Now that the 2026 Azkena Rock Festival has come to an end, we can confirm that the festival is in excellent health, despite initial concerns about the calibre of the headliners. The big winners included Alice Cooper, who put on a theatrical showcase of classics, and Social Distortion, who reaffirmed their status as a cult favourite among Azkena festival-goers. Meanwhile, The Hives and DeWolff kicked things off with their energetic rock, while Imelda May, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, and Sleaford Mods brought elegance, roots, and working-class culture to the festival. The general feeling was clear: in its 24th year, Azkena Rock Festival confirmed that its main attraction is the opportunity to experience rock music as a community. Its legend is fuelled by both the big names and the gigs you stumble upon almost by chance...
Here’s a short review to accompany Mario Olmos‘ exclusive daily photo gallery from Azkena Rock Festival 2026.
Thursday 18 June
On Thursday 18 June, the Azkena Rock Festival 2026 struck the characteristic Mendizabala balance of energy, charisma, and shared celebration. The day began slowly, with acts gradually warming up the atmosphere, which culminated in a night of headline performances. The Trashville marquee added an extra dimension to the whole experience.
NHIL got things started, followed by Robert Finley, who gave an understated yet highly effective masterclass in blues and soul, setting the emotional tone for the day. As evening fell, it was the turn of the Dutch band DeWolff. In a serious, no-frills performance lasting around an hour, they delivered a masterclass featuring groove, psychedelia and blues-rock. With the Hammond organ and their signature heavy guitars taking centre stage, they opened with a breathtaking rendition of “Night Train”, “In Love” and “Natural Woman”, before treating us to a magnificent cover of Eden Rose’s “Faster and Faster”. They rounded off the set with the almost 20-minute masterpiece that is “Rosita”… At 9 pm, we knew we had experienced one of the best concerts of the festival this year.
Next up was Imelda May, who performed classic rock ’n’ roll alongside her ex-husband, Darrel Higham. This marked a departure from the soul and spoken word of her recent tours. She got off to a flying start with ‘Tribal‘ and ‘Psycho‘, two songs we hadn’t heard her perform for years. Throughout the show, she treated the audience to little gems such as ‘Big Bad Handsome Man‘, ‘Johnny Got a Boom Boom‘ and her now legendary cover of “Tainted Love“. Given its success, I think many would support this return to the Irish singer’s roots…
The big name of the night was Swedish band The Hives, who proved once again why they are a live force to be reckoned with. They have boundless energy, sharp songs, and an attitude that makes every track a mini-explosion. During the first part of the concert, we were treated to a host of hits alongside tracks from The Hives’ new album, The Hives Forever Forever The Hives (2025). The real catharsis with the audience came during the frenetic final 20 minutes, featuring “Come On!” and “Tick Tick Boom”, just before the encores. These included “Legalize Living”, “Walk Idiot Walk”, and the eponymous “The Hives Forever Forever The Hives“. A shower of applause for a band that never puts on a concert that’s anything less than excellent.
The Adicts brought the day to a close with their usual colourful and theatrical punk performance, which turned into a massive party fuelled by confetti, high energy and crowd-pleasing choruses..
Friday 19 June
Friday 19 June at Mendizabala was an emotional rollercoaster of a day. It began with a focus on discovery and roots, and was steeped in soul, blues, and guitar-driven rock. It ended with a grand spectacle of shock rock and classic hits sung at the top of everyone’s voices. The atmosphere was electric, with Alice Cooper’s name looming large over everything. However, there was also a sense that the other acts on the bill were going to offer much more than just top-class support.
The band Bywater Call kicked things off at the venue, bringing their unique blend of soul and Canadian blues to a crowd that was captivated by Meghan Parnell’s voice and the incredible horn section, despite the sweltering heat. Back at Mendizabala, The Damn Truth delivered the first real burst of 1970s-style guitar rock on the La Salve stage. Meanwhile, just a few metres away, The Del Fuegos reaffirmed their cult status, which they have held since the 1980s. They performed songs that, despite lacking any great frills, still sounded honest and vibrant. These included the magnificent “I Still Want You” and “It’s Alright”, with which they brought the concert to a close. For their part, Old Crow Medicine Show brought out the best in the day’s roots music. Using banjos, violins and vocal harmonies, they whipped up a little southern-style party right in the heart of Vitoria-Gasteiz..
