Canela Party: Night of Guitar Strumming and Masks in Torremolinos

It seemed that Lluis had grabbed the courtesy bathrobe and slippers from his hotel and went to the Canela Party just like that, without further thought... but his outfit was a tribute to one of the best TV series in history. "I'm dressed as Tony Soprano, from the scene with the ducks in the pool," explained the man in his thirties from Alicante, perfectly replicating what the iconic character, played by James Gandolfini (may he rest in peace), wore during the pivotal fainting scene that drives the entire plot. His companion Pablo's choice was no less subtle, inspired by Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons, during the scene where he says "I'm Idaho" in a school activity about the U.S. states. The group, completed by Alex and Core, was attending the Torremolinos festival for the first time, and they were thoroughly enjoying the big day of the event, the costume party.

From Seville came Irene and Mamen, regulars at the Canela Party. "We are dressed as the restoration of an image of the Virgin, but we can't say more," they said. They admitted there was a fear of legal actions from certain religious groups.

"What is this?", asked Barry Johnson, the singer of Joyce Manor, as he took the stage to deliver songs like loaves of bread, and saw a gigantic octopus operated by a group of friends with great skill approaching him. It was so well done that not only were they in costume, but they also involved the audience in the performance, to the point that someone told them: "move over there".

And the fact is that this year's Canela Party, in addition to bringing together one of the best national and international selections of rock and punk, in its various forms, including the mix with electronics, is, as since its inception, a huge party.

Lidia, dressed as a popcorn box, understood this well, a costume that at first glance seemed difficult to manage. "Everything is under control, I always choose the most orthopedic costumes," she declared, a staunch defender of 'canelers' traditions. "The festival stands on its own," reasoned Quino, dressed as a sort of twilight Backstreet Boys, a veteran at this coastal event.

It's not that their truth is absolute, as no one's is, but the truth is that the Canela Party manages to gather loyal attendees who, almost blindly, return year after year, convinced that the lineup will be good. In case it's not to someone's liking, which can happen, the DJ sets, which continued to see attendance this Saturday, regardless of who was on the main stages, shopping, or eating and drinking at the designated spots, are a good alternative.

"We left the kids with the grandparents and came here," said Concha and Claudio, who bought their passes last Thursday and showed up at the Canela to transform for a while into Barbie and Ken. "It's a unique festival, where people really go all out with the costumes, there's nothing else like it," they argued. Just like the Canela Party, there are few.