The Basque legend Fermin Muguruza didn’t just play his last concert at Fuji Rock’s Crystal Palace—he torched the place down with a ridiculous mix of ska punk, blaring horns and revolutionary energy.

The century old Speigel tent usually hosts the most memorable concerts of the festival and this was one o them. From the moment the large band took the stage, the crowd morphed into a rowdy, sweat-drenched battleground as Muguruza and his band delivered a career-capping spectacle.

From the first distorted riff of “In-komunikazioa” Muguruza made it clear—this wasn’t a farewell, but a final uprising. Tracks hit harder than ever, the band locking into dirty ska-punk rhythms while Fermin roared like a man half his age. The crowd—a sea of Basque flags, punk patches, and raised fists—sang every word back at him.

In the tight confines of Fuji Rock’s Crystal Palace stage, Basque punk legend Fermin Muguruza unleashed a riotous, genre-smashing set that turned the forest into a rebel stronghold. The usually mystical, laid-back vibe of the Crystal Palace was obliterated as Muguruza and his band fused punk fury, ska grooves, and global beats into a revolutionary dance party.

The venue’s regal columns shook as a sweaty mosh pit erupted, security tried to control the crowd but could not stop the dancing. Fermin sported an athletic jersey from Bank of Palestine and soon he was exhorting the crowd to “Free Free Palestine.” Soon he played an audio collage from Palesting, highlighting the human suffering and chaos.

Soon thereafter, he broke into the song “Yalah Yalah Ramallah” with the audience pogo dancing in unison and cheerin him on. Fermin Muguruza didn’t fade out—he went nuclear and yes, there will be another show, Saturday afternoon at White Stage.

The band’s energy was relentless, but the real magic came when Oi! ska-punk met Japanese taiko drums in a spontaneous collision. At one point, Muguruza pulled a shamisen player onstage, creating a wild Basque-Edo punk hybrid that shouldn’t have worked—but did. The crowd lost it.

By the time “Sarri, Sarri” kicked in, the Crystal Palace was a sea of jumping bodies, the trees shaking like they were caught in a storm. Muguruza ended by leaping into the crowd, mic in hand, screaming the last lyrics as the band played on. No encore—just pure, sweaty rebellion.

In-komunikazioa(☆)
Big Benat（☆）
Euskal Herria Jamaika Clash（☆）
Nicaragua Sandinista（＊）
Zu Atrapatu Arte（＊）
Kolore Bizia(★)
Radio Rahim（★）
Dub Manifest（☆）
Yalah, Yalah, Ramallah!（☆）
Gora Herria（★）
Sarri Sarri（＊）

＊ Kortatu (1984~1988)
★ Negu Gorriak (1990〜1996)
☆ Fermin Muguruza（1997〜）

(outro) Pressure Drop by Toots and the Metals