Planet 8

There are venues that feel manufactured, polished and painfully corporate — and then there’s El Café de la Plaça in Carcaixent, where music still feels human. On Sunday 10 May at 12:30pm, the beloved cultural hideaway opens its doors once again for another daytime gathering of locals, music obsessives, wandering souls and Sunday regulars as Planet 8 arrive for what promises to be one of those special up-close performances people talk about long after the chairs are stacked away. Because El Café is not just another venue.

Run with genuine love and stubborn passion by Enric, the space has quietly become one of the most important grassroots cultural spots in the region. Hidden in the heart of Carcaixent, it carries the spirit of old cafés where conversations matter, artists are respected and audiences actually listen.

Musicians don’t disappear backstage here — they become part of the room. There’s history in the walls, warmth behind the bar and a sense that something real still survives away from algorithm-driven noise and oversized festival branding. And that intimacy matters when a band like Planet 8 comes to town.

Made up of Óscar Briz, Silvia Martí and Xavi Alias, Planet 8 operate in that beautiful space between sophisticated pop craftsmanship and emotional honesty. Their music breathes rather than shouts. Songs drift through folk textures, elegant melodies and lyrical storytelling with the confidence of musicians who know exactly who they are.

At the centre stands Óscar Briz, one of the Valencian scene’s most respected and enduring songwriters. Across decades of work — from cult indie beginnings through solo records and countless collaborations — Briz has built a reputation as an artist’s artist: intelligent, melodic, poetic and completely uninterested in chasing trends.

His songs carry echoes of classic songwriting traditions while still sounding unmistakably personal. Planet 8 feels like a natural extension of that journey. There’s chemistry in this project, a looseness and warmth that comes from musicians playing for the joy of connection rather than spectacle.

Which is exactly why this concert fits El Café perfectly. This won’t be one of those afternoons where the audience stares at phones while shouting over the music. This will be close quarters. Tables full. Cassalla flowing. Locals greeting each other at the door. The soft pre-show murmur of people who know they’re about to witness something worth slowing down for.

And when Planet 8 begin playing inside that intimate room, every lyric and every silence will land differently.

The beauty of small venues is that nothing can hide. No giant screens. No fireworks. No distractions. Just songs, musicians and a crowd close enough to feel every shift in mood. In places like El Café, music regains its original purpose — bringing people together for a shared moment that only exists once.

On a sunny Sunday lunchtime in Carcaixent, that feels more valuable than ever. So arrive early. Grab a drink. Find a corner. Listen closely. Because Planet 8 at El Café de la Plaça has all the ingredients of one of those quietly unforgettable afternoons.