Redaccion
The most up-to-date music, with a strong Basque presence, will once again be the highlight at the Abandoibarra and Parque Europa stages during Aste Nagusia. The Bilbao City Council has announced today, in a press conference, all the concerts that will make up the program of the two main stages of the music program for the festival.
The Councilor for Equality and Festivities, Itziar Urtasun, has detailed all the music that will be heard at these venues, accompanied by Gabriel de la Rosa and Erlantz Prieto, from SHINOVA, and Jokin Pinatxo, from JANUS LESTER, two of the local bands that will make thousands of people dance and sing during the upcoming edition of Aste Nagusia.
Regarding the music program for Semana Grande, Itziar Urtasun has warned that «the selection of artists you will see on our stages is not a coincidence,» and has emphasized that «we have carefully sought that balance between what the public likes and what we want to offer as an open, plural, accessible, and diverse city. We look at which artists are on tour, who can perform in Euskadi, and we try to present those novelties that we believe the people of Bilbao will enjoy.»
In addition, she has explained some of the criteria they consider when designing the musical lineup for Aste Nagusia, «the City Council is committed to an equal and Basque-language music program: women on stage; the presence of Basque language; local artists, Basque artists, established and emerging, and styles that attract the attention of all audiences.» In summary, Aste Nagusia presents «a varied, well-crafted program designed to be enjoyed outdoors, with friends, family, as a couple, or alone…» with the aim of providing «safe, accessible, quality experiences with the best possible atmosphere,» the Councilor pointed out.
With these premises, the groups and artists that will take the stage at Abandoibarra, from Saturday, August 16 to Saturday, August 23, will be Kai Nakai, Janus Lester with Dupla, Coque Malla, Sorotan Bele with the Bilbao Municipal Music Band, Mocedades and Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS), Alcalá Norte, Shinova -which will offer their only open concert of the tour in the capital of Bizkaia- and Linaje.
On the other hand, Parque Europa, from Wednesday, August 20 to Saturday, August 23, will host performances by Rozalén and Gatibu – hand in hand with Gaztea – and the shows Los 40 Sessions Aste Nagusia and Fiestazo Megastar, which will feature prominent DJs and artists such as Nils Van Zandt, Chema Rivas, Kuve, and J Kabello.
The stages of Abandoibarra and Parque Europa, protagonists during the nights of Aste Nagusia, are two of the 9 spaces where music of all styles and for all tastes will be heard.
CONCERTS AT ABANDOIBARRA AT 23:30 HOURS
At Abandoibarra, the program will kick off on Saturday, August 16 with a performance by Kai Nakai. The artist from Vitoria, a pioneer of reggaeton in Basque, showcases a style that mixes pop, electronic, reggaeton, and other rhythms, with lyrics that celebrate women’s empowerment, freedom, and self-love. Examples of this are the songs «Metxa,» «Goazen,» and «Gaupasa,» included in her most recent album, «Gaupasa» (2024).
On Sunday, August 17, it will be the turn of Janus Lester, a Basque pop group originally from Bera (Navarra). Led by vocalist Jokin Pinatxo, the band is on tour for their second album, «Lore» (2024), collaborating with artists like Izaro and the group Neomak. They will be accompanied on stage by the urban music duo Dupla, from Agurain, who have earned a place as one of the revelations of the Basque artistic scene after receiving good reviews for their first album, «Nahieran.»
On Monday, August 18, at the same stage, Coque Malla will follow them, one of the most influential and respected figures in the pop-rock scene in Spain, with awards such as the 2023 Ondas Award for musical trajectory, celebrating 40 years on stage, from those early days leading Los Ronaldos.
The following day, on Tuesday the 19th, it will be the turn of the Bilbao Municipal Music Band and Sorotan Bele, a prominent Basque folk-pop group from the 90s, who will review some of the songs that became anthems for several generations like «Arratsalde honetan,» «Mariñelaren zain,» and «Sing-sing-atiko folk&rolla.»
Halfway through Semana Grande, on Wednesday the 20th, Mocedades will take the stage along with the Bilboko Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS). With hits like «Eres tú,» which reached second place in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973, and songs like «Tómame o déjame,» «Adiós amor,» «El vendedor,» or «Amor de hombre,» Mocedades’ music has accompanied several generations over their almost six decades of career.
On Thursday the 21st, the group Alcalá Norte will take the stage, an emerging band from Madrid Este. Their debut album, self-titled, brings together songs like «Superman,» «La Vida Cañón,» «420N,» and «Los Chavales,» synthesizing the band’s diverse influences (from echoes of Joy Division to the solemnity of heavy metal) and narrating the contemporary experience of this Madrid district.
