The severe rainstorm on Thursday, the first day of Primavera Sound Barcelona, will remain a point of discussion in this edition of the festival. Sadly, the headliner acts (Massive Attack, Doja Cat, Bad Gyal) and more that day were canceled, but safety is first, especially when parts of the main stage screens and panel speakers fall due to the wind.

Thankfully, Thursday-ticket holders can request refunds, and although some things should’ve been handled better in terms of communication – which I’ll expand on later – that can’t be the main focus of a weekend that also gave us that very same day unforgettable shows from Cameron Winter and his fronted band Geese, a mastodontic show from The Cure on Friday, and a feature-stacked set from Gorillaz on Saturday.

This year’s edition of Primavera Sound Barcelona gathered a cross-generational lineup. The Gen Z pop diva spectacle of Addison Rae, followed by Gen X/Baby Boomer gothic rock and catchy tunes from The Cure, and then, to cap it off, the Millennial/Gen Z crowd for Skrillex, all on on the same day. Not that these are the only generations that enjoy these artists, but there was a palpable difference in age groups depending on the set and day you attended the festival. In contrast, 2025 was much more pop-laden. That year, the headliners were Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan, probably some of the most important pop artists of 2025.

Day One: Probably the worst day due to the rainstorm, yet still unmissable.

Cameron Winter (Auditori Fòrum)

I realized the massive growth Cameron Winter and his band Geese have had since Getting Killed was released last year when arriving at the Parc Del Fòrum three hours before his solo set could mean you're not making it in for his solo set at the Auditori (which has a capacity of around 3000 people). Even the press/VIP line was packed.

His set was moving, more than I had expected. He arrived at the scene, adjusted his stool (hitting it aggressively on the floor a few times), sat facing almost back to the audience, and kicked off with “Try As I May.” He performed tracks from his only solo album to date, Heavy Metal, as well as two unreleased tracks, which he performs only live: “If You Turn Back Now” and “Emperor XIII In Shades.” These renditions sound very different from the album: darker and with added piano arrangements, as the songs were stripped of their other instrumentation. “Love Takes Miles” surprised me the most. It’s still very catchy and impactful without the drums; Cameron adds so much movement with the piano. 

Cameron’s engagement with the crowd was unsettling and funny. Once, he stood up after a song, and, unprompted, dropped to the floor in a fetal position and started spinning. Then, he readjusted the stool like he did at the start (hitting it aggressively on the floor a few times) and continued his recital. In another instance, a woman in the crowd shouted “Cameron, te amo!” and the Geese frontman responded with smooching sounds on the mic.

The staging was very minimalistic: a piano, a mic, a stool, and a sparse light setup consisting of a spotlight from above, two on each side, and one in front of him. “$0” was a special one. That particular performance made the most of the setup. During the verses, Cameron almost blended with the background; the light in front of him created a silhouette that was captivating to see. Then, during the climax, when Cameron sings “God is real,” a row of overhead lights reserved just for that moment is pointed at the audience.

Geese (Occident Stage)

Hot on the heels of their performance the previous day at Sala Paral·lel 62 for Primavera a la Ciutat (which I’ll talk about as a bonus section in this article), and two hours after Cameron's solo performance at the Auditori, the band of the moment, Geese, was about to make their debut at Primavera Sound Barcelona, and Spain (if you don’t count the A la Ciutat performance). The New York outfit delivered a historic set, one for the books. Featuring songs off their most recent output, Getting Killed, but also their previous outing, 3D Country. 

Although I find the latter the most catchy and definitely more sing-along, with tracks like “I See Myself” (which the whole crowd chanted in unison), and "Cowboy Nudes" – which included an interpolation of Pink Floyd’s "Interstellar Overdrive" at this performance – I was surprised by how much more punchy and powerful songs from Getting Killed sound live.

