Whether or not you have a village is something that defines the youth of Spaniards. In a village, you make true friends, enjoy summer nights with a sandwich in hand, and experience unique moments that will remain in your memory. True to its brand purpose of creating experiences that connect with people, Ron Barceló decided this summer to let everyone experience, at least for a few hours, that feeling of having a village. Thus was born ‘Villa Ahora,’ the ephemeral village created by the brand for those whodon’t have a village and, also, for those who, even though they do, value the authenticity of these popular festivals. More than 1,000 people gathered last Friday, September 26th, to bid farewell to summer at “Villa Ahora.” Kicking off with the raffle”, with its opening speech, orchestra and brass band, mechanical bull… no detail was missed at a festival that had all the necessary ingredients to become the best popular summer party. And nine out of ten young Spaniards prefer village festivals to festivals, as reflected in a survey conducted by Ron Barceló through his Instagram channel, in which more than 3,600 young people participated. 71% usually attend more than four or more popular festivals each summer, while 15% attend at least three, 8% at least two, and 6% settle for just one. “Villa Ahora” was created for all of them, but also for those without a village who now have the opportunity to register in Ron Barceló’s temporary village. Expectations have been enormous, making “Villa Ahora 2025” Ron Barceló’s most powerful summer campaign to date, with record participation on the website (more than 160,000). Charanga, orchestra… ‘I want to dance’! In the survey, Ron Barceló also explored young people’s preferences for festival music: charanga (brass band) is the undisputed king (55%), followed closely by reggaeton (29%), techno (10%), and pop-rock (6%). “Villa Ahora” had it all: the festival kicked off with a multitudinous parade to the beat of charanga and continued with nearly eight hours of non-stop music. There was an orchestra, a smashing techno-charanga, top DJs from Ron Barceló like Carmen de la Fuente and Michenlo, and, the surprise of the night: Sonia and Selena, who got us dancing with hits like “Yo quiero bailar”! And what about the essentials of a village festival? From the legendary peñas (clubs), the raffle and tombola, the sandwich and salchipapas stands, the game booths, and a mechanical bull. The 1,000 attendees found it all and more at the secret location on the outskirts of Madrid that Ron Barceló transformed into “Villa Ahora,” a place that combined the aesthetics of a village with the energy of a festival to experience the “now.” A mayor, a tractor… And the rest is history! The opening speech of the festivities was one of those moments no one will forget. For the first time in history—until proven otherwise—a mayor rode onto the town hall balcony on the back of a tractor. Roni, community manager of @ronbarcelospain and mayor of “Villa Ahora,” was in charge of welcoming the guests in this unusual way, accompanied by the official town crier, a young fan of the brand who won a contest, in which more than 300,000 votes were registered. At the foot of the town hall balcony were dozens of VIP guests, who didn’t want to miss the launch of “Villa Ahora” and register their registration in the Ron Barceló pop-up village: from Claudia Martínez and Peldanyos, to Adribylus, Ibelky, and Jana Quiles. They were in charge of broadcasting everything that happened there on their channels, generating more than 100 pieces of content on social media. And “Villa Ahora” has been a success, not only because of the data that supports young people’s desire to close out the summer with a great festival, but also because it has already become the town everyone wants to visit. The unique town is closing this year as it looks for a new location for 2026.
