Sun, fun, and music: Primavera Sound kicks off tomorrow

Summer begins in less than a month, and spring is truly in full swing. Now is the golden hour—the perfect time—to get out, enjoy some quality music, beautiful weather, and maybe even good food and a refreshing beer. And luckily for everyone who can’t wait to do so, the Primavera Sound festival begins on May 30, running until June 3.

An ever-growing lineup

Some of the biggest names on the lineup of this year’s event include Arctic Monkeys, Björk, Nick Cave, and The National. This, alongside Fever Ray, Belle and Sebastian, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Thundercat, all comprising an eclectic and international lineup of over 200 artists spanning the gamut from live bands to solo performances to DJ sets.

There have been new additions to the lineup as well up until the last minute, including Amaia from the Operacion Triunfo group to perform with the Free Fall Band on May 31, on Heineken’s Hidden Stage. Additionally joining are the Scottish band Twilight Sad, pillars of the post-punk genre.  

Already sold out

Already on May 21, full event three-day tickets for the music festival had sold out, sold to the tune of 215 euros without taxes. The Primavera Sound organization communicated, through social media, that the only tickets available were those giving entry to Thursday, May 31 and Friday, June 1.

The organization has been building expectation for the lineup since the end of 2017, when they released a video of viewers from different countries reacting to the secret lineup, expressing joy, surprise, admiration – a range of emotions that one viewer defines like “a rollercoaster.” Indeed, the video then released is certainly meant to engage, with a bass-heavy trap-and-dubstep-like background and a wild-party in a western-like setting.

Over 200k spectators expected

Last year, the festival welcomed more than 200,000 concertgoers and revelers, and everything points to the number not only being met again but even surpassed. Last year’s event welcomed some 55% of attendees from abroad – 125 different countries, in fact. The 2017 edition saw almost 200 acts, including names like Van Morrison, Aphex Twin, The Black Angels, Bon Iver, Slayer, Solange, Frank Ocean, Run the Jewels, The XX, and Against Me!

Primavera Sound started in 2001, closing with an attendance of 8,000 to a show that included names like Armand Van Helden and Pizzicato 5. The amount of tickets sold has been increasing with every edition, and with a consistently eclectic variety of musicians.

Activism and music

The event has also not shied away from involvement in current events. On September 20, when Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and detained officials tied to the then-upcoming independence referendum, Primavera Sound organizers tweeted their dissent on social media. The operation violated the “most fundamental” civil rights, according to the festival, “ideologies and political preferences aside.”

They also publicly criticized the sentencing given to Mallorcan rapper Valtonyc by the Spanish Supreme Court, three and a half years for glorifying terrorism, slander, and defamation of the crown over the content of his song lyrics. The festival stated that in their opinion, imprisoning Valtonyc would “undermine freedom of expression,” and that “any musician” should have the “right to express themselves however they want.” The whereabouts of the hip-hop artist are currently unknown, and Spain has issued both national and international arrest warrants against him.