Few artists have fused poetry, rock and attitude with the force of Patti Smith. A central figure in New York’s 1970s scene, she turned Horses into a landmark record and gave rock enduring songs such as Because the Night and People Have the Power. Following her memorable appearance at Azkena Rock Festival in 2022, she returns to Mendizabala in a particularly significant year: she has just been awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, recognising a career shaped by creativity, counterculture and an influence that continues to resonate across generations. This time she arrives with the Patti Smith Quartet, joined by Tony Shanahan, Jesse Smith, Jackson Smith and Seb Rochford, to revisit some of the most representative songs of her career through rock, poetry and spoken word. Her presence at Azkena Rock Festival’s 25th anniversary feels like a natural chapter in the festival’s history: an artist who has already left her mark on Mendizabala returning as an even greater piece of living rock history.
