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Time Warp has cancelled its 2026 edition in Madrid, bringing an unexpected end to a 33-year run in which the electronic music institution says it had never previously ca…
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Time Warp Spain had been scheduled to return to IFEMA Madrid on September 18 and 19 for its third Spanish edition. The two-night event was set to take over Hall 12 with a lineup spanning several generations and directions of contemporary techno and house.
In an official statement, the Time Warp team said the cancellation followed months of changing operational conditions and unresolved logistical difficulties connected with the venue. According to the organisers, the problems began in May and involved requirements surrounding the dismantling of third-party infrastructure at IFEMA under an existing exclusivity agreement.
Time Warp said those circumstances affected commitments that had previously been made for the event and eventually made it impossible to deliver the Madrid edition under the conditions originally agreed.
The organisers stressed that they explored alternative solutions before taking the decision to cancel. They also said that maintaining safety and the expected experience for the audience remained more important than preserving the event’s long-running record of avoiding advance cancellations.
The statement carries particular weight because of Time Warp’s history. Founded in Germany in the 1990s and closely associated with Mannheim, the brand has developed into one of the most recognisable international institutions in techno culture, expanding over the years to cities including Madrid, New York, São Paulo and other major electronic music destinations.
The Madrid event had been designed as a substantial two-day programme. Resident Advisor lists artists including I Hate Models, Fatima Hajji, Chlär, Alarico B2B Yanamaste, Ben Sims and Oscar Mulero, with the opening night leaning heavily toward tougher contemporary techno sounds.
The wider lineup also included Sven Väth, Adriatique, Maceo Plex, Loco Dice, Adiel, Regal, Mau P, Andrés Campo, LAIA, Luxi Villar and Miguelle & Tons. Several back-to-back performances had also been announced, creating a programme that moved between driving techno, harder club music, house and more melodic interpretations of the genre.
Earlier information released around the festival described the September edition as Time Warp Spain’s third appearance in Madrid and planned for two independent stages inside the IFEMA complex. The event was intended to continue the Spanish chapter of the brand following editions held in the city in previous years.
The cancellation now leaves a significant gap in Madrid’s September electronic music calendar. Some of the artists originally booked for Time Warp are appearing at separate events in the city around the same weekend, but those shows are independent and should not be considered replacements for the cancelled festival.
For ticket holders, Time Warp has announced that full refunds will be processed through the official sales channels within a maximum of 15 days. Fans are not being asked to transfer their tickets to another edition.
The organisers have also confirmed that they are already working on a new date for Time Warp Spain. No replacement date or venue has been announced at this stage.
The official statement also notes that Time Warp’s legal team is assessing responsibility surrounding the circumstances that led to the cancellation. The organisers attribute the decision to operational conditions involving IFEMA, but no separate response from the venue addressing those specific claims was included in the sources reviewed for this article.
Despite the cancellation, Time Warp has made clear that it does not consider its relationship with Madrid finished. The team described the situation as a pause rather than an end to the Spanish edition and said further information will be released once a new plan has been confirmed.
Time Warp Spain 2026 had been scheduled for September 18–19 at IFEMA Madrid. Ticket holders should follow the original ticketing channel and official Time Warp communications for refund information and any future announcement concerning a new Spanish edition.
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