La Velada del Año V Sells Out, Promises Epic Boxing Showdown
La Cartuja Stadium Draws Record-Breaking Crowd for Influencer Boxing
Seville, Spain — July 26, 2025 — La Velada del Año V has officially sold out Estadio La Cartuja, setting the stage for one of the most extraordinary nights in the world of sports and digital entertainment. Organized by superstar Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, the event brings together notable content creators and influencers to face off in the boxing ring, blending amateur sport with star-studded spectacle and attracting a vast viewership both in person and online.
The Rise of La Velada del Año: From Online Experiment to Cultural Phenomenon
La Velada del Año, translated as “The Night of the Year,” has become a landmark event in Spain and internationally since its inception in 2021. Originally conceived by Ibai Llanos as a novel way to blend internet culture with traditional sports, the showcase pitted popular internet personalities against one another in boxing matches. What started as a Twitch-centric experiment has evolved into an annual extravaganza surpassing the boundaries of the streaming world and drawing massive real-world crowds.
The previous edition, La Velada del Año IV, filled Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium, underscoring the event’s explosive popularity and Ibai Llanos’ influence in Spanish entertainment. For the fifth installment, organizers opted for Seville’s Estadio La Cartuja, which seats over 85,000 spectators, making this year’s event the largest to date and eclipsing many traditional sporting spectacles held in Spain.
What Makes La Velada del Año V Unique?
The event distinguishes itself by merging high-stakes boxing with the energy of a live music festival. This year, over 85,000 tickets sold out weeks ahead of the event, with an anticipated online viewership likely to surpass the previous record of 3.8 million simultaneous Twitch streams—a testament to the event’s global reach.
A substantial part of La Velada’s unique appeal lies in its blend of spectacle and competitive energy. Each fight features extravagant entrances, intense buildup on social media, and high production value, keeping fans engaged throughout the night. Live performances by major artists such as Aitana, Grupo Frontera, Eladio Carrión, Myke Towers, Melendi, De La Rose, and Los del Río provide entertainment in-between fights, ensuring that the stadium’s electric atmosphere never diminishes.
Card Highlights: Influencer Rivalries and Anticipated Showdowns
The compelling fight card is at the core of the event’s anticipation. Internet celebrities and content creators train for months leading up to their bouts, turning personal rivalries and social media banter into genuine sporting drama. Headlining the night is the clash between TheGrefg and Westcol, promising high entertainment value and a showcase of international digital stardom.
Other featured matches include:
- Peereira7 vs. Rivaldios
- Perxitaa vs. Gaspi
- Abby vs. RoRo Bueno
- Andoni Fitness vs. Carlos Belcast
- Alana Flores vs. Ari Geli (a particularly hyped match given their ongoing online feud)
- Viruzz vs. Tomás Mazza
Each matchup brings its own narrative, with months of social media tension translating to in-ring animosity and excitement for the audience.
Beyond Boxing: Entertainment Value and Musical Performances
While boxing is the centerpiece, La Velada del Año V places equal emphasis on musical performances. Between matches, the stadium transforms into a concert venue, with internationally renowned artists taking the stage. This year’s lineup, featuring Aitana and Grupo Frontera among others, elevates the event from a night of sport to a multifaceted entertainment experience. Special moments, such as Westcol’s planned entrance walk with rapper Arcángel, further underscore the fusion of internet and pop culture found only at La Velada.
Economic Impact and Local Significance
Hosting such a high-caliber event at Estadio La Cartuja has provided a tremendous economic boost for Seville and the surrounding Andalusian region. The influx of 85,000 spectators has filled hotels and restaurants throughout the city, with local businesses benefiting from increased tourism and media attention. Ticket sell-outs and the event’s role as a broadcast juggernaut continue to raise Seville’s profile as a host city for world-class events.
This wave of economic activity is not limited to in-person attendance. La Velada drives significant digital engagement, benefiting sponsors and advertisers eager to reach a massive global youth audience. The ability to combine the intimacy of digital streaming with the scale of in-person attendance represents a pioneering business model within the sports and entertainment industries.
Historic Context: Comparison With Traditional Boxing Events
Although originally met with skepticism by boxing purists, La Velada del Año has proven its staying power. Unlike conventional boxing cards, which usually feature career athletes in search of titles, La Velada pits non-professional boxers—many with little previous experience—against each other for pride, charity, and entertainment value.
Despite the differences, the event’s production values, crowd sizes, and streaming figures now rival or surpass many established boxing events in Spain and Europe. By filling stadiums and thrilling millions online, La Velada del Año stands as an example of how digital-first approaches can rejuvenate and reshape traditional sports experiences.
Regions such as the United States and the United Kingdom have witnessed similar crossovers, notably with events organized by YouTubers (such as KSI vs. Logan Paul), but La Velada’s integration of music and culture gives it an unmistakably Spanish—and increasingly international—flavor. While the spectacle may spark debate among boxing fans regarding authenticity and sporting merit, no one questions its ability to capture the imagination and attention of a new generation of viewers.
Challenges and Criticism: The Debate Over Authenticity
Despite its immense popularity, La Velada del Año V is not without detractors. Some fans and boxing insiders have voiced concerns about lopsided matchups and a concert-heavy atmosphere possibly detracting from the sporting focus. Critics argue that the line between sport and entertainment grows increasingly blurred as entrances and musical performances take center stage.
In response, organizers have sought to maintain the balance by returning to a pure one-on-one format for all fights this year, after experimenting with alternate match types in previous editions. This approach aims to reaffirm the event’s dedication to competitive boxing, even as it embraces its entertainment roots.
Global Reach: A New Template for Modern Sporting Events
La Velada del Año V’s runaway success highlights broader shifts in how audiences consume sports and live entertainment. With millions expected to tune in worldwide and every ticket snapped up in advance, the event showcases the potent combination of digital influencers and live spectacle. Ibai Llanos and his team have set a new standard for blending internet culture with real-world impact, offering a model other regions are sure to study and, perhaps, emulate.
Anticipation and Future Outlook
As the July 26 event kicks off, excitement and anticipation ripple across Spain and far beyond. Commentators agree that this edition is poised to set new benchmarks for audience engagement, both at La Cartuja and online. Fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see if La Velada del Año V can not only meet but surpass the sky-high expectations set by its previous outings.
For now, Seville stands at the center of the digital sporting world, prepared for a night where influencers, athletes, and musical stars unite for an unforgettable celebration of sport, community, and internet-driven culture. With a sold-out crowd, international intrigue, and a buzz that reverberates across borders, La Velada del Año V cements itself as a touchstone in the evolution of both boxing and entertainment in the 21st century.