key moments and challenges


For Daniel Novoa, the story of Blac- kworks is told through key milesto- nes that changed everything: La Ri- viera in Madrid, the first Cubierta in Leganés, the Boiler Room debut, the leap to IFEMA, and the international expansion. Each stage was a push into another dimension.


“And the feeling of being in Paris or New York closing deals, something that once felt like a dream, is another proof of how far we’ve come,” he recalls.


But reaching those moments wasn’t something easy. The early days were marked by bureaucratic hurdles, lack of money, and a widespread skepti- cism. The hardest hit came with the cancellation of the Hipódromo show just 48 hours before the event. Moving everything to La Cubierta in record time, with guaranteed losses, was an act of survival.


“That’s when I understood that Blackworks couldn’t fail its crowd. That never-give- up attitude became part of who we are.”


Before hitting the big leagues, there was an intimate but decisive labo- ratory. La Riviera and Sala Groove became founding homes, a space whe- re Blackworks could test its DNA and measure its true potential.


“They were our school. More intimate spaces, but with incredible power. They showed us the real potential of the project and taught us that we had something unique in our hands.”


Those first chapters, between the rawness of the struggles and the intensity of the victories, became the foundation of what Blackworks is to- day: a movement built through risk, community, and conviction.


THE JUMP TO THE BIG LEAGUES


The real global leap came with Boiler Room. That streaming didn’t just show to the international scene what was happening in Madrid, but it also valida- ted Blackworks in the eyes of artists, agencies, and promoters around the world. Daniel remembers it clearly:


“It put us on the global map. Suddenly the world was looking at Madrid and seeing Blackworks. But the most important thing was the respect we received: international artists, agencies, and promoters began to recognize us as a serious project. That recognition opened doors that once seemed impos- sible.”


The move to La Cubierta in Leganés was a risky one, but a necessary one. Blackworks was already demanding another scale, and that night became the gateway into the festival territory.


“I remember the feeling of total risk. It was a madness, but it worked. It was the decisive step into the world of festivals and it gave us the confidence to go further.”


IFEMA


If Leganés was the start of the festival path, IFEMA was the confirmation that Blackworks could hold its ground in the first division of electronic music.


Novoa doesn’t hide the pressure it came with:


“It was the most demanding production in our history. In the days leading up, we were in the red, hundreds of thousands of euros on the line, the stress of getting the permits, the risk that everything could fall apart. Nobody teaches you how to handle that. But when you open the doors and see thousands of people coming in, all that tension flips into euphoria. IFEMA was the proof that we could play in the big leagues.”


Through every stage, Blackworks’ es- sence has remained intact. What has changed is the scale, the aesthetic language, and the ambition of the pro- ject. Daniel explains it bluntly:


“Our essence: intensity, community and rawness remains untouched. But with each stage we’ve learned to grow in sound, in aesthetics, and in ambition. At the beginning we were an underground party; today we’re a movement with its own identity, but without losing the soul.”


WHAT MAKES BLACKWORKS UNIQUE


In a global ecosystem oversaturated with brands, standing out isn’t easy. For Novoa, Blackworks’ strength lies in a mix of factors that go beyond the ob- vious and can only really be felt on the dancefloor.


“The curation, the production, the community… but first and foremost, the energy. Blackworks is pure adrenaline, a place where you feel like you’re living something unique, almost feels like being inside a video game. That inten- sity is hard to explain, but anyone who comes, gets it.”


Growth never came without risk, and there were moments when the project’s survival seemed to hang by a thread. Novoa doesn’t hide it:


“Yes. The Hipódromo cancellation was a brutal blow. And IFEMA too, when just days before we were still in the red and the permits were up in the air. Those are the moments when you think: what if it doesn’t work out? But that’s when I lear- ned to manage the pressure and trust the team. What always kept us going was the community and the conviction that we couldn’t let them down.”


Every stage has left


there’s one moment Daniel points to as the real turning point in Blackworks’ history:


“IFEMA, without a doubt. It was a sta- tement: Blackworks was no longer a promise, it was a reality. We proved that in Spain it was possible to put on a techno


quality, and that we could stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest in the world. I want people to look back in time, and say that Blackworks marked a turning point in history: a before and after in the way electronic events are understood.”


event of that scale and its mark, but


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