Primavera Sound 2025 Takes Stock
Primavera Sound 2025 ended up being a “majestic 23rd edition,” according to organizers, counting 293,000 attendees entering through the festival gates, June 4-8, as well as the inner-city program taking over Barcelona from June 2.
The festival was headlined by Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter – three female headliners under the age of 35, responsible for one of the quickest sellouts in the event’s history.
But the success of Primavera Sound is about much more than just the headline acts, as co-director Alfonso Lanza told Pollstar in our annual Spain Focus:
“After more than two decades, we believe our success goes far beyond lineups or production values. It’s about a philosophy we’ve been building since 2001,” he explained, adding, “What truly sets Primavera apart is its deep commitment to curation. From day one, it’s been about musical discovery – blending legends, cult artists and emerging talent across genres. We’ve always had one foot in the underground and one in pop culture. That balance takes risk, vision, and long-term thinking, even more so when you’re committed to gender balance too.
“Then there’s the audience. Primavera created a community. It’s known as a safe, inclusive, welcoming space for people who really care about music, and who believe in the same values as we do. That can’t be faked. It’s earned over time, with consistency and trust.”
The figure of 293,000 attendees includes ticket holders for the Primavera Sound a la Ciutat (Primavera Sound in the city) program that took place across Barcelona all week, June 2-8. In total, 311 shows took place across seven venues in the city, making it an “recognizable and personal urban festival format” in its own right.
Lanza said, “We remain firm believers in the importance of club shows, that’s why even during the festival itself, we organize what’s known as Primavera a la Ciutat: shows in small venues from Monday to Wednesday, and again on Sunday, featuring everything from emerging artists to major names like Beach House.”
Taking place during the main festival is Primavera Pro, the music industry conference aimed at the professionals working in the live biz. With over 3,200 accredited guests from 68 countries in 2025, Primavera Pro reaffirmed “its role as an essential meeting point for the global music industry,” June 5-7, according to a press release.
Speakers taking part in the conference, which took place at Barcelona’s center for contemporary culture CCCB, included writer Liz Pelly, Fernando Grediaga (HYBE Latin America), Felipe Martinez (Stellar Music), Tom Grainger (United Talent), and many more, sharing “their perspectives on the current challenges and future directions of the music industry over three days.”
Live music was an essential part of Primavera Pro, with a program of showcases curated under the umbrella of Primavera a la Ciutat. The lineup featured OSKA, Francis of Delirium, Mėlyna, HYPNOSIS THERAPY, Remei de Ca la Fresca, Sofi Páez, han gaiden, Juana Aguirre, NEONE The Wonderer, Naaz, Bucket, Niamh Bury, aleksiah, Yoni Mayraz, Isla Mujeres, and others.
Artists, who’ve performed during a Primavera Pro showcase in the past, and played the main festival in 2025 include Fontaines D.C., CMAT, Confidence Man, and Llum.
The dates for Primavera Sound 2026 have already been set: the 24th edition returns to Parc del Forum on June 4-6 next year, with the city festival and industry conference once again taking place in the week leading up to the main festival weekend. The early bird onsale launched today, June 12.
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