Mad Cool 2018

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

@Gucci PiggyI pre-booked a festival bus (don't think it was a set time) and strolled right onto one at around 5am. That might have been a fluke but it all seemed well-organised. It dropped us around a mile from our hotel in the centre of the city. I took the underground to the festival and that was a 5 minute walk from the station but as you know, it's a different site this year. I haven't really looked into the transport side of things yet but I'll probably do the same this year if that's practical. 

The taxi queue was horrific. 

Definitely recommend a city centre hotel/hostel though, there's some great rock bars etc in town.

Edited January 4, 2018 by SPTFRE

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

My advice is to start in the city centre and edge your way closer to the site throughout the day, bar-hopping

[berger55]

@Gucci Piggy In the centre of Madrid,  Malasaña and Chueca ar good to stay, loads of bars and restaurants around. 

[Gucci Piggy]

21 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

@Gucci PiggyI pre-booked a festival bus (don't think it was a set time) and strolled right onto one at around 5am. That might have been a fluke but it all seemed well-organised. It dropped us around a mile from our hotel in the centre of the city. I took the underground to the festival and that was a 5 minute walk from the station but as you know, it's a different site this year. I haven't really looked into the transport side of things yet but I'll probably do the same this year if that's practical. 

The taxi queue was horrific. 

Definitely recommend a city centre hotel/hostel though, there's some great rock bars etc in town.

Good stuff, I'll certainly do that then.

5 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

My advice is to start in the city centre and edge your way closer to the site throughout the day, bar-hopping

And I imagine this will also be my plan

[bluenova]

 

6 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

My advice is to start in the city centre and edge your way closer to the site throughout the day, bar-hopping

In 30+ degrees, that sounds like a recipe for being asleep by midnight, not up till 5am

[Gucci Piggy]

2 minutes ago, berger55 said:

@Gucci Piggy In the centre of Madrid,  Malasaña and Chueca ar good to stay, loads of bars and restaurants around. 

Sounds good, I'll have a look in those areas, cheers!

[AAlex]

8 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

My advice is to start in the city centre and edge your way closer to the site throughout the day, bar-hopping

I think we'll book the buses when they become available, regretted not doing so for Lolla Berlin! My friend recommended staying near 'Plaza Santa Ana' so that's where we're booked at the minute, though it's free cancellation.

Did you not get a bus to the festival then? I'm guessing public transport is easier in the day anyway... did you get some sort of eticket for the bus? 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

2 minutes ago, bluenova said:

 

In 30+ degrees, that sounds like a recipe for being asleep by midnight, not up till 5am

Sadly it wasn't 30c last year, in fact it hardly got past 20c and it hammered down for most of it. I'm not talking about starting at 11am, more like 2/3pm, taking it reasonably steady throughout the day

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

2 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

I think we'll book the buses when they become available, regretted not doing so for Lolla Berlin! My friend recommended staying near 'Plaza Santa Ana' so that's where we're booked at the minute, though it's free cancellation.

Did you not get a bus to the festival then? I'm guessing public transport is easier in the day anyway... did you get some sort of eticket for the bus? 

Underground to the festival, followed by a 5 minute walk to the venue then pre-booked a bus back through the MC website. Yeah, it was an eTicket that you present to the guys outside, they scan the barcode then on you go

[AAlex]

5 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

Underground to the festival, followed by a 5 minute walk to the venue then pre-booked a bus back through the MC website. Yeah, it was an eTicket that you present to the guys outside, they scan the barcode then on you go

That's good then, cheers! I think we'll definitely do the buses each night. 

I had a look through that Spanish site earlier and looks like Bar Tools getting asked a fair bit about the details regarding transport and info will be coming this month, so hopefully with the missing headliners! 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

7 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

That's good then, cheers! I think we'll definitely do the buses each night. 

I had a look through that Spanish site earlier and looks like Bar Tools getting asked a fair bit about the details regarding transport and info will be coming this month, so hopefully with the missing headliners! 

