Bilbao BBK Live festival review: Scale and ambition of the event is part of its charm

Sets drifted into the early hours of the morning, unhindered by the red tape that is starting to affect music festivals in the UK

Benjamin Clementine performs at BBK festival (Tom Hagen)

Despite the seemingly endless number of music festivals on offer, it can be difficult to find an event that promises to be a memorable experience as well as a series of top-notch headliners. Bilbao BBK Live, an annual extravaganza staged on the side of Bilbao’s Mount Cobetas, seems to have mastered this formula; last weekend saw music fans flock to the Basque Country to experience its combination of scenic views, seriously late nights and a carefully curated line up.

The action kicked off on Thursday night with an electrifying set from Childish Gambino, whose long-overdue moment of stardom came earlier this year in the form of incendiary hit “This is America”. Die-hard fans sang along to every track in his varied set, comprised of past hits and brand new singles “Feels Like Summer” and “Summertime Magic”, both of which were given an impressive live debut. Reggaeton queen Bad Gyal followed up the momentum with her signature blend of auto-tuned, mid-tempo bangers – plenty of which were, naturally, accompanied by upside-down twerking.

Later in the night came the turn of Florence + the Machine to enchant the crowd, with a high-energy headline performance. The flame-haired musician earned acclaim this year with her stripped-back fourth album High as Hope, but she wisely eschewed new material in favour of crowd favourites including “You’ve Got The Love”, “Dog Days Are Over” (with the crowd ordered to “put down your phones and embrace your neighbours!”) and Calvin Harris collaboration “Sweet Nothing”, whose EDM production was switched out for an ethereal new arrangement.

Barefoot and carefree, she frequently sprinted out to her enraptured audience – much to the annoyance of the exhausted security guards chasing after her – allowing them to lift her high into the air as she nailed every note.

Bilbao’s notoriously drizzly weather looked set to dampen the mood on Friday night, but the crowds were undeterred; they valiantly donned their disposable ponchos and waited patiently for The xx. Technical difficulties – for which they apologised profusely – delayed their on-stage appearance, but a well-chosen setlist brimming with hits quickly rectified the situation.

The band had already been in town for the week, bringing their famed Night + Day festival – complete with appearances from Chicago house legend Honey Dijon and experimental dance pioneer Peggy Gou – to the equally famed Guggenheim museum. It seemed occasionally as though their energy had ran out; the setlist was sometimes baggy and lacking in flair, but their appearance on the bill was still more than justified by the frenzied fan reaction.

Luckily, SOPHIE was on-hand to play two lengthy DJ sets that seamlessly fused her own squelchy, electronic hits with high-octane Charli XCX bangers and the occasional Nineties interlude. The acclaimed producer was most in her element – cigarette in one hand, white wine in the other – during her comparatively low-key later set, which took place in a small hut nestled on the mountainside. To dance so close to such a revered artist was an experience in and of itself, and one further heightened by the panoramic, light-dappled views.

The festival drew to a close on Saturday night with a nostalgic performance from Noel Gallagher, and the echoes of Oasis classics could be heard throughout the festival site, drowned out only by the sound of drunken die-hard fans screaming along to every lyric. Electro fans later spent the evening grinding away to an infectious, synth-heavy set from Fischerspooner – otherwise known as the founders of electroclash – as well as a packed, late night Hot Chip megamix.

Gorillaz perform at Bilbao BBK Live festival (Tom Hagen)

But the night’s true highlight came courtesy of the Gorillaz, who delivered an experimental headline show largely free of technological bells and whistles. New album cuts were interspersed with timeless classics (“Feel Good Inc.” even made an appearance) to spectacular effect, resulting in a festival experience which is truly hard to beat.

That’s not to say there weren’t occasional hiccups; there were, although most were organisational. Bus queues back to campsites stretched to seemingly endless proportions at some points, whereas the “cashless” payment wristbands were a good idea in theory, but not so much in practice (app payments often didn’t sync up, creating serious top-up difficulties).

But part of Bilbao BBK Live’s charm is its scale and ambition. Especially in the UK, festivals are increasingly being hindered by red tape – think repressive curfews, quick venue shifts and general pushback from residents of gentrified neighbourhoods fighting to suppress the country’s live music scene.

Crowds watch a performance at BBK festival in Bilbao, Spain (Teecda Prensa)

BBK appeared to face no such obstacles. Sets drifted lazily into the early hours of the morning, giving eager festivalgoers real value for money (a full-price ticket is surprisingly low compared to plenty of its competitors). If it’s a memorable weekend you’re after, you’d be well-advised to seize the opportunity and treat yourself to a few days in Bilbao – the results will be unforgettable, to say the least.