Azkena Struggles On - Pollstar News

Spain’s Azkena Rock Festival will likely continue on as a two-day festival, having pulled 25,000 people to the country’s Basque region June 28-29.

Last Tour International, which produces some of Spain’s major outdoor events including Sonisphere and other festivals such as Bilbao’s BBK Live, appears to have doubts about what to do with Azkena.

Photo: Musicsnapper

Having started the event with two stages in 2001, Last Tour has struggled to establish the festival at the city’s Mendizabala Park as a three-day event.

The last time it tried was in 2012, when the daily crowd was about 13,000.

This year it cut back to a two-dayer and the daily crowd was about the same. Festival press chief Itxaso Hernandez told Pollstar it’s too early to evaluate the financial implications.

The acts trying to hold Azkena’s position in the Spanish festival calendar June 28-29 included The Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule, Rocket From The Crypt, Alberta Cross, M Clan, and The Sword.