Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as simply Primavera) is an annual music festival with the main location in Parc del Fòrum, a park situated directly at the Mediterranean seafront in Barcelona, Spain. The festival takes place between the end of May and the beginning of June, every year since 2001. In addition to the best-known edition in Barcelona, since 2012, Primavera Sound has expanded to Primavera Sound Porto Edition as well. Before 2025, Primavera Sound festivals were organized in several locations outside of Barcelona and Porto; this year, Primavera Tours are scheduled in Madrid and Barcelona in June, July, and September.
The 2025 edition of Primavera Sound has been an edition of superlatives: maximum attendance with 293,000 visitors and more than 900 journalists from around the world (me included 🌟), people from 136 countries and 311 performances. The main location of the festival is still Parc del Fòrum, but during the whole week, the whole of Barcelona is buzzing, celebrating the festival. There are Primavera a la Ciutat (which means "Primavera in the City" in Catalan) showcases on the iconic venues of Barcelona, as Sala Apolo, Tazzmatazz, and Laut, allowing music to resonate beyond the main locations. And there are many networking opportunities and conferences for the music professionals and as part of the Primavera Pro offering. I attend some of these, but not many. During the day, I love exploring Barcelona, soaking up its unique vibe outside of the festival, and meeting with the local people. And writing daily reviews 😎!
As many of the listeners of Gimme a Beat know, I've been following Primavera Sound for a while now, for several reasons. Not only that Primavera always have an impressive line-up, and it is happening in Barcelona, one of my favourite European towns, but this festival has been a leader in the gender-balanced line-up, and the role model for inclusion and diversity, not just in Europe but worldwide.
And this, by default, makes Primavera Sound a perfect festival for Gimme A Beat.
But it took me a while to start reviewing Primavera. The first time I attended and reviewed the festival was in 2023. I know, I know, it is a bit embarrassing, but I wrote the detailed reasoning in my Primavera Sound 2023 review. This year, I decided to go back, and I was so happy that I did.
Everything worked perfectly: superb organisation, collaborative weather: sunny but not too warm with a continuous sea breeze; great food, easy-to-move-around festival layout, and perfect location. All of this, combined with friendly and energetic festival-goers, local and international crowds excited to be there, created a unique, unforgettable atmosphere.
In addition to this, the Primavera Sound 2025 achieved a unique milestone: their
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