In the winding serpentine roads that lead to the mountainous region of Montanejos in Spain, just an hour’s drive from Valencia, a little festival of no more than 3,000 people has been taking place for the last 9 years. The festival spans several venues, including the village centre on La Plaza and a cordoned-off area in the park at the top of the town.
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Accommodation options were plentiful; most locals vacate for the weekend, leaving plenty of space for visitors, while La Granja camping area, perched at one of the mountainous peaks, offers a natural retreat for those arriving by tent or camper van. We were lucky enough to have a friend bring our tents in his camper van, though our late Thursday evening arrival was met with steep ascents and a near-military approach to managing the limited parking spaces. Somehow, at least half the festival had found somewhere to settle, and despite what felt like an impossible task, the staff at La Granja eventually succumbed to our pleading and kindly found us a spot at the back of the camp.
After quickly setting up and layering up, we set off on the 30-minute walk down to the festival grounds, following cobblestoned roads past ancient bridges and streets that looked as old as time itself. The town is quaint and charming, mostly stone and marble buildings, with roads that ascend and descend like a mildly challenging version of Rainbow Road from Mario Kart. It was on this trip that I came to the humbling realisation that my fitness levels can apparently sustain hours of dancing but are utterly defeated by a 45-degree incline. I only later discovered that following the river road down to the park is a far less treacherous route to the festival grounds.
Within the main grounds, there are three stages: Jameson Stage, El Tipi by Turia, and the XCEED Main Stage. The Jameson Stage hosted the likes of Saoirse, Marcellus Pittman, Barac, and rising talent such as Stefano Andriezzi across the weekend, with what felt like a limitless expanse of space leading to a booth delivering excellent audio-visual performances. The retractable sunroofs were ideal for the warmer days and offered at least partial shelter when the rain arrived. El Tipi, a low-roofed circus-style tent, had remarkable acoustics and played host to Zip, Anthea, Olga Korol, Unai Trotti, Cap, and Junki Inoue, among others. It was by far the most popular stage within the festival boundaries, with crowds spilling well beyond its walls — thankfully, the sound system was powerful enough to reach them.
Outside the main grounds, La Plaza offered something altogether different: a pop-up stage in the heart of the village square, surrounded by apartment blocks that created a wonderfully unique acoustic. Calabasa took centre stage with an infectiously upbeat and progressive set that had everyone bouncing around the fountains like go-go dancers. Hugo Martinez, Dubbyman, and Alec Falconer also graced the stage, alongside a number of promising local artists. It was a three-day-only affair, with no performances on Sunday.
Elsewhere, the Termas Downtempo stage was a genuinely special find — a pop-up tucked alongside the natural pools of Castellón, the turquoise ‘Fuente de los Baños,’ which could easily be mistaken for a lagoon somewhere in Thailand. It was the perfect spot to have a picnic, cool down in the thermal waters (don’t let the word “thermal” mislead you), and soak up the views while local artists provided the soundtrack. The OCB Stage, or River Club, rounded out the offering with an open-air beach club feel, complete with a small swimming pool and a generous dancefloor.
Wednesday kicked things off intimately, with the OCB Stage serving as the sole venue for the evening. The Basement Soundsystem opened proceedings, handing over to Yai, ASAPI, and Eli Kapowski as the night deepened, before SILVIä closed out the early hours. Thursday saw the festival properly open its doors across four stages. The OCB Stage welcomed Le Nomad and Muvement through the afternoon, with Luisdo B2B 2001, Nate S.U, and Discovery Vinyl carrying things into the evening, and Arnau rounding off the night. Across at La Plaza, Brunno set the tone early, followed by The Cap Boy B2B Boranimals, Raphael Merheb, and Hugo Martinez. As darkness fell, El Tipi by Turia came alive with Nacho Marco, Alex Pott B2B Ion Pananides, Alexander Skancke, and the closing pairing of Dan Ghenacia B2B DJ Senc. The Jameson Stage, meanwhile, offered Tommaso Pizzelli and Nativo Live as its evening anchors, with Rakim Under, Sally C, and Pizzicatto B2B Varis taking things deep into the night.
Friday spread the action across all six stages. The Termas Downtempo hosted Melgar, Pan-J Live, and Truffle101 through the daytime hours, while the OCB Stage moved from Jamaimoi and Carne Fiesta through to LD Music, Nurias, and Umberto. La Plaza offered Fino Fino and Aline Umber Live in the afternoon before Calabasa took over. El Tipi by Turia carried the evening with Maxime dB, Alexis Cabrera Live, Cap, Junki Inoue, and Sugar Free B2B Fonte, closing with Unai Trotti in the small hours. The Jameson Stage brought SeGü, Alex Font, Barac, and Franco Cinelli, while the XCEED Main Stage delivered some of the night’s standout moments — Giorgio Maulini, Saoirse, Ogazón B2B Ryan Elliott, Paranoid London Live, and Carl H closing out.
Saturday maintained the same six-stage spread. The Termas Downtempo featured Rubén Aller B2B Jaume Serena, Apua B2B Goalmaker, Chae, and Alice through the afternoon. The OCB Stage ran Cinema Paradisco, Fraxa B2B Paula GM, Planet Venus, Rubén Solar, Hessa, and Rostro Soundsystem. La Plaza gave the daytime crowd Dubbyman, Whatever Charles, Alec Falconer, and Tinno. El Tipi by Turia came into its own after dark with E.lina, Avo, Jorge Escribano, Brasi, Anthea, and Olga Korol. The Jameson Stage featured Sibil, Mayell, Foehn & Jerome, The Ghost, Ladrillovitz, A.M.Q.N Live, and Omar, while the XCEED Main Stage headlined with Marcellus Pittman, Danilo Plessow (MCDE), Pan-J Live, Flo Massé, GRETA, and Andrés Llatas.
Sunday brought the festival to a fittingly stripped-back close across just two stages. El Tipi by Turia hosted Abscal B2B Charles B2B Candel, Sonja Moonear, Zip, Dorian Paic, Silverlining B2B Sueezo, and Velasco seeing out the final hours. The Jameson Stage signed off the entire weekend with Lazy Step, Perro Jimbo, AKAJ Live, Hicham, Jane Fitz, Gabbs, and Stefano Andriezzi closing the curtain on Montanejos for another year.
Beyond the main venues, secret pop-up sets from a number of artists took place at the La Granja camping café, with panoramic views over the valleys and mountains making it an easy favourite. Music started as early as 10 am and ran into the late afternoon — a perfect way to ease into the day if you happened to be camping on site. Mostly vinyl sets, it had an après-ski energy, except the setting was infinitely better.
What struck me most about Dias De Campo was the crowd. Edgy, musically literate, and largely off their phones — I came away with barely a photo to show for the weekend, which to me is always the best sign. A healthy mix of British, Spanish, French, and a smattering of faces from further afield, the audience felt as carefully curated as the lineup itself: a broad selection of emerging acts alongside established names, all reflecting DDC’s ethos of quality music for a discerning crowd.
Friendly staff, a beautiful natural setting, and a genuine sense of community made this one of the more memorable festival experiences in recent memory. If you’re after something that combines cool people, excellent DJs, mountain scenery, a beach club atmosphere, and the occasional dramatic weather front — this is very much the place for you.
