The 10th anniversary edition of Mad Cool is up and running, kicking off yesterday (Wednesday July 8) with unforgettable sets from Foo Fighters, Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party and more.
Setting things up for an explosive weekend ahead, night one saw former NME Cover stars Hotwax diving into the packed crowd at the Mahou Cinco Estrellas Stage, The Vaccines debuting new material, Moby rattling through his hits and rave-defining bangers, Villanelle bringing the grunge vibes to sunny Madrid and much more. Check out NME‘s top pics from day one below.
Foo Fighters at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado
The Last Dinner Party were as spellbinding as ever
Ahead of their huge support slots with Skye Newman and Olivia Rodrigo, former NME Cover stars The Last Dinner Party proved once again that they are a force to be reckoned with in their ethereal set on The Orange Stage. As well as fan favourites from ‘Prelude To Ecstasy‘ and ‘From The Pyre‘, singer Abigail Morris and co. also treated fans in Madrid to an almighty outing of new single ‘Big Dog‘.
The Last Dinner Party at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado
The Last Dinner Party at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado
Wolf Alice stole the spotlight with a powerhouse set
Having just done their massive headline show at London’s Finsbury Park last week, Wolf Alice delivered another unforgettable show while on the Region Of Madrid main stage. With hard-hitters like ‘Don’t Delete The Kisses’ and ‘The Sofa’ coming in thick and fast, the London indie powerhouse warmed up for Foos by giving them a run for their money.
Wolf Alice at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado
Wolf Alice at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Andres Iglesias
Keanu Reeves’ Dogstar rocked out on The Loop Iberdrola stage
It’s not everyday that you get to see John Wick take on blistering bass duties, but after a pulling a huge crowd for their set at The Loop Iberdrola stage last night, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that Keanu Reeves is also a star of the big screen.
Dogstar at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: PACO POYATO
Dogstar at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: PACO POYATO
Villanelle brought a new wave of Grunge to Madrid
The sun may have been beaming down on the Mad Cool site, but that didn’t stop NME 100 stars Villanelle from bringing their gritty, grungy sound and energy to the Mahou Cinco Estrella tent last night. Check back on NME later for our interview with Gene Gallagher and co. backstage.
Villanelle at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: PACO POYATO
Hotwax brought the energy as the day first kicked off
Opening the festival, former NME Cover stars Hotwax made sure to kick things off with a bang last night – rattling through intense renditions of ‘Rip It Out’, ‘Treasure’ and more, before ending the set by climbing into the crowd.
Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell
Hotwax at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell
Foo Fighters deliver an explosive set to close out the Region Of Madrid main stage
Fresh off the heels of their two massive Liverpool stadium shows at Anfield, Dave Grohl and co. kept the momentum going with their mega headline show at Mad Cool. As well as breaking out fan favourites, the band also took time to remind us that they’re essentially a supergroup at this point – playing tracks from the members’ other groups including The Germs, Sunny Day Real Estate and more. What more could you ask for?
Foo Fighters at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Andres Iglesias
Foo Fighters at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Andres Iglesias
The Vaccines use their set to tease new music
The sun may have set by the time indie icons The Vaccines took to the stage at The Loop Iberdrola last night, but that didn’t stop them bringing the good vibes with hits like ‘If You Wanna’ and brand new single ‘Ten Years Too Far’.
The Vaccines at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell
The Vaccines at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: luiscarbxnell
Moby brings a different vibe to the Orange Stage
While Foo Fighters were commanding a huge crowd over at the main stage, Moby was bringing a different atmosphere to the Orange stage. Backed by a stunning visual display, the electronic music icon broke out classics including ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?’ and ‘We Are All Made of Stars’ as well as paying tribute to Grohl across the site, looking back on their days in the punk scene.
Moby at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Andres Iglesias
Moby at Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Andres Iglesias
NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool.
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