Wild winds and rain lash the sea of people gathered at Primavera Sound Barcelona’s Occident stage as Cameron Winter croons his way through ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’. It’s the first full day (June 4) of this year’s festival, and Geese are, unsurprisingly, one of the biggest draws of the evening. As it turns out, they’ll also be one of the last to perform on the event’s three biggest stages today, as inclement weather forces the cancellation of sets from Mac DeMarco, Alex G, Massive Attack, Doja Cat and Bad Gyal.
While the weather is out of organisers’ hands, the way things are handled starts this year’s edition of Primavera on a sour note. Communication and updates are scarce, with crowds unsure whether it’s worth sticking it out; later, in replies to disgruntled fans on social media, organisers cite constantly evolving weather conditions “requiring ongoing reviews of operational decisions”. That artists like Doja Cat were announcing they were no longer performing on social media hours before the festival confirm it, though, adds to the frustration. The mess around Massive Attack’s set – no updates until 90 minutes after they were meant to begin, a rescheduling for 12:30am, only for it to ultimately be cancelled at 1am without a single note played – dampens spirits even more.
In many ways, Primavera Sound feels like a festival in a transitional period. It’s evident in these weather-induced difficulties – like many other outdoor events, organisers now have to grapple with increasingly adverse conditions, and how to prepare for and adjust to such situations needs to be a major consideration before next year’s edition.
PinkPantheress live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026. Credit: Christian Bertrand
That evolution, though, is also felt in the programming. Over recent years, Primavera’s line-up, which was once predominantly alternative, has been skewing more pop. That’s the case this year, too, with a mix of established alt heroes (Slowdive, The Cure, Gorillaz all deliver brilliant sets across the weekend), underground newcomers like Femtanyl, Fakemink and Korean party-starters Hypnosis Therapy, and acts from the cooler end of the spectrum of pop (and Role Model). Weirdly, though, Primavera Sound itself doesn’t seem to have sussed that a lot of people will want to watch artists in the latter camp – the Cupra stage is overflowing with those wanting to witness PinkPantheress’ triumphant joy on Friday (June 5). While it’s a successful set for the British star, that fans are able to keep flooding the area unimpeded raises concerns about crowd control.
Addison Rae live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026. Credit: Primavera Sound
Boil Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026 down to just the music, though, and there’s still plenty of fun to be had (if you can hear any of it over the incessantly, sometimes obnoxiously, chatty crowds). Friday feels like a pure pop fantasy, with Addison Rae inspiring the kind of devotion on her debut album most artists take a few records to reach. On the Occident stage, JADE gets everyone warmed up for a long night ahead with high-energy performances of ‘Plastic Box’ and ‘Gossip’ (plus a reminder of Little Mix’s best bangers in a special medley), while Cara Delevingne makes her bid for pop stardom in the small hours. As you might expect, her set is highly polished, but still packs a punch, as the songs veer from pop lacerated with industrial bursts and skittering electro-pop.
The Cure live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026. Credit: Eric Pamies Garcia
An outlier among those acts, headliners The Cure kick off their current European run with a set packed with rarities and greatest hits, on as fine a form as ever, as they put the Estrella Damm field in a heady daze. That feeling returns on Saturday (June 6) as Robert Smith joins Olivia Rodrigo during a short-but-sweet surprise set for the debut of their new collaboration, ‘What’s Wrong With Me’.
Olivia Rodrigo live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026. Credit: Christian Bertrand
This might be a festival in flux, but a wide spread of sounds is still a solid bet, as Saturday proves. Rising indie-rock star Grace Ives gets the Cupra audience bouncing under the early evening sun, before NME 100 of 2026 act The Sophs merge Spanish guitar licks into punk rock anthems on the Port stage. Gelli Haha builds a surreal, colourful world full of bubbles and dolphins on the Schwarzkopf stage to match her vibrant synth-pop, Sudan Archives slides effortlessly between opening up booty-shaking pits and wowing the crowd with her violin skills, and The xx make a triumphant return with a set that mixes their serene indie with the club-ready beats of Jamie xx, Romy and Oliver Sim’s solo projects.
Gorillaz live at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026. Credit: Gisela Jane
Across the site this weekend, there are illuminated signs that declare “no war”, but with Massive Attack’s set cancelled, the festival’s political voice feels quieter than it perhaps would have. At least, until Saturday night, when Gorillaz’s headline set is introduced by Palestinian activist Aarab Barghouti, whose father Marwan has been imprisoned by Israel since 2002. “My father is one of 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but for millions of Palestinians, he represents something that Israel cannot imprison: hope,” Barghouti tells the crowd. Later, over at the Occident stage, Kneecap fly the flag for resistance with messages on the big screens in support of Palestine and Lebanon, before bringing out Palestinian rapper Fawzi for their collaboration ‘Palestine’.
By the end of the weekend, with the puddles mostly dried up and a couple of days packed with great artists, it’s easier to feel positive about Primavera Sound. There are issues that still need to be reckoned with, but as the festival continues to evolve, there’s still plenty worth coming back for.
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