With 2026 now underway, the shape of the year ahead in live music is coming into focus. There will be no Glastonbury this year, but Primavera Sound Barcelona has stepped confidently into the gap.
The 24th edition leans into what Primavera has long done best: scale without sameness. Across 150 artists, the lineup stretches comfortably across generations, genres and scenes, while maintaining a sense of internal logic. Barcelona remains central to this identity. The festival’s relationship with the city has become reciprocal over the years, with Parc del Fòrum and its surrounding spaces now inseparable from Primavera’s sound and atmosphere.
At the top of the bill sits The Cure, returning to a festival where they already hold a place in its history, bolstered by the recent acclaim of Songs of a Lost World but sadly without guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte died at age 65 on December 24, 2025, after a short illnessThey’re joined by artists who reflect Primavera’s broad view of contemporary music, including Doja Cat, The xx, Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Addison Rae and My Bloody Valentine. Together, they outline a festival comfortable moving between pop, experimental electronics, rock history and alternative culture.
Further down the bill, familiar Primavera names sit alongside newer arrivals. Artists such as Mac DeMarco, Father John Misty, Big Thief, Little Simz and Slowdive anchor the lineup, while debut appearances and returns from artists like Lola Young, Wet Leg and Einstürzende Neubauten suggest a festival still attentive to movement rather than nostalgia.
As always, the depth is where Primavera’s personality really shows. Global voices, niche experimental acts and left-field bookings sit comfortably beside pop and electronic heavyweights, forming a lineup that looks outward while also reflecting local and emerging scenes. It’s a reminder that Primavera Sound remains less about chasing consensus and more about presenting a broad, carefully assembled snapshot of where music has been and where it might be heading.
Primavera Sound Barcelona 2026 will take place from June 4–6, with an opening day on Wednesday, the Primavera Bits electronic programme on Sunday, and a city-wide schedule that once again extends well beyond Parc del Fòrum. Primavera Pro will also return from June 3–7, continuing its role as a key meeting point for the global music industry.
Go HERE for ticketing information.
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