The sound of success

More than 200,000 revellers will descend on Barcelona for one week this month as the entire city reverberates to the sound of one of Europe’s best-loved festivals. Primavera Sound has spent the last 16 years carving its place into the crowded diary of the music faithful, and its name has become synonymous with an ever-growing trend of immersive urban festivals. This year’s festival will host a spectacular line-up, including Aphex Twin, Glass Animals, Grace Jones, Mac DeMarco, Saint Etienne and Van Morrison. So just how did Primavera Sound grow from being a discreet indie festival on the European circuit to a globally-renowned music showcase?   

Primavera Sound’s four founders always knew they wanted to create a new breed of festival—an unashamedly urban festival that was an integral part of the city. Although Primavera Sound took place on a small scale during the Nineties, the festival as we know it today began in 2001. The one-day event took place on April 28th at Poble Espanyol and hosted 19 acts, including Armand Van Helden, Bent and cult-stars UNKLE. Just 7,700 people attended that first edition, but it was a hit and plans were made for a bigger, more inclusive bash the following year. 

While the selection of acts for 2001 had been a thoughtfully curated mix, 2002’s two-day festival upped the ante, while introducing an indie core that still remains today. Britpop icons Pulp were impressive headline material, The Moldy Peaches played what was to be their only ever Spanish show and electronic pioneer Aphex Twin unleashed his unclassifiable audio experimentation. Continuing the good times, 2003 became a rocker’s paradise, with performances by cross-generational guitar heroes Sonic Youth, Television and The White Stripes. A big sponsorship deal with Estrella Damm and a phenomenal set from a then-unknown LCD Soundsystem helped elevate the Primavera Sound brand to heady new heights.

By 2005, the growing festival needed more space and moved to Parc del Fórum, a decision that allowed organisers to keep the same nine stages while allowing attendees more space to soak up the music. More than 46,000 fans flocked to the biggest year yet, an edition marked by the return of the long absent Iggy and the Stooges. By now, word of the festival’s eclectic line-up and sun-kissed atmosphere had begun to gain traction abroad, particularly among festival lovers in the UK.

By 2006, roughly 30 percent of the audience came from abroad to see more than 150 global acts, as well as the cream of local independent talent. The festival was both broadening its appeal and consolidating its week-long presence in the city with the introduction of new initiatives. The Digital Music Conference, organised with the Catalan Institute of Cultural Studies created a forum for an open discussion on the future of the music industry in the digital age and its often-uneasy marriage with business. Primavera Club, baixa el Metro and al Parc saw the festival’s influence spread into other areas of the city, and the organisers opened the doors to a younger crowd with the family-friendly minimúsica concerts.

While the banking crisis hit Spain harder than most, Primavera Sound weathered the storm, even managing to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2010 by breaking the 100,000 visitor mark. Legends such as the Pixies returned, drawing the biggest crowd in the festival’s history, while that year also saw the creation of Primavera Pro. Taking advantage of its growing stature and increasing popularity as a meeting place for the industry, Primavera Pro presents talks from a wide selection of artists, journalists, record reps and anyone with some hard earned wisdom, and is a magnet for eager networkers.

In 2011, a leap in venue size and crowd numbers, and two extra stages brought discontent in a city already bearing the strains of booming tourism along with a harsh economic climate. The inclusion of VIP tickets and price hikes left many locals feeling priced out of a festival on their own doorstep. In response, the following year a number of free concerts and activities were organised around the city to help spread a spirit of goodwill and community.  Back at the main event, more than 200 acts took to the stage—including a mammoth three-hour set by The Cure—cementing the gathering as Europe’s greatest indie festival.

More than 2,000 concerts later, Primavera Sound is still independently-run and has no intention of selling out. It receives little public funding and manages a mega budget of more than €11 million. It’s not a stretch to say the growth of the festival has gone hand in hand with the growth of Barcelona itself. The musical bonanza has helped shape the image of Barcelona as a young vibrant city for many visitors.

Key to its success is the relatively small team still running things, not to mention organisers who are passionate enough to prioritise a great mix of groups over increased profit. It’s a winning recipe that, despite many successes and awards, has not changed since year one. It may be a real player on the global circuit now, but it’s still Primavera Sound. See you at the front.

BURSTING WITH BEATS 

Sorting through more than 200 acts is not for the faint of heart. So here’s a lowdown of the top performers at Primavera Sound this year.

Setting the bar high from the get go, British folk band The Wave Pictures will open Primavera als Clubs on Monday, May 29th. Tuesday kicks off with ambient pop from American quartet Cigarettes After Sex, followed by local hip-hop group 7 Notas 7 Colores on Wednesday. At the Fòrum, you can catch Nineties electronic pop legend Saint Etienne and Local Natives on stage. 

The electronic contingent is strong on Thursday with DJ Aphex Twin pulling in the punters, alongside Belfast DJs Bicep, with their blend of Detroit techno and Italo disco. If you’d prefer to start off slow, Bon Iver will be showcasing his latest work 22, A Million (2016), which embodies his experimental sound. 

Bringing more diversity to the music-heavy line-up, wordsmith Kate Tempest will be performing her spoken-word poetry. In keeping with the poetic theme, Sleaford Mods will be spitting their angry lyrical rhymes on Friday while Frank Ocean makes waves with his R&B sounds. Since his recent uncompromising album Blonde (2016) shot to the top of American and British charts, the New Orleans artist will likely draw a big crowd.

Saturday’s concerts promise to leave any music fanatic in awe. Van the Man will play his legendary back catalogue of folk and soul sounds, while fans pack in for Jamaican singer-songwriter Grace Jones. Her performances are powerful, with her hula-hooping skills alone making her worth a watch. Finishing things off in style, world-renowned DJ John Talabot will be moving away from his signature beats to churn out soul and disco for the last ones standing. 

If you have any energy left on Sunday, the festival will host more concerts around the city, including Primavera regular Shellac and Canadian punk band Japandroids.

More information here.