FIB Benicassim celebrated its 30th edition in style this July, drawing a cumulative 135,000 fans across three nights on the Costa del Azahar. After a couple of years leaning heavily on Spanish acts, 2026 marked a deliberate return to the festival's international roots, and for British visitors it felt like the FIB of old: The Prodigy, Franz Ferdinand, The Kooks, Biffy Clyro, Kaiser Chiefs and Pendulum all on one bill, with the Mediterranean a short stroll from the arena.
Thursday belonged to Franz Ferdinand, who headlined the opening night in absolute control alongside Spanish favourites Lori Meyers. Friday paired The Kooks' polished indie with a ferocious Pendulum Live set that many fans rated among the best of the weekend, while Ricky Wilson drove Kaiser Chiefs through a typically energetic special guest slot. Saturday closed the festival with The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro, Jet, The Fratellis and Dorian.
The biggest cheer of the weekend, though, arguably went to a band much further down the poster. The Reytons delivered the standout set of the festival, confirming their reputation as one of the best live acts in British indie right now. Jet's classic rock swagger and The Fratellis' brass-backed singalongs also won plenty of new admirers, and Biffy Clyro's genre-hopping set, complete with string arrangements, showed exactly why they keep getting invited back. If there was one quibble, it was that The Prodigy's closing set divided opinion on pacing, even if the sound was immaculate.
Off stage, the festival ran like clockwork. Attendance was noticeably gentler on the site than in peak years, which meant shorter queues, more space in front of the stages and easy movement between them. Free parking, efficient shuttle buses and plentiful water stations rounded out one of the most comfortable FIB experiences in years. Attention now turns to FIB 2027, confirmed for 15 to 17 July, with presale tickets already on sale.
