Piano stool maker to the stars rebounds from deadly Valencia floods

Hidrau, a factory from Valencia that makes benches for renowned artists, resumes business nearly a year after the October 2024 floods

Raul Romera, 47, manager of Hidrau, a company that was devastated by the floods of 2024 and has just resumed operations, holds a photograph showing Lady Gaga sitting during the Super Bowl on one of the piano benches manufactured by the company, in Algemesi, near Valencia, Spain, October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eva Manez

Source: REUTERS

By Eva Manez, Guillermo Martinez and Miguel Gutierrez

The makers of piano stools for stars such as Lady Gaga and Elton John are back in business after losing everything during the deadly floods that ravaged Spain's southeastern Valencia region one year ago, killing 229 people.

Family company Hidrau Model had been going for 50 years but incurred losses of around 1.5 million euros ($1.75 million) in stock, materials and machinery when the floods swept through Algemesi, 35 km (22 miles) south of Valencia city.

"I didn't know how we were going to do it, but I knew I wanted to move forward after this," General Manager Raul Romera said.

With the help of volunteers and peer companies, Hidrau has been able to fulfil orders and gradually reopen with all 35 employees. They are still waiting for the insurance money to come through to cover their costs.

Among their former clients are Lady Gaga, who performed with one of their stools at the 2017 Super Bowl half-time show.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters