40,000 gather in Bilbao for Iberdrola's 125th anniversary with record drone show and free concerts
Iberdrola celebrated its 125th anniversary in its birthplace Bilbao with a six-hour music festival and a 1,500-drone aerial display, the largest ever seen in Spain.
A hometown celebration
Iberdrola, the energy company that started as Hidroeléctrica Ibérica in 1901 in Bilbao, has marked its 125th anniversary with a free public festival in the city that remains its headquarters. The event, part of the “125 años luz” programme, transformed the Parque de Doña Casilda into a hub of music and later filled the night sky with a drone spectacle. The company's president, Ignacio Sánchez Galán, underlined its local ties at an earlier gathering with Basque lehendakari Imanol Pradales.
We have a commitment to the Basque institutions for the economic and social development of this land. It is a mutual commitment and it will remain so.
Music festival lineup
The musical programme ran from 16:00 to 22:00 and drew around 40,000 people, surpassing organisers' expectations. It opened with the Electric Band de Iberdrola and continued with Süne (Josune Arakistain) at 16:30, followed by Rigoberta Bandini at 17:35. Antonio Orozco took over close to 19:10, and Colombian singer Juanes closed the concerts at 20:45. Seven large screens were placed around the park to ensure visibility.
- Festival opens with the Electric Band de Iberdrola.
- Süne (Josune Arakistain) performs.
- Rigoberta Bandini takes the stage.
- Antonio Orozco's set begins.
- Juanes closes the concert programme.
- 1,500-drone show lights up the Bilbao sky.
Record-breaking drone show
At 23:00, 1,500 drones lifted off in what the company described as the largest such display ever staged in Spain. For about 20 minutes they created two- and three-dimensional figures synchronised with music, tracing Iberdrola's history and international expansion. The show was powered entirely by renewable energy and could be seen from vantage points across Bilbao, including Monte Artxanda, Avenida de las Universidades, Puente Euskalduna and Plazas Euskadi and Txema Aguirre.
Services and logistics
The organisation deployed information points, food and drink stands, healthcare posts, accessible areas for people with reduced mobility, a children's assistance zone and a Punto Violeta. A dedicated cleaning, maintenance and gardening team was also on hand to restore the park afterwards.
Next stops on the tour
The Bilbao concert is the first in a series. On 27 June, Madrid will host Lenny Kravitz, Manuel Carrasco, Ana Mena and Álvaro de Luna, while Valencia will follow on 28 November with Estopa and Mafalda Cardenal.
