Primavera Sound cancels for 2021, will celebrate 20th anniversary in 2022

Barcelona’s biggest live music festival, Primavera Sound, has called off its edition for this year and will now instead celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2022. 

“It is with great sadness that we must announce that the 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound Barcelona is postponed until 2022 due to force majeure,” a statement on the festival’s website and social media channels read. 

Tickets valid for this year will remain valid for 2022's edition, while refunds will also be available from Wednesday, June 2. On this same date, the lineup for 2022 will be unveiled. 

The festival was planned to take place in June 2021 with headline acts announced such as Tyler, The Creator, Tame Impala, and Charli XCX among others.

Organizers say they reached the decision to cancel the festival because of “uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events,” coupled with the current restrictions in place to halt the spread of Covid-19 in Catalonia preventing them from working normally and preparing for the event.

The announcement comes shortly Primavera Sound unveiled “Colosseum Nights,” a series of concerts to take place in Barcelona in April.

"Although it is painful, we know that this is the right decision, especially for those of you who have to plan your trip in advance."

Festival organizers carried out a clinical trial at the Apolo venue in Barcelona last December and "have been in constant contact with the health authorities to explore all possible solutions" for making the festival viable.

"But the twentieth anniversary of Primavera Sound deserves a party like the ones we are used to, and the global situation does not seem favourable to allowing something like this to happen this summer. At least not in a way in which we can live the full Primavera Sound experience."