“Husbands,” whose final chorus sounds thicker, fuller, and more climactic live. And “Bow Down,” with that instrumental break after the bridge that gets the crowd going into massive mosh pits. In fact, I wasn’t expecting so many mosh pits and pogos for a band like Geese — except songs like “2122” and “Trinidad” — but they were surprisingly good and chaotic. Commendable, when you put into fact that it started raining fairly early into the performance, which gave us memorable moments like Cameron singing “Barcelona! Underwater!” (instead of New York City), which, at the time, was funny, but it then felt like a bad omen when the rainstorm hit harder. Even “Trinidad” was sadly cut short due to safety hazards. The whole band was fighting through the torrential rainstorm and abrasive wind — Max Bassin’s drumset was holding out for its life during those last minutes. 

Massive Attack (Estrella Damn Stage)

Near 9pm, part of the screen and a speaker panel of the stage Alex G was supposed to perform on fell. As a consequence, his set was canceled, and both main stages were shut down until further notice. This meant Massive Attack, whom I was planning to see, didn't perform.

Many attendees have offered harsh criticism without taking into account the safety hazards posed by the wind. Though I will say, and this is where the festival could take some notes as constructive criticism, the communication was mishandled. Canceled sets were notified noticiably earlier and first on the official Instagram account than in the main panels on every stage, or even on the app. This is very bothersome when you’re in a torrential rainstorm, and the signal is off at times; priority should be given to the main panels. 

At one point, it seemed like Massive Attack’s set was going to happen at 12:30am, instead of the planned 21:55pm. A genuine attempt from the band and organizers to try and delight us with the performance they had in mind, one with bespoke content, as the trailblazer collective said in a statement on Instagram. Unfortunately, after half an hour in the rain, it was canceled. Again, it would've been better if that info came through the main panels before the Instagram channel...

2hollis (Cupra Stage)

The distorted bass and melodic synthesizers of the EDM-inspired trap cuts from 2hollis set sounded tremendous live. Everyone in that crowd who had endured the rainstorm and was still doing so really wanted to be there, and it showed in their engagement with every song. The throbbing beats of “Flash” burst in tandem with a flashing lightshow, and the pouring rain was striking. And I really liked the longer intro for “gold,” which breaks into a distorted, pulsing drop. I can’t imagine this set in daylight; it fit perfectly in the early morning.

Day 2: Inter-generational lineup.

Texas Is The Reason (Schwarzkopf)

At the Schwarzkopf, the post-hardcore outfit Texas Is The Reason performed all of their hits and best tracks, which everyone knew. Perhaps because they only have one album, the influential Do You Know Who You Are? I was mesmerized by the energy of bassist Scott Winegard; it was contagious. Every time the crowd would scream the song's word-for-word, crowdsurf, or form mosh pits, you could see his face light up, start jumping, and go harder. This was a stark contrast with guitarist John Herguth, who remained stone-faced the entire show, from what I recall; no issue, of course, just found it funny, especially as he was right next to Winegard. A bunch of the crowd were new fans who were seeing them for the first time (me included). I liked it when Garrett Klahn talked about how “these songs are for everyone,” commemorating the 30th anniversary of their seminal LP. Knowing how many new and old fans were there, it really speaks to the theme of cross-generation in this lineup. 

The Cure (Estrella Damn Stage)

14 years after they last set foot at Parc Del Fòrum, and kicking off their festival run, The Cure deliver a gigantic 2 and a half hour set at Estrella Damm stage. A trek through their expansive discography, a remarkable achievement of their long-standing career, full of hits and acclaimed albums. The setlist leans more on their poppier side, so don’t expect the darker sounds of albums like Pornography. They also didn’t play more than two cuts from Songs Of A Lost World. But the hits were there, and surprise deep cuts as well (like "2 Late," which they hadn’t performed since 2019). It was an emotional rollercoaster.

When “Boys Don’t Cry” put an end to the show, Robert Smith seemed moved by the standing ovation he received from the public, and stayed for a while thanking everyone on both sides of the stage. Even though I’m too young to have lived through most eras of The Cure, that moment stirred something inside me. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt for the mainly older crowd who have attached memories to each album cycle.

Skrillex (Revolut Stage)

The day of his set, Skrillex released a surprise new album – the second this year – titled SOMA, and, while other artists would be wary of including many newer songs on a setlist, Sonny decided it was a great opportunity to do a sort of premiere of his new album, and he succeeded, in my opinion; the album is full of bangers. With a staging full of pyrotechnics, he performed a high-octane set featuring 10 songs from his new album.