The highlight of the main slot in the afternoon was the American band Sugar, who transported us back to the alternative rock and grunge of the mid-1990s. They proved that they are in enviable form. While it’s true that the middle section of their concert was somewhat disjointed, especially after the incredible opening with ‘The Act We Act‘ and the brilliant ‘A Good Idea‘, what will be remembered is the epic comeback in the final moments of the concert, when they closed with two of their biggest career hits: ‘Helpless‘ and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind“. The Temperance Movement continued the southern rock, soul and blues theme of the Respect stage. Meanwhile, Tropical Fuck Storm proved to be one of the day’s greatest discoveries, delivering a blend of noise, glam rock, punk and psychedelia with conviction. Their set was full of layers and nuances, and was even unsettling at times.
The highlight of Friday came with Alice Cooper, who rounded off the evening by proving once again why he is one of the few artists who can turn a festival gig into a major event.. Aged 78, the godfather of shock rock took to the stage, backed by an incredible band and a theatrical show. Hits such as “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “Billion Dollar Babies”, “I’m Eighteen”, “Feed My Frankenstein” and “Poison” were performed during a sublime first half. The impeccable sound and brief interludes made us enjoy the concert like children. As it quickly reached its final moments, the crowd screamed and danced to covers of “School’s Out” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, as well as the finale, “Under My Wheels”.
Saturday 20 June
On Saturday the 20th, the festival came to a close. Perhaps due to accumulated tiredness, the atmosphere felt slightly more relaxed. During vermouth hour in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, we enjoyed the rockabilly guitars of the German band The Backyard Casanovas. The quartet performed simple yet effective music fuelled by a 1970s rock ’n’ roll aesthetic.
Back at Mendizabala, Rodeo kicked off La Salve with a solid set of straightforward rock, while Vandoliers brought their blend of country punk and roots rock to the main stage. They made a very favourable impression on most of the audience, with many people describing them as the big surprise of the line-up.
Superchunk offered few surprises, delivering their usual blend of catchy melodies and fast-paced, trademark guitar riffs in their signature DIY style. This proved to be the most indie moment of the entire festival. With their new drummer, they stood out with their short tracks, which turned into long jams full of distortion and feedback as the gig progressed. When we thought they were coming to Vitoria to present their new album, Songs in the Key of Yikes (2025), their concert turned out to be a varied journey through their extensive back catalogue. The finale featured powerful performances of “Slack Motherfucker” and “Precision Auto”, followed by an incredible encore of “Hyper Enough”.
Sleaford Mods, who are extremely well known in this site, seemed somewhat out of place at the festival due to their distinctive combination of spoken word and electronic beats. Their stage performance was business as usual: Andrew Fearn played beats from his laptop while holding a beer, and Jason Williamson delivered lyrics about precariousness and the plight of the working class with an angry expression, as if he were Ken Loach‘s modern-day voice. With a setlist mainly focused on their recent album The Demise of Planet X (2026), people began filing in as soon as Social Distortion‘s gig was about to start.
The highlight of the evening was Social Distortion, who are old favourites at the festival, having performed there twice before. Mike Ness’s band took to the stage in the rain, armed with their new album Born to Kill (2026), and delivered what they do best: a signature blend of Californian punk, classic rock ’n’ roll, country, and blues. Spanning almost five decades, the band’s career and their legion of fans helped the audience gradually warm up. By the second half of the show, they were singing along at the top of their voices to the choruses of classics such as “Ball and Chain”, “Story of My Life” and “Reach for the Sky”. It was a remarkable concert with few flaws, leaving the audience eager for the Californians to return to Azkena again soon.
After three days of the festival, energy levels were flagging, but the concert by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit proved to be an oasis of calm. Their elegant Americana was underpinned by the frontman’s flawless guitar work, and the band were on top form, layering instruments to bring out new nuances in every track. Admittedly, the late-night slot and the line-up featuring Social Distortion and Carpenter Brut were perhaps not the best conditions for the former Drive-By Truckers member’s set. Nor did it help that the concert focused a little too much on the Alabama-born artist’s latest solo album, Foxes in the Snow (2025). However, the flawless sound quality and clear voice, which brought Americana to a hard-hitting rock festival like Azkena, deserve respect.
As most of the audience was enjoying Carpenter Brut’s electronic music, we decided to end the festival with a performance by the Austrian band Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space in the unique Trashville tent. At a time that suited them perfectly, their horror punk, psychobilly and zombie aesthetic sent the crowd into a frenzy. They were constantly blown away by everything happening on stage. The fast-paced songs and surprisingly catchy melodies were sometimes overshadowed by zombies, fake blood, film-style poses and the band’s constant interaction with the audience, who seemed to be enjoying the performance thoroughly.
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