Cala Mijas International Festival 2023
at Sonora Mijas in Málaga, Spain
words by Jennifer Rose

Under the scorching Spanish sun, and the mesmerizing super moon, Cala Mijas Festival returned for its second year bringing a diverse and exciting lineup. The 3 day festival, which brings crowds of both locals and tourists from around the world, included headliners Arcade Fire, The Strokes and Florence + The Machine, plus acts such as Cupido, Cariño and La Élite.

In its second year, the goal of showcasing renowned international acts as well as less established artists was once again achieved, with a much bigger crowd attending. This year’s festival returned to Sonora Mijas with three spaced out stages and a beachside stage for performances throughout the day and night. With plenty of room to sit and watch the performances or stand in the packed crowds, the festival remained a brilliant opportunity to soak up not only the last of the summer but also the sights and sounds across the four stages: Sunrise, Victoria, Sunset and La Caleta.

Taking that first step into the venue felt thrilling, albeit pretty sweaty, as it filled up with thousands of people eager to catch their favourite live acts (and potentially some for the first time).

Day 1 started the festival off strong with locals acts like Cupido and Vera Fauna. But the act of the night had to be IDLES, who may not have concluded the opening night, but proved to be a brilliant live act with a great, high energy set. Their frontman Joe Talbot had the attention of the crowd as his grungy post-punk vocals clashed with the unrelenting drum beats and slick guitar hooks. The band powered through a set full of newer releases like ‘Beechland Ballroom’ and older ones like ‘I’m Scum’. As they stormed through their set, the crowd lapped up every second of it - so much so it was almost disappointing when they had no more songs left to sing.

Day 2 brought quirky and engaging performances from Amyl and The Sniffers and Lori Myers as well as a sensational set from The Strokes. With stunning strobe effects and roaring riffs, the New York band had the audience gripped from the moment the first notes of their opening song ‘What Ever Happened’ rung out. Playing classics like ‘Last Nite’ to ‘Reptilia’, and newer tracks like ‘Ode to the Mets’ and ‘Bad Decisions’, the band had their audience gripped from the onset. With plenty of sarcastic quips along the way, Julian Casablancas proved himself as a fantastic frontman and performer- not forgetting to engage with the crowd but also making it clear (with an impressive set list rammed with newer tracks and classic ones from the band) that he was going to give the audience what they came for: a wonderful night of live music.

Whilst the weather might not have been on the crowd’s side, the final day of the festival definitely delivered on showcasing sensational live music. From the alternative indie sounds of Ethel Cain to the indie pop beats of Belle and Sebastian, there were plenty of varied sounds and music styles to get lost in on the last day of the festival.

Metronomy proved to be the perfect musical escapism, with upbeat indie tracks like ‘The Bay’ and ‘Insecurity’ getting the crowd energized for the night ahead. Though local acts gathered decent crowds, it was Florence + The Machine who gathered the biggest crowd of loyal fans and lovers of live music. In spite of injury, and the fact her appearance at the festival was touch and go, Welch established herself as not only a wonderful showman but also a lovely person, as she constantly thanked the crowd for their support throughout the gig and the release of their latest album Dance Fever. Featuring newer songs like ‘Free’ and classics such as ‘Dog Days Are Over’, Welch had the crowd dancing and singing along from the start to the end of her set. Throughout the gig, there was a real sense that you were watching something truly brilliant and it was almost disappointing when the performance came to a close.

Overall, Cala Mijas Festival delivered on its promise to showcase fantastic live acts. Though there were some issues with the sound during performances, there was a real sense of excitement throughout the festival. They definitely gathered a bigger crowd this year and the animation was easy to sense from the first day to the very last performance. The festival might only be in its second year but it once again showed potential to become something special in the years to come.

CALA MIJAS FESTIVAL 2023