Florence + The Machine and Lorde lead a night of female pop power at Mad Cool 2026 as Zara Larsson stage draws overcrowding complaints

A night of female pop power

The second evening of Mad Cool 2026, held on Thursday 9 July at the Iberdrola Music venue in Madrid's Villaverde district, was dedicated to women in pop. Headlined by New Zealand's Lorde, the bill also featured Britain's Florence + The Machine, South Korean soloist Jennie of BLACKPINK, Sweden's Zara Larsson, American Reneé Rapp, and Ireland's CMAT. The 57,000-strong crowd, markedly younger than the previous night's rock audience for Foo Fighters, moved between stages under intense heat and occasional delays.

Florence Welch's midnight ritual

Florence + The Machine took the stage at half past midnight, with frontwoman Florence Welch emerging barefoot in a gothic gauze dress with wing-like sleeves. Backed by dancers and a choir, she led what several Spanish reviewers described as a pagan ritual, blending indie rock anthems with gospel-inflected resilience. The set drew heavily from her sixth album, Everybody Scream, which recounts her near-death experience from an ectopic pregnancy. Thousands sang along to 'Shake It Out', 'King', and 'Dog Days Are Over'.

Lorde's emotional sunset set

Lorde, performing in Madrid for the first time, opened her set as the sun began to set. An electrocardiogram flickered on the screens before she launched into 'Royals', followed by newer tracks 'What Was That' and 'Broken Glass'. The performance was intimate and physically charged, a departure from the contemplative tone of her previous Solar Power tour. She closed with 'Supercut', 'Green Light', and 'Ribs', turning personal confessionals into collective singalongs.

This is real, this is not a simulation.

Jennie's K-pop spectacle

Jennie, performing solo without her BLACKPINK bandmates, delivered a tightly choreographed show that began with the drop of a red curtain. Fans sprinted to the stage as she performed 'Love Hangover' and 'Extra L', but the biggest reactions came for the viral hit 'Drácula' and her self-titled debut single. The set was described as a theatrical production on par with the world's top festivals.

Zara Larsson's overcrowded stage

Zara Larsson's performance on the second stage drew large crowds, exposing what several outlets called poor stage placement. The Swedish singer, backed by a Barbie-themed set with dancers dressed as dolls, performed 'Midnight Sun' twice and revisited early hits 'Lush Life' and 'Symphony'. The crush of attendees made the experience uncomfortable for many, contrasting with the more spacious main-stage sets.