As twilight stretched into the early hours of Sunday, Villena’s Rabolagartija festival drew its 2024 chapter to a close after three blistering days. The event kept a high-octane pace from start to finish, weaving a vast and varied musical map that left attendees buzzing well into the morning.
Friday’s momentum carried into Saturday with an intimate acoustic set in Villena’s Plaza Mayor by the Extremadans Sanguijuelas del Guadiana, a welcome easing before the main site woke up. The day’s roster then introduced the crowd to Cactus from Valencia on the primary stage, followed by Trashtucada from Cadiz, whose blend of rock and ska sparked a contagious sense of celebration. Basque acts stepped forward next, with Esne Beltza delivering a kinetic performance and Lendakaris Muertos returning to the Caparrilla crowd with their cheeky, unapologetic punk energy. The lineup honored regional sounds while pushing the festival into broader, high-energy horizons.
On the Caparrilla Stage—the festival’s third stage—the rhythm never paused. La Esencia de Chuky, Loncha Velasco, La Otra, La Pelona, Me Fritos & Gimme Cheetos, and the all-female Balkan Paradise Orchestra offered performances that kept the crowd in constant motion, swapping between fierce guitar riffs, rapid-fire percussion, and jubilant brass that fed the festival’s infectious mood.
Back on the main stages, the spectrum widened as rap and pop melded with more traditional party energy. Rayden stepped forward with a farewell set that felt increasingly poignant, showcasing a performer at the peak of his craft. As the night’s headlining act, La Pegatina delivered a ninety-minute spectacle that turned the audience into a sea of confetti. Their fusion of rumba catalana, cumbia, and ska created a rolling wave of rhythm that kept everyone dancing, singing, and smiling long after the sun dipped below the horizon.
Despedida y cierre
With peak hours arriving, there was no time to pause. El Canijo de Jerez appeared with a charisma that sparked memories of Los Delinqüentes, drawing the crowd in with a natural magnetism that felt almost tropical. He was followed by Ladilla Rusa, whose playful, rebellious electropop injected a bold, surreal vibe into the night and kept the energy high as the festival shifted toward its final moments.
Across the stage corridors, Mafalda delivered emotionally charged lyrics during their farewell tour, adding a moment of sincerity to the closing sequence. The event eventually paid tribute to the late-2023 triumph on the Caparrilla stage, signaling a triumphant finish for 2024 from the Camarón stage as the night lingered with a lingering sense of celebration and communal memory. The crowd carried those memories as the festival drew to a close, a collage of sound and laughter that would echo in Villena long after the last note faded.