SZA lights up rain-soaked final night at Primavera Sound

Primavera Sound closed its 2024 edition with record numbers on Saturday, in a night marked by rain.

After two hours of intense showers, the skies cleared for one of the most anticipated and crowded concerts of the night: SZA.

The Grammy-winning R&B sensation delivered one of the most spectacular performances of the festival.

The set, which resembled a pier adorned with life buoys, featured SZA on top of a tall structure, accompanied by dancers and enhanced by visuals of the sea, creating a stunning setting.

In front of an excited crowd, revived by the end of the rain, the American singer performed some of her biggest hits, including 'Blind' and 'All The Stars,' a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar.

However, the two previous shows were rained out. The downpour began just as PJ Harvey, the legendary British musician and poet, started her show at 8.45 pm.

Despite warnings of rain and possible thunderstorms, most music fans were caught off guard and sought refuge from the rain.

As PJ Harvey delivered a unique performance, blending rock, alternative, and folk music in her iconic style, the rain intensified, causing many to leave the stage area.

The English singer combined some of her most popular songs with new ones from her latest album 'I Inside the Old Year Dying'.

PJ Harvey's show comes 24 years after the release of her most iconic album 'Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea' and 32 years after her debut album 'Dry'.

Despite the increasingly heavy rain, hundreds of loyal fans sang and danced to her songs. "I'm sorry you're getting wet," she told them. 

The rain ceased shortly after PJ Harvey's concert, allowing Mitski, the American indie rock singer, to start her show as scheduled and without rain. 

However, some lightning could be seen from Barcelona's coast into the interior and shortly after began raining again.

Although organizers stated that the festival would be halted if there was an electrical storm, thunder did not strike the Catalan capital. 

British singer and songwriter Charli XCX closed the festival's main stage at 2.30 pm, presenting her new album, 'Brat', which will be released on June 7.

The pop icon, known for hits like 'Boom Clap,' 'Speed Drive' and 'Von Dutch,' delivered an energetic performance to close out a record-breaking edition of Primavera Sound.

268,000 attendess, 59% from abroad

Primavera Sound will close its 2024 edition with 268,000 attendees at its 253 concerts.

Barcelona's biggest festival of the year saw 130,000 unique visitors in a record edition, an increase of 15,000 attendees from last year.   

"This makes us the biggest festival in Spain and one of the biggest in Europe," said Marta Pallarès, Primavera Sound's press head.  

The audience came from 134 different countries, with 59% of the 130,000 unique visitors coming from outside Spain.   

Pallarès also pointed out that 40,000 unique visitors came from the city of Barcelona.  

"We are not a festival that lives only from external visitors," she added. 

Resident complaints and impact on city

In response to complaints from some local residents, organizers emphasized the work they had done to minimize disruption.

Festival co-director Alfonso Lanza said they had "worked particularly well" to address concerns such as "sound, cleanliness and the clearing of the Forum area. 

Lanza insisted that they had established "extremely high standards of quality" and that those living in the buildings closest to the venue were "very satisfied with the level of control".

Lanza also predicted that the festival's economic impact on the city of Barcelona will be around €200 million, surpassing last year's figure of €180 million. 

"Primavera Sound is the second most economically important event in Barcelona, after Mobile World Congress," he said.