Por María Izquierdo 
Today, a new edition of the Music in the Mountains festival has been presented, which will take place on Saturday, July 26 in the town of Riaño, León. Café Quijano and Ariel Rot will present their tours to the audience of 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 27 to 29.
May 7, 2025
Castilla y León |
Ministry of Environment, Housing, and Territorial Planning
The Minister of Environment, Housing, and Territorial 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 Natural Heritage Foundation, and the 9th edition of the Riaño Trail Run.
The festival will take place, as in previous editions, at 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 first to take the stage will be the Argentine icon at 9:00 p.m., and this edition will close with Manolo, Óscar, and Raúl, the Quijano brothers, 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 screens on the sides 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, Café Quijano’s adventure. Songs that follow in the footsteps, in form and sound, of those that marked an era with ‘La taberna del buda’ (2001) and, later, 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 at the Latin Grammy: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Traditional Pop Album, and Producer of the Year. That unique mix of the best of the two genres coexists in the magical and energetic live performances of the Quijano brothers.
During 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-language 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 TVE’s great music formats, ‘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 aimed at all audiences on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26.
On Friday, July 25, at the Valdeburón Park House in Lario, a workshop on bat recognition titled ‘Night of the Bats’ will be held. This activity will be led 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 attend with warm clothing.
On Saturday, July 26, an interpretive walk titled ‘Nature of Valle de Hormas’ has been scheduled. This activity, led by naturalist Ernesto Díaz, will start from the cemetery parking lot of Riaño at 10:30 a.m. and will extend until 1:30 p.m. To participate in this tour, it is essential to wear appropriate footwear, sunscreen, and bring water.
That same Saturday, a honey tasting workshop will be held at the Riaño Town Hall, conducted 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, which aims to generate significant economic and promotional benefits to this León area: Music in the Mountains. The music and environmental activities that take place have resulted in greater dissemination and positioning as a quality tourist destination in 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 major venues and are rarely seen outside the 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 shows 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 features 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 looking for a new challenge, creating an inclusive and motivating atmosphere. With a focus on sustainability and respect for the natural environment, Riaño Trail Run becomes a celebration of Trail running and connection with nature. Additionally, Miguel Heras, one of the world’s best Trail runners, is the technical director of the race.
The Deputy Minister of Cultural Action, Mar Sancho, has emphasized that this event fits perfectly with the five priority axes of the sports policy outlined in 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 has also emphasized that there are many mountain races organized every 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, which pass through the provinces of Palencia and León, in such extraordinary settings as the Picos de Europa, the Palencia Mountains with its impressive peak Espigüete, and, of course, the Regional Park of Riaño and Mampodre,” she concluded.
Data from 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)
Regarding the number of participants, as in previous editions, there will be a maximum of 400 runners.
So far, the 9th edition of the race has 87% of the bibs covered, with 14% of international runners (representing 19 nationalities).
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, Navarre, Ceuta.
27% of participants are women and 73% are men