Tardeo Summer in Malaga: how to successfully turn a concept into a music festival

Matías Stuber

Malaga

Monday, 16 June 2025, 10:21

It's June and a new summer in one of the best places to enjoy the season in the world - the Costa del Sol - is dawning. As temperatures start to rise, people shed their winter pallor and let the light that extends late into the evening shine on them. This world of warmth and pleasure gives rise to social traditions of staying outdoors and enjoying time with friends.

There is a concept that has been integrated into the lives of the people of Malaga in recent years - 'tardeo'. To sum it up, it is about an all-encompassing agreement to start the party at 5pm and see how far it can go.

On Saturday, 14 June, the tardeo in the La Malagueta area in Malaga city continued until midnight. This special occasion even integrated the concept into its name - Tardeo Summer.

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Tardeo Summer in Malaga, in pictures

The festival was staged by SUR and Grupo Mundo, merging the tardeo and one of the highlights of a summer night - a concert. Live performances by some of the best local bands on the Costa del Sol brought together 2,000 people for many hours of partying at the bullring. The best 1980s and 90s songs provided the atmosphere. Healthy fun that left you wanting more.

The first edition of Tardeo Summer started at 4.30pm. Even though, at this time of day in June, the sun can still be quite strong, the venue offered enough shelter in the shade. Later into the evening, the breeze lowered the temperature.

The opening act was Señor Mirinda, a band with a repertoire that mixed classics with a few covers of indie bands like Lori Meyers and Vetusta Morla. Money Maker took over the stage with their well-known 'shubi-dubi' and 'boogie-boogie' rock - their trademark. They played Tainted Love and Billie Jean.

As the venue was filling more and more, it became clear that the night was going to be one to remember. Turning a concept - a way of partying and having a good time with friends - into a festival turned out to be a great achievement. One could say that the success of the night, even before it finished, had signed a contract for future editions.

Tardeo Summer launched with an air of authenticity and uniqueness. Quality live music, no VIP areas to divide the audience, bar service with top brands and minimal waiting times - those were only some of the characteristics that marked the event.

When Van Halen's Jump came on, people jumped up and down. When the first chords of Bon Jovi's It's My Life came on, they manifested their own lives in their fullness. There were no awkward silences or anti-climaxes between band changes. DJ Tony Logan of the legendary Bobby Logan's room prevented anything from slowing down with his old and new songs.

Of course, as the tardeo waned, some people left as night fell, some less sober than they came, having already partied a lot in the afternoon. Each with their own reasons and excuses. Luckily, there were no casualties in the atmosphere that reached a boiling point.

The band Alejados took over and then gave way to the 90s roll. The night was spectacularly wrapped up by Electroduendes. The band played a setlist true to the style of Mecano, Hombres G, Loquillo, and Duncan Dhu.

At midnight, the amplifiers and loudspeakers were turned off, more with respect to noise regulations than because of the audience's desire to leave. It was a successful event that now begs for more.