Today, a new edition of the Music in the Mountains festival was presented, which will take place on Saturday, July 26th in the town of Riaño, León. Café Quijano and Ariel Rot will present their tours to the audience in Riaño as they travel across the country. In parallel, various environmental education activities have been scheduled for the concert weekend, as well as the 9th edition of the Riaño Trail Run, which will be held from June 27th to 29th.
May 7, 2025
Castilla y León |
Ministry of Environment, Housing, and Regional Planning
The Minister of Environment, Housing, and Regional Planning, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Cultural Action, Mar Sancho, and the Mayor of Riaño, Senén Presa, presented this afternoon the details of the 8th edition of Music in the Mountains, organized by the Patrimonio Natural Foundation, and the 9th edition of the Riaño Trail Run.
The festival will take place, as in previous editions, on the Santander roundabout in Riaño, where a large stage will be set up for all music enthusiasts to enjoy, free of charge, the show that these great artists will bring to the town of León. The Argentine icon will be the first to take the stage at 9:00 p.m., and Manolo, Óscar, and Raúl, the Quijano brothers, will close this edition at 11:00 p.m. The expected end time will be around 12:30 a.m.
The stage will be 16 x 12 m and 14 m high, with 6,000 watts of light and 60,000 watts of sound, with side screens to enhance the spectacularity of the concerts.
From the organization and to facilitate the arrival of fans, a total of 1,175 parking spaces will be made available in different areas of Riaño, controlled and regulated to facilitate the mobility of attendees.
Café Quijano
The Leonese group is on tour with the album ‘Miami 1990’, which is a journey through memories that marked the starting point of the most incredible journey of three brothers, the adventure of Café Quijano. Songs that follow the trail, in form and sound, of those that marked an era with ‘La taberna del buda’ (2001) and, subsequently, the collection of stories told and sung in their latest album, ‘Manhattan’ (2021).
Their style has always revolved between pop rock and bolero. In both, they have managed to reach number 1 in sales and be recognized with the most prestigious international awards and nominations, including the American Grammy, the Grammy Award. With their masterful trilogy ‘Orígenes: el bolero’, they were the group with the most nominations in the world for the Latin Grammy: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Traditional Pop Album, and Producer of the Year. That unique blend of the best of both genres coexists in the magical and energetic live performances of the Quijano brothers.
Throughout this year, they are touring Spain. In June, they will perform for three days in Mexico, in October they will stop at the legendary Temple Bar in Dublin, and they will also take their music to London, Berlin, Zurich, and Belgium.
Ariel Rot
The Argentine Ariel Rot is a guitarist, singer, composer, and music producer of rock and blues. He was part of two of the most important Spanish music groups: Tequila and later Los Rodríguez with Andrés Calamaro. After the breakup of Los Rodríguez, he embarked on a solo career.
Notable albums include ‘Hablando solo’, ‘Cenizas en el aire’, ‘Lo siento Frank’, ‘Ahora piden tu cabeza’, ‘Dúos tríos y otras perversiones’, ‘Solo Rot’, and ‘La Huesuda’. Ariel is a culturally restless person and in parallel to his music career, he has been part of the radio program ‘La ventana’ on Cadena Ser and was the host of one of the great music formats on TVE, ‘Un país para escucharlo’.
In Riaño, he will present his new show ‘En Vivo Mucho Mejor 2025’, with catchy tunes and a lot of rock. Music in the Mountains is sponsored by Movistar and Recurrent Energy.
Environmental Activities
With the purpose of promoting and valuing the natural resources of this privileged area, a series of free educational activities will be carried out for all audiences on Friday, July 25th and Saturday, July 26th.
On Friday, July 25th, at the Valdeburón Park House in Lario, a workshop on bat recognition entitled ‘Night of the Bats’ will be held. This activity will be conducted by Félix González, a biologist specializing in bats and a member of the Spanish Society for the Conservation and Study of Bats (SECEMU). The workshop will start at 8:30 p.m. and end at midnight. Since the activity will take place at night, it is recommended to dress warmly.