On the Grand Day in the Villa, Friday the 22nd, the spotlight will be on Shinova, a rock band with roots in Bizkaia, whose fifth studio album, «El Presente» (2024), reached number one on the official sales chart during its first week on the market. After selling out concerts and filling venues like Razzmatazz in Barcelona and Industrial Copera in Granada, they will perform in Bilbao for the only open concert of the presentation tour of their latest work.
The final touch at this venue located near the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao will be provided by Linaje on Saturday, August 23. An emerging band from Berriozar (Navarra), led by Aarón Romero (son of Marea’s vocalist, Kutxi Romero), has just released the single and music video «Nunca quise tu esqueleto» and «A la luna le sobran canciones,» following the success of songs like «A remojo» and their debut album «Desataron a los perros.»
CONCERTS AT PARQUE EUROPA AT 00:00 HOURS
At Parque Europa, the concerts will kick off on Wednesday, August 20 with a performance by Rozalén, who has become one of the main voices of the new singer-songwriter genre. Her most recent album, «El abrazo» (2024), explores universal emotions through music and includes collaborations with Carlos Vives, Kase.O, and R de Rumba. She has also recently released the EP «Rozalén por Chavela,» which includes six versions of the iconic songs of the Mexican singer of Costa Rican origin, whom the artist is representing in the theater tour «Chavela.»
The Gernika group Gatibu will return to the Aste Nagusia lineup with Gaztea on Thursday, August 21. After 25 years of career and with 10 albums behind them, they are on a farewell tour. Since the release of their first album, «Zoramena» (2002), they have become part of the Basque songbook, with a style that has evolved to reach the most danceable rhythms of their latest studio album, «EH Distopikala.»
On Friday the 22nd, the stage will be taken over by Los 40 Sessions Aste Nagusia, an event hosted by Dani Moreno «El Gallo» (host of the morning show «Anda Ya») and David Álvarez (DJ and host of the midday show on Los 40). They will make the audience dance with a show featuring all the hits of Los 40, including Pop, Dance, and Urban songs, mixed live.
The last show, on Saturday the 23rd, will be led by DJ Megastar FM – from Cadena 100 – with Nía Caro, who will play the international dance hits. Additionally, renowned artists like Nils Van Zandt, Chema Rivas, Kuve, and J Kabello will also perform.
MUSIC OF ALL STYLES, ON 9 STAGES
Music will have a special focus during the nine days of Aste Nagusia on the nine stages spread throughout the city, with a free, quality, and varied program, designed for audiences of all ages and tastes.
The Church of the Incarnation will host eight top-level formations in the 26th cycle of Classical Music at the Encarnación. Meanwhile, the Pergola of Parque de Doña Casilda will feature a selection of Bilbao songs and other rhythms like habaneras, pasodobles, Basque music, and folk music from various regions every noon, as well as traditional evening dances.
The Bilborock Hall will once again be the venue for local bands in the Bilbao Metal, Pop-Rock show. Intercultural music will have its stage at Plaza Nueva, the popular verbenas will take place at Plaza Circular, and the Kiosko del Arenal will host the Bilbao Municipal Music Band every noon. Plaza Santiago, on the other hand, will be the stage for the concert of the Municipal Txistularis Band on August 19.
Music will also be present on the streets with txistularis and gaiteros, who will tour the Seven Streets every morning, and with fanfares that will liven up the atmosphere at Arenal and on Diputación and Ledesma streets.
Additionally, the Bilbao Choral Society will join the music program of Aste Nagusia, along with Israel Santamaría jazz trio, and will sail on the Ría on Friday, August 22, starting at 10:30 AM, with their festive repertoire Kantuz Kantu Zubiz Zubi. The route will start at the Itsasmuseum and pass through the Euskalduna Palace, the Deusto Bridge, the Arrupe walkway, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Zubizuri Bridge, and the City Hall Bridge.
AGENDA OF CONCERTS
ABANDOIBARRA
PARQUE EUROPA
– Wednesday 20, 00:00 hours: Rozalén
– Thursday 21, 00:00 hours: Gatibu with Gaztea
– Friday 22, 00:00 hours: Los 40 Sessions Aste Nagusia, with Dani Moreno «El Gallo» and DJ David Álvarez
– Saturday 23, 00:00 hours: DJ Megastar FM (Cadena 100), with Nils Van Zandt, Chema Rivas, Kuve, and J Kabello
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#AsteNagusia2025
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