Someone posted on another thread that there's an announcement next week, fingers crossed (although I'd take the names we have right now, anything else is the sweetest cherry on a massive cake)

[bluenova]

20 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

Sadly it wasn't 30c last year, in fact it hardly got past 20c and it hammered down for most of it. I'm not talking about starting at 11am, more like 2/3pm, taking it reasonably steady throughout the day

I saw that when I was checking how hot it might be. The following weekend it was around 40c, so 20c sounds find to me!

[arcuse]

4 hours ago, bluenova said:

Does anyone know about transport back to the centre late at night? Trying to decide whether to stay close or in the centre.

We booked close to Stade Bernabeu, so if it's possible to go back and forth via metro, we only need to take one metro line.. It's between the city and the festival so thought that'd be a good spot..

[the wonderwhy]

Think I'm just gonna rely on public transport- won't be a long wait after the festival wraps up anyway after you've factored in walking out/meeting people/composing yourself for the outside world. 

Besides, any sensible city would start up the underground an hour or so earlier. 

[AAlex]

7 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

Someone posted on another thread that there's an announcement next week, fingers crossed (although I'd take the names we have right now, anything else is the sweetest cherry on a massive cake)

Yeah I'm hoping so too, would make sense with the prices going up. If we do have Arctics I'd have thought they'll announce something themselves first... so I'm keeping an eye out for that! 

[Gucci Piggy]

15 minutes ago, SPTFRE said:

Someone posted on another thread that there's an announcement next week, fingers crossed (although I'd take the names we have right now, anything else is the sweetest cherry on a massive cake)

Prices rise in 4 days so hopefully an announcement around then. Maybe they had to wait until after the Gov Ball announceme to announce Jack White? If so, could see him being announced around then.

7 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

Yeah I'm hoping so too, would make sense with the prices going up. If we do have Arctics I'd have thought they'll announce something themselves first... so I'm keeping an eye out for that! 

Rock Werchter have said they've got an announcement coming mid-Jan so I reckon they'll be Arctic Monkeys. Think they'll do a Pearl Jam and announce everything at once.

[arcuse]

Bonnaroo drops their line up 9th January, Mad Cool drops a new stuff at the 9th and RW.. well.. too  

[AAlex]

35 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Prices rise in 4 days so hopefully an announcement around then. Maybe they had to wait until after the Gov Ball announceme to announce Jack White? If so, could see him being announced around then.

Rock Werchter have said they've got an announcement coming mid-Jan so I reckon they'll be Arctic Monkeys. Think they'll do a Pearl Jam and announce everything at once.

Jack White (or whoever else it is) and Arctics getting separate announcements would make sense, may as well build the hype up around the festival twice! Yeah I saw that, if that's the case Rock Werchter always announce Wednesday and Fridays I believe, might have been one Monday last year... so maybe Friday 12th if you can call that 'mid Jan'... if not week commencing 15th I suppose, which happens to be my birthday If I have Mad Cool and Rock Werchter 100% confirmed for Summer by Friday 19th I'll be very happy.

[laynestaley]

A few quick questions if anybody has words of wisdom.

1)We are arriving in Madrid at 4.45 on Thursday. How long would it take to check into city centre hostel and make it back out to festival site?? Hoping to be on site by 7.00, is this optimistic??

2)What time will bands begin on main stage on the Thursday and what time do wr expect PJ??

3) Is it possible to go straight from airport to festival and check into hostel when we get back early Friday morning. Beds hav already been paud for in full. They had lockers at festival last year so would save alot of time if we didn't have to make trip to the hostel first.

4)Are they posting wristbands to people who bought tickets tru Mad Cool website or does everybody have to queue with ticket to get wristband at festival site. When I booked it asked did I live on the peninsula or within the EU.  I presumed to higher price I paid was to allow for postage of wristband.

Any advice on any of the questions would be greatly appreciated.