On Saturday, July 26th, an interpretive walk titled ‘Nature of the Hormas Valley’ has been scheduled. This activity, led by naturalist Ernesto Díaz, will start from the cemetery parking lot in Riaño at 10:30 a.m. and will extend until 1:30 p.m. To participate in this walk, it is essential to wear appropriate footwear, sunscreen, and bring water.
That same Saturday, at the Riaño Town Hall, a honey tasting workshop will be held, led by Alberto Uría, a beekeeper and rural entrepreneur. This activity will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
All activities are free and open to the public, promoting the connection with nature and knowledge of local biodiversity.
Objective of Music in the Mountains
Since 2016, a festival has been held in the town of Riaño, León, aimed at generating significant economic and promotional benefits for this area: Music in the Mountains. The music and environmental activities that take place have resulted in greater exposure and positioning as a quality tourist destination for the Riaño area.
Since the first edition, over 40,000 people have attended this event, which has sought the presence of musical performances, top national bands, and tours that only stop at large venues and are rarely seen outside of music circuits. The economic impact exceeds three million euros.
Taburete, Loquillo, Luz Casal, Andrés Calamaro, Santiago Auserón, Los Zigarros, Los Secretos, Mikel Erentxun, Cooper, or musical acts like Music has no limits have positioned Riaño as a reference stage in the national scene.
Riaño Trail Run
The Riaño Trail Run has established itself as the best Trail stage race in Spain, offering runners an unforgettable experience in a natural environment of stunning beauty.
It traverses the mountains of Picos de Europa, Montaña Palentina, and Montañas de Riaño and Mampodre, challenging participants to cross diverse landscapes, from deep valleys to lofty peaks, all while enjoying the authentic essence of nature.
With a format of three stages, the Riaño Trail Run not only tests the physical endurance of the runners but also invites them to live a true adventure. Each stage presents a unique route, designed to highlight the diversity of the terrain and the panoramic views offered by the region.
The event attracts both experienced runners and those seeking a new challenge, creating an inclusive and motivating atmosphere. With a focus on sustainability and respect for the natural environment, the Riaño Trail Run becomes a celebration of Trail running and connection with nature. Additionally, Miguel Heras, one of the best Trail runners in the world, is the technical director of the race.
The Deputy Minister of Cultural Action, Mar Sancho, highlighted that this event fits perfectly with the five priority axes of the sports policy set by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, as it covers social aspects, health, promotion of family ties, tourist promotion, and, above all, revitalization of rural areas in Castilla y León.
Sancho also emphasized that there are many mountain races organized each season in Spain, and several of them are among the highest in the ranking in Castilla y León. «Nature and sports could not find a better alliance than in the Riaño Trail Run. This race allows us to boast of a huge and beautiful natural heritage, as it takes place in three incredible, very demanding stages, passing through the provinces of Palencia and León, in extraordinary places such as the Picos de Europa, the Palencia Mountains with its impressive Espigüete peak, and, of course, the Regional Park of the Riaño and Mampodre Mountains,» she concluded.
Data of the 2025 edition
Throughout the three stages that make up the race, a total of 100 kilometers will be covered with a positive elevation gain of 7,500 m. The stages are as follows:
- Friday 27: Oseja de Sajambre – Caín (Picos de Europa)
- Saturday 28: Valverde de la Sierra – Valverde de la Sierra (Montaña Palentina)
- Sunday 29: Riaño – Riaño (Mountains of Riaño and Mampodre)
As for the number of participants, it will be, as in previous editions, a maximum of 400 runners.
Up to this point, the 9th edition of the race has 87% of the bibs covered, with 14% of international runners (19 nationalities represented).
Origin by countries: Spain, Argentina, Germany, Ireland, France, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Finland, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland.
Origin by autonomous communities: Madrid, Basque Country, Balearic Islands, Andalusia, Catalonia, Castilla y León, Canary Islands, Galicia, Valencian Community, Cantabria, Murcia, Extremadura, Aragon, Castilla La Mancha, La Rioja, Asturias, Navarra, Ceuta.
27% of participants are women and 73% are men