Last year, Primavera Sound made somewhat of a haphazard return, as it broke the attendance record with nearly half a million people across two consecutive weekends. This year the crowds were bustling if not at capacity, the faint hint of post pandemic-era anxiety still lingering in the air. Still, as a Prima first-timer, the Promenade Paradiso is something to behold, matching the praise lavished on it by friends who’d frequented the festival at some point in the last decade.
In its 21st year, Primavera Sound 2023 opted for optimum reach and excess, welcoming satellite venues in Madrid and Porto and expanding to a 16-stage sprawl, with a dizzying sight of Estrella Damm refreshments at every possible outpost, selection of epicurean delights, workshops and lounges strewn across the Parc del Fòrum. This year’s headliners included Kendrick Lamar, Depeche Mode, Blur, Halsey, Rosalía and Calvin Harris, with a ‘I’ll be your mirror’ theme taking a look back at two decades of Primavera Sound. Kendrick Lamar was a huge get. The preeminent performer in hip-hop has rewritten the “rap spectacle” on tour and his nighttime set was no different; artfully placing gospel-woo reprises, charged inner monologues and Big Steppers performance art alongside pacey crowd favourites like ‘Humble’.
The Green Stage, known famously as Plenitude, emerged as my favoured personal sanctum, just a few steps away from the trodden path in the shade of the iconic solar panel. Sudan Archives and her trusted Moog player The Growth Eternal, played out a samurai-meets-sailor moon chimera, with Sudan wielding her violin like a slick sword as she raced through her sprawling 2022 full-length. Gabriels offered up soulful pomp and pop melodrama, lead vocalist Jacob Lusk a cloaked red siren. Dominican dembow artist Tokischa performed to a crowd much too rapturous for this shadow stage; her unsanitised twilight set bridging together the avant-garde with an anthemic melange of bachata, house and reggae. Elsewhere, a Clash of Titans meant we had to leave NxWORRIES‘ (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) dusky Santander set, which was ramping up, to catch Rema on the other side. The latter brought Afro-pop melisma and rock star pedigree to the Amazon Music stage, his warm precociousness bubbling over in a frenetic but fun performance.
As ever, Primavera Sound’s biggest draw as a “worldwide festival” is its commitment to producing a gender-balanced line-up. Sevdaliza, in her first headline slot, was a highlight. She fashioned a futuristic rave, previewing Euro-Trance Grimes-assisted newbies, repurposing earlier trip-hop material into dance-engineered Dionysia, all the while espousing a core message of divinity, freedom and community. Kelela would not be derailed by tech issues; her stark stage-design enhanced the surround sound contours of her voice as it travelled through the ether. Even as her nocturnal set was halted (Måneskin began wailing on the adjacent Amazon stage), the audience responded with visceral feedback, imploring she continue delivering one final tale of black queer redemption.
Does an older, seasoned and weary festival goer like me pine for the more compact Porto equivalent next year? He does. But I’ve ticked Primavera Sound Barcelona off the bucket list, an unrelenting 4-day musical feast that still packs a punch in its third decade.
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Primavera Sound Barcelona 2024 will be held from the 30th of May to the 1st of June. Secure early bird tickets here.
Photo Credit: Lesley Mensah
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