Since its beginnings in 2005 in Mataró, the Cruïlla Festival has always done things differently, a mindset that has been amplified since it moved to the Parc del Fòrum venue. The motto of the 2026 edition, “Cruïlla is home,” reflected its intention from several perspectives: welcoming an audience that feels comfortable with the social and environmental values promoted by the often-called most Barcelonian festival.
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“We have always defended a very specific way of being and doing. This year’s concept emphasizes how we behave in our own home; a place where we can be ourselves, where we welcome friends and family, and where we responsibly manage electrical, water consumption, and the waste we generate,” explains Jordi Herreruela, director of the Cruïlla Festival.
During each of its three days, the festival became a small city of 25,000 people. One of the management’s concerns is to commit to a zero-emission energy model at an event whose seven stages, gastronomic area, and other spaces and infrastructures generate thousands of kilowatt-hours (kWh). To make this possible, in 2023 the partnership with Endesa was born, the only company, in Herreruela’s words, with the “capacity, knowledge, and innovation” to meet the energy consumption demands required by an event of this magnitude.
Without resorting to electrification powered by renewable energies, about 10,000 liters of diesel would be needed, responsible for emitting about 36,000 kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. In contrast, according to figures from the 2025 edition, electrification has allowed avoiding the emission of 17,259 kg of CO2. Last year, consumption reached 61,640 kWh, a figure that varies each year depending on the musical offer and activities of Cruïlla itself.
“It is extremely complex because in each edition we add new consumptions. As a novelty, this year we included a DJ stage, more gastronomy, shows, and technological elements. That no other festival does this means it is not something easy to achieve,” argues the director of Cruïlla.
To meet these needs, the festival works with Endesa to assess energy requirements. These include action plans such as reconfiguring the electrical network, since a dedicated medium-voltage line is assigned exclusively to Parc del Fòrum; a complete inspection of transformation centers and maneuvering systems; and the deployment of intervention teams with continuous support from Endesa’s Control Center. Additionally, consumption is monitored in real time and, in case of an incident, a series of high-capacity batteries charged with renewable energy can act as an alternative and guarantee the continuity of live performances by Suede, Pixies, or Garbage, although they have not needed to be used.
“In 2021, Endesa entered the music world looking for special projects that, like us, bet on sustainability. In that sense, Cruïlla is the most aware national festival and the one that works the most in this line, which is why this collaboration was born naturally,” values Ignacio Asensi, Sponsorship Manager at Endesa.
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This coherence is manifested in the commitment to the circular economy. Mireia Giràldez is the coordinator of circularity, sustainability, accessibility, and social commitment and explains that, in addition to actions involving attendees, such as returning cups and plates to recover the rental fee, they also work on circularity with other involved parties. For example, they conduct a prior survey with suppliers about transport forecasts and estimated waste generated at the festival to encourage separation by type at the source and have a green point during setup and dismantling to centralize and control proper recycling of all waste. Thanks to this initiative, they recover about three kilometers of raffia used in the venue’s fences each year.
Josep Casellas returns to the concept of “Cruïlla is home” to highlight the importance of traditional culture within the festival framework, with the inclusion of elements of Catalan folklore, or the collaboration with the ephemeral architecture festival Concéntrico, held in Logroño, in organizing a contest to design the festival’s main stages based on the concept of home or city.
Returning to the energy issue, the collaboration between Cruïlla and Endesa includes other sustainability actions, such as a study of the carbon footprint impact and an audit on waste flow under the supervision of the Catalonia Waste Agency, as well as awareness and emission compensation campaigns. The agreement started in 2023 has been renewed for three more years. At this point, Ignacio Asensi explains that the greatest innovation related to grid connection is the increase in supply guarantee and security, thanks to coordinated teamwork.
The Sponsorship Manager of Endesa points to mobility as one of the focus areas for upcoming editions. “When 25,000 people move to the same point at the same time and want to leave simultaneously, it is not easy to coordinate these movements sustainably,” he reflects. On this issue, Jordi Herreruela points out that the fact that more than 90% of attendees are local audience reduces the environmental impact and carbon footprint by 80% compared to large festivals that attract an international audience. “The future of these events goes in this direction,” he states.
Finally, Asensi does not forget the company’s link to music. Endesa sponsors other festivals such as Jardín de las Delicias in Madrid, Icónica in Seville, and Espacio Zity in Zaragoza. “For two years now, we have also held a contest for emerging bands, Endesa Play. The goal is to give them the opportunity to perform at the festivals we collaborate with. In the next edition of Cruïlla, we hope they can do so on the young talents stage,” he announces. With the complicity of the audience and Endesa, the Cruïlla Festival manages to extend a milestone: being the only one among the 1,000 live music festivals held in Spain that is fully electrified and powered by green energy.
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