If one sentence could encapsulate what it's like to attend the Benicassim Festival (Castellón) it would be "an explosion of music, sun and the beach".
FIB Festival de Benicassim
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In 2018 these amazing moments will take place between 19 and 22 July and although the line-up hasn't yet been confirmed, it is sure to be exceptional as 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of this festival, one of the most well known and prestigious European festivals.
To get into the FIB spirit requires a bit more effort than just buying your ticket and going to the odd show: to really get the most out of it you should get to know Benicàssim in the week before. Don't miss the free activities available as part of the Rock This Town side of the festival. To welcome the thousands of FIBers who congregate on the town, there is a whole host of concerts, happenings, theatre performances and cinema showings. Don't miss out!
And of course, nobody is in any doubt that the FIB is one of the best festivals of European indie music. Its has an impressive openness to innovative, new trends and an eclectic programme in comparison to other musical events which have opted for more mainstream styles. Its self-proclaimed independence means that the music tents are shared between artists and followers of pop, rock, indie or electronic music with no problems.
What began in 1995 as a modest festival for a few followers of a dozen Spanish groups has become an unmissable event for music lovers from all across Europe or even from America or Australia. The 2007 FIB had record breaking ticket sales, with an incredible 150,000 fibers, not surprising given that the line-up included groups such as The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Depeche Mode, Iggy and The Stooges, Keane, Morrissey and Pixies, as well as artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Mika and Enrique Morente.
But you don't need to worry about the festival spilling out of its confines. Its current location in a large open space on the outskirts of the city, next to the N-340 motorway has made it possible to expand easily, mainly through marquees which can be added depending on the year's line-up and the number of tickets sold.
One last benefit: whether you go to the festival or not, don't miss the Proyecto Demo (Demo Project), a contest for up and coming musical creators, sponsored by Spanish National Radio's Radio 3 and FIB, aimed at finding new talent and launching new musical careers. The means of promotion are the festival itself, where the winners will perform in front of millions of people and the Radio 3 programmes "Capitán Demo" and "Disco Grande", which will play the winning artists' songs as well as on "Los Conciertos de Radio 3 y La 2".
Jávea
There are not many festivals in Spain which are organised by the townspeople themselves, without big money sponsors, and fewer still as colourful and spectacular as this one.
Calpe
Calpe's "Casa de Andalucía" has organized this regional fair in classic Andalusian style since 1966. For a full week in mid-July, riding and dressage, sound and light shows, musical performances and dance groups brighten up the summer evenings with the most popular traditions and customs from the South of Spain.
Alicante
In mid-July, Alicante overflows with avant garde jazz at its Fijazz Festival, where both home grown musicians and musicians from all over the world gather together in the Alicante Regional Council Auditorium to offer their best compositions.