Fan classics in the likes of “Summit,” “Where are Ü Now,” and “Make It Bun Dem,” tracks from Quest For Fire, and covers/remixes coincided. He really understands how to command a crowd, transitioning in quieter sections to let everyone catch their breath. 

Viagra Boys (Occident Stage)

Viagra Boys are a behemoth. The sound was impeccable, and Sebastian Murphy is a beast of a different kind. During “Sports,” he started doing push-ups until his body couldn’t take it anymore (which wasn’t too long) and started to babble on the mic whilst on the floor. When he stood up and started chatting before the next song, the mic was noticeably clipping and emitting a shrill static. During the next track, the mic stopped working altogether, but they got it working soon enough. What would otherwise have been a malfunction you wouldn’t want to happen in another show, in this one, it was part of the ride. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Day 3: The best one.

Little Simz (Revolut Stage)

Wearing a Spanish National Team jersey, Little Simz took the stage by hand performing songs from Lotus, NO THANK YOU, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, and GREY Area. Demonstrating what a brilliant and consistent discography she has, and that she's also one of the best contemporary Hip Hop artists. It’s a great move to have a live band; it elevates songs like "Introvert," with its marching drums and epic feel. At one point, the band left, and Simbi took center stage to play tracks off her two EPs, Sugar Girl and Drop 7, on a DJ setup. A moment to let steam off and just dance. It was followed by the Obongjayar-assisted tracks “Lion” and “Point And Kill,” back-to-back, which meant more dancing and singing. It was a triumphant set that closed with “Gorilla.” I missed more hip hop sets of this caliber at this year’s lineup.

Dijon (Cupra Stage)

This was the biggest surprise of the whole festival and one of my favorites of this year’s Primavera Sound Barcelona. Dijon’s music is meant to be experienced live. All the emotion and rawness are felt thanks to the staging — it looks like a last-minute setup, with road cases used as tables and pendant lights, all very organic-feeling — Dijon’s voice and soul, wearing a headset microphone, strolling freely across the stage while singing or playing the guitar. The sound was crisp, one of the best at not only Cupra Stage but in general. It’s ignited in me a new love for his albums, which, honestly, never really clicked for me before, with the exception of a few tracks I tended to come back to.

Gorillaz (Estrella Damn Stage)

Before heading to the stage, Gorillaz invited Palestinian activist Aarab Barghouti, the son of imprisoned political leader Marwan Barghouti. To reclaim the freedom of his father and thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. After a few moments of silence, the virtual band helmed by Damon Albarn hit the stage with "The Mountain" intro. They introduced many cuts from the newest album, a journey of spirituality paired with surprise guests like Little Simz, Kara Jackson, Yasiin Bey, Bootie Brown, and Posdnuos, as well as hits such as "Dirty Harry," "Feel Good Inc.," and "Clint Eastwood." The combination may not always work and feel stark, but those hits couldn't be left off the setlist.

Some stray shout outs:

• Olivia Rodrigo's last-minute performance, premiering her new single with Robert Smith. An incredibly tight set with most of her hits and best songs.
• Sudan Archives exceeded my expectations. One of the best performers of the festival when it comes to engaging with the crowd. At one point, she took a fan from the crowd to dance while she performed, and they smashed it; the crowd was cheering the whole time. Very entertaining.
• Ralphie Choo stormed onto the stage to the sound of the driving beats, psychedelic, and flamenco-tinted ear-candy “PIRRI,” one of my favorite singles from his upcoming album. He followed that with two more singles, and the Rusowsky collab “BBY ROMEO,” which was all I squeezed before heading to Estrella Damn to get a spot for The Cure.
• Rusowski, a member of the Rusia IDK (which Ralphie Choo is part of, too), I missed most of his set, but he's definitely being allocated a bigger stage than Cupra if he comes back next year. Same as PinkPantheress, and of course, Ninajirachi, which had the Porto stage filled to the brim.

And now for something special...

Below, find my coverage of Geese's exclusive concert at Sala Paral·lel 62 for Primavera a la Ciutat: