Argentina’s hottest urban music duo made it to Glastonbury. Times two.

Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso played a double gig on Friday at England’s top-tier music festival, which kicked off last Wednesday in Worthy Farm, Somerset, and welcomed more than 200,000 attendees over five days, with headliners including The 1975, Neil Young, Rod Stewart and Olivia Rodrigo. 

The Argentine pair, recently announced as the opening for Kendrick Lamar on his Latin American tour, delivered a high-energy afternoon set on the festival’s third-largest stage, West Holts, followed by a nocturnal session later at the notorious Shangri-La. 

At 1 p.m. sharp, Ca7riel and Paco hit the stage in matching black Burberry outfits, stepping up to the front edge to face a buzzing crowd under the blazing sun. They opened with their massive hit Dumbai, instantly lighting up the audience. Halfway through the show, the stools they’d been seated on were gone and the set switched into a full-blown dance floor. Songs like #TETAS, La que puede, puede, and El único kept the energy soaring and brought the set to a euphoric close.

“We went absolutely mental, ‘cause it was so early. People don’t understand a bloody thing, but they can feel us,” Ca7riel told the Herald behind Shangri-La’s main stage, minutes before they went on their second concert.

“It’s quite crazy, to be honest, because it’s not like any other festival I’ve ever been to,” Paco added. “Everything’s so mixed up, and everyone’s into everything. I feel very comfortable with the people here. It’s pretty special.”

Thanks to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert session last October, which has since racked up over 38 million views on YouTube, festival-goers from all over the world gathered to catch the first set. 

“This is my favourite group of the festival. I love their style, and their voices are amazing,” she told the Herald. She had travelled from South Korea and was wearing the same furry blue hat Paco wore in the Tiny Desk performance.

They also won the plaudits of music royalty, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien posting “What a stellar performance” on his Instagram account, as one of his top moments of the weekend from Worthy Farm.

The duo’s second set came around 11 hours later in Shangri-La, a perfect playground for their after-hours persona: one of the effervescent late night spots situated in the South East corner of Worthy Farm dedicated to raving, reflection and rebellion, echoing the duo’s lyrical wit and critique of the global music industry that now embraces them.

About half an hour behind schedule, they stepped onto the stage close to 1:30 a.m.. The setting had changed; different stages and set up, and the dark night sky replaced the hot sun, but the energy remained the same.

Paco and Ca7riel’s shows in Glastonbury are part of a world tour that has already taken them across the U.S. as well as some of Europe’s top festivals. They will be heading to Japan’s Fuji Rock at the end of July. 

Before the last show, Ca7riel confided to the Herald that most of what’s been happening to them over the past few months feels surreal. “I’ve just travelled the world for the first time. I don’t understand anything, I can’t believe it. They’re all aliens to me, and I’m an alien to them too. I can’t speak English, but I like the English people very much”, he said with a smile.

The duo had just played a sold-out show at London’s Roundhouse two nights earlier, performing for over 3,000 fans. 

“It’s bloody mental. Absolutely mental. I think it’ll hit me in December what we actually did all this year,” Ca7riel reflected.

When asked how they were handling the rollercoaster of international gigs and attention, Ca7riel said: “It’s like a blender full of different flavours, and we’ve got plenty for everyone. We drink it all ourselves, too.” Paco didn’t hesitate to score the experience: “Eleven out of ten. From here on, it’s all downhill.”

More than a music festival

Celebrated during the last weekend of June, Glastonbury is far more than just a music festival. Officially named the Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, it features not only world-renowned musicians on its main stages, but also hundreds of events spanning theatre, circus, dance, and visual art. In the Theatre and Circus fields, everything from magic shows and comedy to cabaret, puppetry, poetry and live music creates a wild, eclectic atmosphere with performers from across the globe. There’s even a dedicated cinema screening family-friendly films.

Over in The Green Fields, Glastonbury taps into its more spiritual roots: spaces for reflection, protest, nature connection and alternative lifestyles. The Stone Circle, a sacred spot since the festival’s earliest days in 1970, is where fire-lit ceremonies often begin at night and last until sunrise.

When music on the main stages winds down, the party is far from over. Glastonbury’s southeast corner transforms into a nocturnal playground, with towering art installations, underground clubs and raves that keep the energy going until morning.

Luciana Cacciatore
Luciana.HereNow