[berger55]

4 minutes ago, laynestaley said:

A few quick questions if anybody has words of wisdom.

1)We are arriving in Madrid at 4.45 on Thursday. How long would it take to check into city centre hostel and make it back out to festival site?? Hoping to be on site by 7.00, is this optimistic??

2)What time will bands begin on main stage on the Thursday and what time do wr expect PJ??

3) Is it possible to go straight from airport to festival and check into hostel when we get back early Friday morning. Beds hav already been paud for in full. They had lockers at festival last year so would save alot of time if we didn't have to make trip to the hostel first.

4)Are they posting wristbands to people who bought tickets tru Mad Cool website or does everybody have to queue with ticket to get wristband at festival site. When I booked it asked did I live on the peninsula or within the EU.  I presumed to higher price I paid was to allow for postage of wristband.

Any advice on any of the questions would be greatly appreciated.

1) Depends, if you have direct Train/Metro from the airport to the hostel or if you have do change a lot. Which are of the centre?

2) Last year: https:///s/madcool17/ So PJ maybe around 22.00?  So you will definitively don't miss them.

3) Don't know about the lockers at the festival this year, but maybe at the airport or at the train station Valdebebas (close to the festival).

4) I bought the cheaper and don't expect they send it. In your case I don't know, ask them. 

[The Placid Casual]

2 hours ago, berger55 said:

@Gucci Piggy In the centre of Madrid,  Malasaña and Chueca ar good to stay, loads of bars and restaurants around. 

Chueca is our closest metro stop. We've got ourselves an apartment in the area, which worked out very cheaply for 6 of us.

 

I just hope the AC can overcome the body heat as it's a 1 bedroom.

[the wonderwhy]

34 minutes ago, laynestaley said:

A few quick questions if anybody has words of wisdom.

1)We are arriving in Madrid at 4.45 on Thursday. How long would it take to check into city centre hostel and make it back out to festival site?? Hoping to be on site by 7.00, is this optimistic??

You probably wont make it there once you've factored in security/baggage collection etc, but it wouldn't be too much later than that if you're quick at the hostel 

[berger55]

9 hours ago, The Placid Casual said:

Chueca is our closest metro stop. We've got ourselves an apartment in the area, which worked out very cheaply for 6 of us.

 

I just hope the AC can overcome the body heat as it's a 1 bedroom.

Good location. And if you can't sleep, loads of bars are around you for a refreshing beer.

I reserved a two bedroom flat for my group, maybe I should check if they have AC...:)

[e2p2]

10 hours ago, laynestaley said:

A few quick questions if anybody has words of wisdom.

1)We are arriving in Madrid at 4.45 on Thursday. How long would it take to check into city centre hostel and make it back out to festival site?? Hoping to be on site by 7.00, is this optimistic??

 

I can't help you with your questions but I can advice you just that: You're on a vacation, why the rush? If you can avoid it and get to Madrid earlier, even if it comes with a small financial penalty of changing flights/trains etc., it will be worth it. Get to your place, settle in, have a walk, get to the festival site, wander around, soak the atmosphere and enjoy. That's what you came in for! 

Having to rush everything might hurt your enjoyment, even from your favorite band. Think about all the things that might slow you down from the moment you arrive to Madrid: Waiting for the baggage, finding the right  bus/metro, finding a solution to your bags, traffic to the festival site, queues to get wristbands etc. All this might get you or your friends nervous or even ruin the first day of the festival (don't forget it's a new site, much bigger capacity so big delays can happen). Talking from experience here .

If you can't get to Madrid earlier, scrap that . 

[Jangus]

Hi folks, what an amazing line up! I got tickets for me and my GF yesterday. Never been to Madrid before, really looking forward to it, looking at flying from Edinburgh on the Tuesday or Wednesday

if anyone could help on the below questions that would be great!

How many stages are there? 

What time do the bands play until?

Is there a chance that Depeche Mode/QOTSA will clash?

Cheers all, absolutely buzzing for this!