Cala Mijas Fest rocks the Costa and exceeds expectations

Anyone who goes to music festivals knows that success is not just down to the music, but it is the whole experience. No matter how well your favourite group performs, if the queues are endless or the toilets inaccessible, the festival is doomed to failure.

Luckily, last week's Cala Mijas Festival showed every sign of being well-organised and that it will become a highly successful and annual event; next year's date has already been announced.

It was an inspired choice by the organisers to select the British band the Arctic Monkeys as the headline act to kick off the three-day event featuring a wide range of international artists that catered for most musical tastes.

Trap and hip hop had their space on the stages along with different electronic trends, but as usual at these festivals, rock was the star of the show.

The headline acts (Arctic Monkeys, Nick Cave and Liam Gallagher) have navigated through different styles for decades, but rock has always been the common denominator. These three performers were the main attractions, but lovers of electronic music were not neglected. Kraftwerk, James Blake, The Chemical Brothers and Röyksopp, together with 2ManyDjs and Tiga, also helped make sure that the Cala Mijas Festival becomes a benchmark for the dance floor.

The first-ever Cala Mijas Festival exceeded all the expectations of the promoters, creating an estimated economic impact on the Costa del Sol of more than 20 million euros.

The announcement was made by the town's mayor, Josele González, who explained that the three-day musical extravaganza held in the specially erected Sonora venue, as well as the series of free concerts on the beach, attracted more than 107,000 attendees of more than 50 nationalities.

González claimed that the event positioned Mijas as a reference within the circuit of festivals at an international level and as a leader on the Costa del Sol. He also explained that the festival allowed the direct hiring of more than 3,000 employees and has been an unprecedented boost for the economy of the area.

The mayor pointed out that the festival had had an economic impact on some of the sectors most affected by the pandemic, such as hospitality, commerce and accommodation.

"This festival has enjoyed great attendance figures and has filled Mijas with life and colour, while helping to support local businesses, bars and restaurants in an initiative that has combined the perfection of music, sun and beach in a unique setting," González said.

The mayor explained that he was "very happy" with the financial and media impact that the festival has had on the municipality, adding, "This was a project that was born with the aim of putting our town on the map and to continue to make it grow as a benchmark of cultural and leisure activities."

González said the variety and quality of the musical programme of the festival has been one of its great endorsements, since it presented the best rock, pop, electronic and urban music. Councillor for Fiestas, Tamara Vera, said, "There have been many departments and people involved in making this event a success and we would like to thank all of them. The festival has exceeded all expectations."

The second edition of the Cala Mijas Festival will be held from 31 August through to 2 September 2023.