Primavera Sound 2024 Recap: The Best of Barcelona

Big festivals like Primavera Sound should feel more like attending the opera. Imagine wearing elbow-length gloves like Amaarae, who paired them with a striped jersey while playing a Spanish guitar version of “Reckless & Sweet.” Or perhaps you’d carry binoculars, just like the Troye Sivan fan with neon green hair and a personal singalong microphone. Embrace the grandeur!

Now, back to Troye Sivan, who is undeniably a pop star, complete with a cone bra and assless chaps. One of the most jaw-dropping moments of the festival came when he knelt to sing into a microphone positioned at the crotch of one of his incredible dancers. This was only surpassed by the shocking news of Trump’s felony conviction during Beth Gibbons’ mesmerizing set, illuminated in deep blue with a seven-piece band.

Arca was in full diva mode, singing throughout her set and wielding a smoke cannon close enough to the mic that the hissing air merged with choppy synth waves. Another standout moment was Jarvis Cocker windmilling through the outro of “Common People” without a guitar in sight. Although Justice drew a massive crowd on Thursday night, their light show seemed to overshadow their performance, perhaps explaining their constant need for sunglasses.

The true diva award, however, must go to Lana Del Rey. She started her Friday night set nearly 25 minutes late (punctual by her standards!), performing iconic tracks like “Video Games” and “Ride.” She closed with abbreviated versions of “Jimmy” (the “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop” part of “A&W”) and “Young and Beautiful.” It’s amusing how “Young and Beautiful” has far outlasted the cultural impact of the film it was recorded for, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Speaking of timelessness, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend seems barely to have aged since their 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival appearance. And the fervor for “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” remains undiminished after a decade.

Saturday headliner SZA embodied her music, hitting the splits, performing a knife dance routine to “Kill Bill,” and returning for an encore with “20 Something.” This energy was a welcome lift after a thunderstorm hit mid-Saturday, adding a dramatic flair to sets by PJ Harvey, Mitski, Bikini Kill, and American Football. Harvey dedicated an emotional rendition of “The Desperate Kingdom of Love” to her late collaborator Steve Albini, now a patron saint of the festival.

The festival’s electrifying atmosphere included Erika de Casier debuting a new club track about beachside romance, and Charli XCX unveiling a new Brat track with a similar theme. Barcelona’s magic seemed to put everyone in a romantic mood. Some lucky attendees caught Charli’s surprise early afternoon DJ set at the city beach’s west end—while others, like myself, were still recovering from Detroit’s HiTech’s energetic late-night performance at the Albini memorial stage. Their set was so powerful it even drowned out the nearby Boiler Room operation. By the way, does anyone know how to snag a spot dancing on the desk at the Boiler Room stage? I’d be game if it meant skipping the long line. Even so, the final minutes of Chicago DJ and producer Heavee’s set were exceptional.

Finally, a shoutout to the Rosalía fan who cleverly quipped “Naki, Naki, chicken teriyaki” at the Naki-branded mobile charging booth. That’s a wrap on Primavera Sound Barcelona—see you next year!