Mad Cool is celebrating ten years of shared memories between stages, artists, and songs. Throughout this sonic journey, GLS has kept pace with the festival as its access logistics partner, connecting with the energy of live music without missing a beat so that every attendee’s experience starts on the right note. To pay tribute to a decade of unforgettable moments, we look back at the performances that have left a lasting mark on fans of Madrid’s iconic music festival.
The Journey Begins Long Before You Reach the Festival Grounds
On every road trip, before we even fasten our seatbelts, we choose the soundtrack we want to accompany us along the way. Through music, we create memories that later take us back to the stories we lived during the journey. But when our destination is Mad Cool, that journey begins long before we get in the car...
Since GLS became the festival’s official access logistics operator, we have worked hard to enhance the fan unboxing experience, managing the advance delivery of festival wristbands in exclusive, customised packaging. Receiving your wristband directly at home or at your chosen pickup point not only sparks excitement days before the event; it also completely transforms the festival experience. Attendees gain valuable time inside the venue to enjoy the music, explore sponsor activations, or make the most of the food offerings from the very first minute, while organisers benefit from a smoother and more efficient access management process.
What’s more, the experience continues at the festival itself: this year, GLS will host an on-site stand designed as a fully immersive, interactive, and entertaining space where festivalgoers can connect with the brand, play, and create memorable moments in an atmosphere full of rhythm.
The Ultimate Playlist: 10 Years, 10 Musical Milestones
Since Mad Cool was first held in Madrid, every venue chosen has gradually become too small to accommodate the thousands of national and international attendees who gather year after year to enjoy performances from some of the biggest names in rock, pop, electronic, and indie music.
Choosing just 10 musical milestones from one of Spain’s most important music festivals is no easy task, but here’s a playlist that could easily accompany you on your journey to the next edition of Mad Cool.
2017 - Foo Fighters: The Anthem That Starts the Engine
After its debut edition at Caja Mágica, Mad Cool moved outdoors, expanding to five stages and welcoming legendary bands such as Green Day and Foo Fighters. It was the latter who truly started the festival’s engine, with powerful tracks like Everlong and The Pretender, providing the perfect energy boost for the first miles of our journey.
2018 - Arctic Monkeys: Elegance on the Road
For its third edition, Mad Cool moved to IFEMA, a venue capable of hosting 80,000 spectators. One of the standout acts on the 2018 lineup was Arctic Monkeys, a band that can set the perfect rhythm for crossing Madrid with Do I Wanna Know?, one of the standout singles from their fifth studio album.
2019 - The Cure: Sunsets on the Horizon
The Cure headlined the final day of Mad Cool 2019, and the British band can fill your journey with emotion as you approach the festival grounds. Boys Don't Cry is pure nostalgia, especially when you can already see the festival lights glowing in the distance.
2022 - Florence + The Machine: The Magic of the Unexpected
The pandemic forced Mad Cool to take a break, but the festival returned stronger than ever in 2022 with artists such as Metallica, The Killers, and Imagine Dragons on the lineup. Yet it is Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine that unleashes the magic at the exact moment you arrive and realise that the festival has truly begun.
2023 - Red Hot Chili Peppers: Endless Summer Vibes
Once you enter the Mad Cool venue, your journey has only just begun. The sun, the heat, and the sound of music blend together with the endless summer atmosphere captured by Californication, one of the songs Red Hot Chili Peppers brought to the stage in 2023, alongside other major artists such as Robbie Williams and Sam Smith.
2024 - Dua Lipa: The Rhythm That Won’t Weigh Down Your Luggage
When the journey starts to feel long, all you have to do is float along with Levitating, a track packed with enough pop energy to keep you going throughout the day. Dua Lipa shone as a headliner in 2024 with this and many other hits, performing in front of more than 55,000 attendees. And to keep the experience light, solutions such as shipping luggage in advance or conveniently sending merchandise purchases back home allow fans to move freely throughout the festival.
2025 - Olivia Rodrigo: The Voice of a New Generation
California-born Olivia Rodrigo was a gift for loyal Mad Cool fans in 2025. She ruled the stage thanks to a voice that has captured the hearts of a new generation of festivalgoers. That’s why Good 4 U deserves a place on your playlist, connecting perfectly with fans who never miss an edition of the event.
2026 (10th Anniversary) - Lorde: The Emotional Journey
As Mad Cool celebrates its tenth anniversary, Lorde is set to be one of the festival’s major highlights. Her song Green Light could provide the perfect soundtrack for celebrating a decade of music, while familiar favourites such as Foo Fighters and Florence + The Machine are also set to return to the stage.
Kings of Leon: The Classic That Never Fails
The perfect closing track for this sonic journey through Mad Cool’s first decade could be Use Somebody, a song that speaks to loneliness. The music of Kings of Leon — who cancelled their appearance at the 2025 festival after their lead singer suffered a household accident — can help fill the void left when each edition comes to an end... even as we start thinking about the playlist for the next journey.
GLS: Connecting Emotions at Mad Cool’s 10th Anniversary
After ten years of success, Mad Cool continues to prove that the best music experiences require management and logistics capable of matching their ambition.
We want your journey to Mad Cool to be comfortable, seamless, and exciting from before you even leave home, removing unnecessary waiting times so that your only memories of the festival are the songs, the friends, and the unforgettable moments experienced on-site. Here’s to another decade of live music!