Three days of music on the hillside above Bilbao at Kobetamendi, with views across the Nervión estuary and a lineup that consistently pulls headliners who then play no other Spanish date.
Bilbao BBK Live has run since 2006 and occupies Kobetamendi, a hillside park roughly 4km south of Bilbao city centre. The setting is genuinely unusual for a music festival: the main stages are positioned on terraced grass slopes with views across the city and the Nervión River valley. On clear July evenings, the combination of a good headliner and that backdrop is hard to beat. The festival capacity is around 30,000 per day, with camping available on the hillside for those who do not want to commute from the city. Three-day camping packages allow some of the most reasonable festival accommodation costs in northern Spain when shared across a group.
The festival is now in its 20th year in 2026, which has prompted the organisers to book a programme that mixes their standard indie and alternative rock identity with expanded electronic and hip-hop representation. Past headliners have included The Cure, Iggy Pop, Florence and the Machine, and Radiohead. The Euskalduna Concert Hall in Bilbao city centre is hosting a separate Orkestra event on 10 April as part of the anniversary programme. Getting to Kobetamendi from the city is straightforward: a dedicated festival shuttle runs from Bilbao Abando train station from gates-open time, costing €4 return. The journey takes about 20 minutes. The Guggenheim Museum and the old town Casco Viejo are within walking distance of the train station and worth visiting on an afternoon before the festival.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
Gates open at 4pm. The secondary stages on the lower terraces start the afternoon programme, with Spanish and Basque acts typically opening. The camping area opens from the morning; those camping can explore the site before the main crowd arrives. The food area covers Basque pintxos alongside standard festival fare; the pintxos stands serve better food than is normal at this type of event. Cider (sagardoa) is the local drink and runs €3–€4 per glass.
The main stage headliner performs from around 10pm. The hillside position means the sound carries well but also means some wind: a light jacket is useful after midnight in early July at this altitude. Shuttles back to the city run until 3am. From Abando station, the Casco Viejo old town is a 15-minute walk; the Siete Calles bar district has tapas bars and clubs open until 5am.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
