More Than $1,800 Spent By Music Tourists: Economic Impact Of Primavera Sound 2025 Measured

Each year, Spanish mega fest Primavera Sound measures its economic impact on the city of Barcelona, where it takes place at the Parc del Fòrum.

This year, June 5-7, marked Primavera Sound’s 23rd edition. The lineup, led by headliners Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, and Sabrina Carpenter, also featured LCD Soundsystem, FKA twigs, HAIM, Clairo, Sturgill Simpson, Fontaines DC, YOASOBI, Cat Power continuing her recreation of Bob Dylan’s 1966 UK tour, and many, many more.

The festival’s promoters counted a total 293,000 attendees passing through a gate, be it at the Parc del Fòrum, at the Primavera a la Ciutat program hosted across Barcelona venues during and around the core festival.

During the three main festival days, 71,000 per day showed up.

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With the help of the consultancy Experientia, Primavera Sound measured the economic impact of Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025, including both the direct impact of the event, i.e. spending by the organization, attendees, and sponsors, and the indirect impact, which includes, for instance, the perceived social value that Barcelona’s citizens assign to the event being held in their city, media value, etc.

Media value, Pollstar was told upon request, refers to the worth assigned to the festival’s presence in global media through coverage, articles, news stories, etc.

This media exposure has value based on its impact, promotion, brand building, etc., benefiting not only the festival itself but also Barcelona, the sponsors, and the associated institutions.

With all that in mind, Primavera Sound 2025 Primavera Sound closed with an economic impact of €339.5 million ($397.7 million). Of this, almost €195 million ($228) were directly generated by the event; the estimated media impact was €67.5 million ($79.1 million), and another €64 million ($75 million) in potential tax income going to the public treasury.

In addition, the Experientia report determines that Primavera Sound 2025 generated a total of 8,666 jobs, and resulted in a 0.11% increase of the total GDP of Barcelona, making it one of the top-three events with the greatest economic relevance for the city.

Looking at the direct impact of the event, Experientia estimates that the average spend of foreign attendee is €1,559.5 ($1,826.78). For attendees from Barcelona it is €268.1 ($314.05), and from the rest of Spain €581.7 ($681.4).

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