FANS of Blur, Depeche Mode, Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, and a host of other big-name msuic acts will this summer be able to see their heroes headline a Spanish festival – and for the first time choose whether they do so in Barcelona or Madrid…or even both.
Since 2001, Primavera Sound has attracted hundreds of thousands of fans to its base in the heart of the Catalonian seaside city and will do so again on the first weekend in June.
But this year its organisers have decided to “mirror” the festival in the Spanish capital the following weekend – meaning the two events will feature around 200 performances featuring a “shared line-up 620 kilometres apart, with a few small exceptions”.
The Barcelona leg will run from June 1 to June 3 at the Parc Del Fòrum, with Brunch Electronik on June 4 – following a free event featuring Pet Shop Boys and Jake Bugg on May
31.
The festival will then move to the Ciudad del Rock in Arganda del Rey in Madrid from June 8-10, after the free event on June 7, with Brunch Electronik at Civitas Metropolitano on June 11.
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Thousands of Brits are expected at both festivals. Explaining why Primavera draws such a large international audience, organiser Joan Pons said it was “down to the quality of the line-up” and the locations chosen.
“We have this credibility and people rely on us, but for Barcelona, we’re also the first big summer festival in Europe.
“We’re also within the limits of the city, which makes it very comfortable for people to go back to a hotel or AirBnB. We have the weather, we have the sea, we have Barcelona.”
And now Primavera also has Madrid. On what to expect from the new site, Pons went on:
“We decided to have this new venue because it’s like a dream site for a festival and is built for it.
“We’d feel kind of silly if we didn’t take advantage of this. It’s probably going to be better than the Barcelona one because it’s built for having festivals.
“The Barcelona site is lovely, iconic and part of our legacy, but every year we have to adapt it for us.”
Which artists are set to perform at Primavera Sound and how can you get tickets?
Headliners include Blur, Rosalía, Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, Depeche Mode and Halsey.
The Pet Shop Boys will headline the reduced line-up on the opening nights, on May 31 in Barcelona and on June 7 in Madrid.
Other highlights at both weekends include FKA Twigs, Sparks, Laurie Anderson, Japanese Breakfast, Sudan Archives, Four Tet, Le Tigre, Caroline Polachek, NxWorries, Turnstile, Kelela, Alex G, Alvvays, Pusha T, Death Grips, Baby Keem, Christine and the Queens, John Cale, St. Vincent, and Drain Gang.
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The day five closing parties will also feature Diplo, Ben Böhmer, Camelphat, Purple Disco Machine (Barcelona only), Vitalic (Madrid only), and others.
The Moldy Peaches have reunited to play at both weekends, with the War on Drugs and the Mars Volta playing one apiece.
