El Último de la Fila Return After 30 Years: Reunion Concert Recap

El Último de la Fila returned to the stage for the first time in 30 years on Saturday night (April 25). The iconic rock band kicked off their reunion tour at Marenostrum Fuengirola, an open-air venue on the southern coast of Spain by the Mediterranean, at the foot of Sohail Castle.

At 10:00 p.m. sharp, the screens lit up with visuals inspired by 1980s video games, featuring an animated cootie-catcher as an introduction. Then, a brief blackout led to the band’s entrance.

The show opened with “Huesos” by Los Burros, the band in which Manolo García and Quimi Portet first collaborated before forming El Último de la Fila in 1985. Backed by a large band and two drummers, García appeared with a scarf in hand, while Portet stood beside him with his guitar, as if no time had passed.

The last time they performed together was on March 22, 1996, at the Palau d’Esports de Granollers in Barcelona. Two years later, on January 13, 1998, they announced their separation in a press release citing “musical fatigue.”

This reunion is not a one-off gesture. Over the years, the two have continued to work together in the studio, maintaining a relationship that never fully broke. In an interview with Billboard Español in the days leading up to the tour’s launch, Portet explained how the comeback came to life: “The definitive conversation was, oddly enough, a casual chat after a meal. After that conversation, everything came together very easily and naturally,” he said.

Tickets for Fuengirola sold out in just four hours when they went on sale in 2025. During the show, songs like “Insurrección,” “Aviones Plateados” and “Como un Burro Amarrado en la Puerta del Baile” were sung by a multigenerational audience that couldn’t hide their emotions — with many moved to tears. The show lasted about two-and-a-half hours, featuring a setlist that spanned various stages of the band’s career.

Formed in Barcelona in 1985 by García and Portet after their time with Los Rápidos and Los Burros, El Último de la Fila crafted a sound that defied categorization. Their music blended rock, pop and flamenco roots, but above all, it delivered songs that stayed with listeners. Over time, their repertoire became part of the collective memory of Spain and Latin America.

The current tour includes stops in nine Spanish cities between April and July, with performances in Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and Valencia, among others. Additional dates were added after an overwhelming response from fans, bringing the total to 12 so far.

Before wrapping up Saturday’s concert, García addressed the crowd: “Thank you all for being here… it’s a pleasure to reconnect. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” And in closing, he left the audience with a memorable phrase: “Forgive the immodesty, but these songs are eternal.” After bidding farewell, the band returned for a surprising final song: the mariachi classic “El Rey” by Mexican composer José Alfredo Jiménez, performed in a rock style infused with their unique touch.

So far, the band has no other plans beyond this reunion tour. “The challenge of performing these dozen concerts is serious enough to focus all our energy on them,” García told Billboard Español.