M.O.D.A.
One of the curiosities of the Friday, August 28 lineup is that Repion and La M.O.D.A. perform in successive time slots. The former present the notable ‘201’ at 21:40 h on the Vibra Mahou Stage. The latter perform the notable ‘San Felices’ on the Gigante Stage at 23:00 h. Do we wager that there could be a joint rendition of ‘No te necesito para ser feliz’, specifically at La M.O.D.A.’s concert?
Aiko El Grupo
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re disgusting?” That simple line from ‘ke pesao’ is one of those that signals where a show by Aiko El Grupo might head. Punk-pop with a roguish and acidic edge, also materialized in other tracks such as ‘A mí ya me iba mal de antes’ or recently in ‘Oda a la muerte de nuestro amor’. You can verify it for yourselves this Friday, August 28, at 20:20 hours.
Ona Mafalda
After beginnings more linked to British electronic pop, post-grunge pop-rock has flooded Ona Mafalda’s music. As showcased on her album from last year, ‘Reset’, she has been adding in recent times some steady singles such as ‘Nada’, ‘Otra’ and ‘Anthem’.
Ortiga
The Friday night will end with Ortiga’s unclassifiable party-show, through which you can glimpse elements of cumbia just as much as salsa or reggaeton, by the artist who defines himself as “the Latin boy of the Galician alternative scene.” ‘As mociñas’ could be the best proof of it.
Calequi y Las Panteras
On Thursday 27, La Cabra Mecánica, Ángel Stanich and Ángela González, among many others, perform for free at Festival Gigante. At 0:50 a.m. on the Vibra Mahou Stage, one of the most curious performances will take place: Calequi y las Panteras. An attractive blend of Latin, folkloric, and electronic rhythms that this year manifested itself in ‘TRES’.
