Joy, sadness and nostalgia: the moods of the opening day of the last Mobo

Amidst contradictory feelings, this Thursday saw the first day of MoboFest 2026 unfold. Joy for being able to enjoy a new edition of the most popular music festival in Pla de Mallorca, and a certain sadness for what has not yet happened and already evokes nostalgia: the last edition after a decade of continuous activity and the uncertainty about whether there will be a worthy successor.

A heavy sentiment also amplified by the death this week of Joan Roca, bassist of Antònia Font, the headliner for Saturday's event. A memory that resonated across all stages, with special mentions for the musician from Son Sardina. Finally, and although the concert was initially announced as cancelled, the band is scheduled to perform a series of songs as a tribute to Roca, concluding in a more intimate format.

But strictly speaking of Thursday's musical lineup, the bill was opened by the always energetic Mon Joan Tiquat on the Huguet stage. Vila revisited mainly the songs from his first two albums Es tempsi sa llavor and Sinònims de Cosa, in an avalanche of syncopated tempos, attractive pianos, and the always elegant guitar of Roger Pistola. An ideal combination to 'awaken' the afternoon and start bringing people to the Puig de Consolació in Sant Joan, the very place where MoboFest took flight in 2016.

Yesterday, the now traditional free event managed to gather a few thousand people, conveniently prepared to endure the heat, who distributed themselves gradually across the four stages that the organization had prepared and ready. Similarly, the parking areas, which functioned smoothly and without many problems.

After Mon Joan Tiquat, it was Nineta's turn on the Music Lover stage. "A handmade popstar. More handmade than popstar", as she defines herself. With intimate and electronic touches, her debut album Salut i Mercè (2025) managed to create dreamlike atmospheres full of vital fragments, wounds, and, as her presentation says, "a certain meanness".

The Majorcan band The Ripples clearly showed reminiscences of Anglo power pop and the styles of the early Rolling Stones. With songs like 'Something’s got a hold on me' and 'Life in the city', the quintet made Consolació dance and jump in a performance that sounded compact and well-blended. Not for nothing is their first album One hell of a ride recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, and they are returning from a tour in England.

But it was clear that the main stage of the first day of Mobo would be filled by La Ludwig Band, true to their cheerful and powerful formula. The Catalans reviewed mainly the songs from their LP Pel barri es comenta (2026), which they had already presented in Mallorca during their visit to Acampallengua in Manacor, just a few months ago.

They filled the Rosa Blanca space and demonstrated, with a review of several hits (some were left out due to lack of time), their excellent physical and vocal condition on and off stage. The concert ended with the very young Miquel Fuster, a fan of La Ludwig, joining the stage and singing the last song by himself, accompanied by the entire band and the encouragement of an already captivated audience.

In between and at the end, Cobie was in charge of mixing recognizable hits for a long dance session, from Majorcan groups like Garrafa Nadal to Las Petunias and Carolina Durante, with a special farewell song, Alpinistes samurais, in memory of Joan Roca.