Cala Mijas Festival, Day 2 Friday detailed report

Alicia Ros, vocals and bass guitarist of female trio pop band Cariño on the Victoria stage © Sharon Lopez

Cala Mijas Festival 2023 - Day 2 Friday 1st September 2023

by Alex Cutts

Ben Yart ' kid from Mendillorri in Pamplona' on the 'El Torrejon' stage in La Cala de Mijas. © Judith Naess

Day two of Cala Mijas began in 'La Playa' (La Cala de Mijas village), where a showcase of free-to-watch performances took place for the public and ticket holders to enjoy. Small stages were set up by Torre de la Bateria; El Torreón stage hosted up and coming live bands such as Lord Malco and Ben Yart. The Oasis stage situated on the sand, just metres from the seashore, had a schedule of DJs taking to the decks as the waves crashed in the background.

The opening act of Friday’s Cala Mijas line-up was Compro Ora, an all male four-piece band from Almería. They played homage to their routes by performing flamenco tunes with an electronic twist to a small audience on the Sunset stage.

Charlie Cunningham opened up the Victoria stage as the hot summer sunshine beat down on the crowd. © Sharon Lopez

British indie-folk singer Charlie Cunningham opened up the Victoria stage as the hot summer sunshine beat down on the crowd. His chilled melodies display an English folk meets Spanish flamenco fusion. After living in Seville for three years Cunningham took inspiration from Spanish flamenco guitar and implemented the sound into his indie-folk tunes. For fans of Ben Howard.

Three piece, all female, pop band Cariño from Madrid. © Sharon Lopez

Three piece, all female, pop band Cariño from Madrid warmed up the crowed with their fun, high energy set. Their Spanish love songs are reminiscent of 90s pop and would be loved by fans of Dua Lipa or Charlie XCX.

Junior Boys from Canada, with their chilled electronic sound. © Oscar L Tejeda

Contrasting over on the opposite side of the festival, a more mellow Junior Boys took to the Sunset stage. Over all the way from Canada, their chilled electronic sound gave the audience the option for a more calm atmosphere, differing from the pop party being delivered by Cariño on the Victoria stage.

Amy, lead singer from Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers. © Sharon Lopez

Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers really got the crowd going on the Sunrise stage, with a mosh pit forming towards the front of the crowd and head-banging all the way to the back. The band’s brash sound, their shouty lyrics and unapologetic style, from their bold drums to lead singer Amy’s bleach blonde mullet, the audience was transported back to the height of the punk movement. They gained recognition in 2018 when their debut album had them placed at number 9 in Happy Mag’s list of “The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now”. Amy’s energy didn’t wither, some may say she only got livelier throughout their set, with nonstop jumping and stomping around the stage. Loud and absolutely bonkers. For lovers of Sleaford Mods and The Chats.

Amyl and the Sniffers on the main Sunrise stage at dusk on Friday. © Alex Cutts

Lori Meyers drew perhaps the Victoria stage’s largest crowd yet, ahead of headline act The Strokes. The 3 piece band from Loja, Granada performed a set of Spanish indie rock anthems including live instrumentals, with drums and guitar, alongside some funky synth. The entire crowd sang along to the group’s songs, creating a complete community feel.

The Strokes on the Sunrise stage played a set of indie rock anthems from their 25 year career. © Sharon Lopez

The crowd eagerly awaited headline act The Strokes to take to the Sunrise stage. After making their fans wait an extra ten minutes for their arrival, in true rock and roll style, the New Yorkers, dubbed the leaders of the new rock revolution, finally arrived and the audience erupted into applause. Alleged top fan Pedro Sanchez, the president of the Goverment, was amongst the masses watching his favourite band perform. They played a set of indie rock anthems, both new and old, from the course of their 25 year long career. Lead singer Julian Casablancas swayed to the beat behind his microphone, eyes hidden by his aviator sunglasses. The Strokes amassed a huge crowd and performed for an hour and a half, closing with their 2003 top hit Reptilia, before returning to the stage for a much desired encore.

Ambientazo y buena música en @CalaMijasFest.

Muy orgulloso de la potencia cultural de España. Somos un país con un enorme talento musical y el primer destino turístico mundial de festivales de música.

Con @lorimeyersband, @thestrokes, @cariniopop y todo el cartel.

¡Grandes! pic.twitter.com/Lq2fYvuNc5
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 1, 2023

French electronic group M83 performed on the Victoria stage after dark. Their performance delivered drama and emotion as they played their songs with immense passion. Frontman Anthony Gonzalez got down on his knees to mix the songs on the band’s soundboard, adding to the spiritual feel of the whole performance. To add to the drama, strobe lighting beamed across the Sonora Mijas site in sync with the beat of the music. Numbers in the crowd dropped significantly as people left the site straight after they played their top hit Midnight City. Their set delivered a live performance of vocals, electric guitar, drums and the keyboard.

M83 on the Victoria Stage © Oscar L Tejeda

Delaporte brought the party to the Sunset stage and delivered an after dark pop rave. After her show stopping performance at Andalucia Big it was certain that she wouldn’t disappoint the crowd. She exhilarated the crowd as she played her version of Daddy Yankee’s party hit Gasolina. Despite her late stage time her infectious energy kept the crowd going. The young singer didn’t lose breath once regardless of her continuous dance routines and jumping around the stage.

Cala Mijas Festival 2023 Friday Schedule

La Caleta Stage

Over on the La Caleta, or “The little Cove”, stage, tucked away in the trees, takes place a summer rave with speakers blasting with tunes from DJs such Axel Boman, James Holden, and Palms Trax.