Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona
As music aficionados prepare to descend upon Spain’s most cherished music festival later this month, it’s time for a deep dive into the must-hear, must-see artists spread across this year’s Primavera Sound Barcelona.
Nicknamed the “Coachella of Europe”, Primavera Sound has engraved its name over recent decades as a haven for mainstream and esoteric, experimental music. As well as reviewing their 2022 and 2023 editions, the festival has retained its gender-balanced promise across its lineup for a highly-anticipated array of sounds and performances.
This year’s set of headliners cover, as always, exemplify this: Lana Del Rey’s heart-torn balladry, Pulp’s revived Britpop, and SZA’s wondrous pop-R&B, there’s the ever-lofty expectations for magnanimous sets across all three chosen headliners this year.
Before the official commencing, 00’s-indie trailblazers Phoenix are ones to witness the preliminary day prior; on the opening day, Beth Gibbons resurges trip-hop; Deftones and Amyl & The Sniffers respectively recite past grunge-rock and modern-punk; Justice and Peggy Gou provide house-fuelled electronics; Freddie Gibbs & Madlib reunite for their seminal LP, Piñata; Vampire Weekend showcase an indie-rock smattering of our current era. Other must-see acts on these days include Tropical Fuck Storm, Yeule, Billy Woods, Mannequin Pussy and A.G. Cook.
For the second day, Yo La Tengo and Ethel Cain provide a continuation of our indie-rock scene both past and present; Badbadnotgood simmer with their jazz-inflected aura; Clipse reunite their beloved hip-hop duo one further time. Jai Paul also makes a long-awaited re-appearance, along with Arca whose daring theatrics will grace the stage. Troye Sivan’s numerous summer-pop hits will mark a timely start to the summer, alongside modern indie giants, The National, who presume sub-headlining duties to welcome the evening. Further unmissable acts on this day include Chelsea Wolfe, The Last Dinner Party, Mount Kimbie and Joanna Sternberg.
On the last official day, Bikini Kill reunite for their voracious brand of punk, Mitski will recite her latest spellbinding LP, and Charli XCX and FKA Twigs will undoubtedly set alight the alt-popsphere with their latest evolutions. Whilst the stalwart, indie singer-songwriter PJ Harvey concludes this day, The Blessed Madonna’s resurgent house numbers will officially bring a close to Primavera Sounds’ 2024 edition in the Catalonian capital. Ensure to catch a litany of other notable acts on these days, including Amaarae, American Football, Dorian Electra, The Lemon Twigs, Shabaka, Crumb, Model/Actriz, and Water From Your Eyes.
For further info and tickets to Primavera Sound Barcelona, including Primavera a la Ciutat and its other editions around the world, please visit here.
Highlights from this year’s festival can be found below.