Aquasella: the electronic music festival of Arriondas
Every August, Arriondas swaps the rhythm of the river for the beat of the speakers. Aquasella is one of the longest-running electronic music festivals in Spain: it was born in 1997 alongside the Sella kayak descent and today brings together thousands of people from all over Spain and abroad over four days. If you're coming for the festival, Villa del Sella is right in Arriondas.
What Aquasella is
The festival started with around a thousand people and grew into a fixture of the electronic music calendar. Techno is still its backbone, with an open-air main stage, and over the years it has added spaces devoted to house and other electronic sounds, such as the El Bosque stage. The setting is part of the appeal: meadows, trees and mountains instead of a city venue.
When it takes place
It's held in mid-August, a few days after the Fiesta de las Piraguas. For 2027, the festival's official website announces 12 to 15 August. It's worth confirming dates, line-up and times on the official website before finalising your trip, as the organisers are the ones who publish them.
Practical tips if you're coming as a group
- Buy your pass early. In recent editions tickets have sold out before the festival.
- Book your accommodation well ahead. Arriondas and Cangas de Onís fill up on those dates, and finding room for a large group at the last minute is hard.
- Don't drive in the early hours. The local roads are mountain roads; take turns as designated driver or use taxis.
- Bring warm clothes and a rain jacket. In Asturias, August nights get cool and rain can turn up any day.
Why stay in a house rather than the campsite
The festival has its own camping area, but if you're a group of friends and want to rest properly between sets, a whole house changes the experience. Villa del Sella has 230 m², four bedrooms and room for eight adults, with an oak kitchen for an unhurried breakfast at midday and a fenced 700 m² garden with a barbecue for the afternoons before heading back to the festival.
Make the most of the days around the festival
If you arrive a few days early, you can round off the trip with kayaking down the Sella, a morning on the beach in Ribadesella, 20 minutes away, or a visit to the Lakes of Covadonga. After four days of music, the Sueve valley is a good place to catch up on sleep.