Music for the people

Primavera Sound Barcelona takes place in the spring, but we may consider it a summer festival, thanks (?) to climate change. This humongous musical event goes on for a week on the last week of May and the first days of June. Its numbers are astonishing: 500.000 people attended in 2022; more than 400 bands and musicians; and five cities (Barcelona, Madrid, Oporto, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires).

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, venues like Apolo offer smaller concerts. The action moves to the Forum on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The audience can listen to their favourite headliners and discover new talent there. Pixies, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, Kendrick Lamar, Neil Young, Sonic Youth, Portishead, Pet Shop Boys, Echo & The Bunnymen, Lou Reed, Pulp, Patti Smith, The White Stripes, PJ Harvey, New Order, The Cure, Marianne Faithfull, Blur, Miley Cyrus or Solange are just a few of the many names that have performed in their stages. It is worth it, no matter if you must walk miles to get from one place to another.

You shouldn’t miss two more festivals: Cruïlla Barcelona and Sonar Barcelona 2023. Sonar started in 1994 as the go-to European electronic and alternative music festival. It has diversified its offer a bit since then, but it is still fundamental to discover new talent in this field. During three days in mid-June, artists Björk, Kate Tempest, Lana del Rey, LCD Soundsystem, Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier, De La Soul and Kanye West played there. Sonar Day and Sonar Night, or both if you dare, are incredible experiences.

Cruïlla Barcelona is a bit younger (it only started in 2005 in a town near Barcelona, Mataró), but it also has die-hard fans. It is smaller and more family-friendly, and tons of fun! Initially, it leaned towards world music. Still, by now, it has hosted a wide variety of artists such as Alabama Shakes, Bomba Estéreo, Esperanza Spalding, Jamiroquai, Pet Shop Boys, The Prodigy, The Lumineers, Jack White, David Byrne, Orbital, The Black Eyed Peas, Kylie Minogue. It usually takes place in the first week of July, and its location by the sea makes it an excellent activity to enjoy summer.

But if you enjoy smaller venues and not-so-big hordes of people, Festival de Pedralbes might be just your ticket. Originally, it was held in the beautiful Pedralbes Gardens in Avinguda Diagonal, but a series of bureaucratic problems have made that impossible. The Festival has now moved to Poble Espanyol, although it keeps the name. From mid-July until the month's end, you can enjoy artists like Chris Isaac, Toquinho or Anastasia on the hill of Montjuïch, where the scorching temperatures are milder.

Barcelona summer festivals 2023 are a must to understand the city you live in. Don’t miss them!