IN PHOTOS: Primavera Sound draws 287,000 festivalgoers after rain-hit opening day

Primavera Sound 2026 attracted 287,000 festivalgoers, with this year's edition overshadowed by heavy rain and cancellations on Thursday. The figure is 6,000 lower than last year's attendance of 293,000.

"It's slightly below what we expected and the forecasts we had because attendance on Thursday was lower due to the rain," said Aleix Ibars, Primavera Sound's head of communications.

Festival co-director Alfonso Lanza said about 15,000 holders of Thursday day tickets will be eligible for refunds, representing between 20% and 25% of the crowd on the festival's main opening day.

Rain, strong winds and unusually cold weather dominated Thursday at the Barcelona festival, leading to the cancellation of headline performances by Massive Attack, Doja Cat and Bad Gyal.

In a statement issued on Friday, the festival said the two main stages were the "most exposed" to the weather because of their size and location, meaning organisers could not safely resume performances despite their efforts.

The festival faced criticism from festivalgoers on social media on Thursday night, but Lanza said organisers faced a "complex" situation and decided not to "overcommunicate things that could change at any moment."

"When we believed information was accurate and could be communicated, we shared it through our channels," he said.

Refunds

The festival co-director pointed out organisers are only legally required to issue refunds if more than 50% of scheduled performances are cancelled.

"We felt that people who bought tickets for Thursday to see the headliners deserved a refund and that it was the fair thing to do, even though we were under no obligation to provide one," he said.

He added that fewer than 2% of the festival's scheduled performances were cancelled.

International audience remains strong

In terms of attendance, Primavera Sound posted figures broadly in line with last year, with 62% of festivalgoers coming from abroad and 38% from Spain.

As announced on Thursday, festival organisers also confirmed that Primavera Sound will remain at Parc del Fòrum until 2030 after renewing its agreement with the Barcelona City Council.

Mar Campos, the festival's deputy director, announced that Primavera Sound 2027 will take place on June 3, 4, and 5.

Spanish PM and Catalan president

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Catalan President Salvador Illa were among those who attended Primavera Sound on Saturday evening, watching performances by The xx and a surprise set by Olivia Rodrigo.

"Primavera Sound is much more than music; it is talent, creativity and a way of showing the world a Barcelona and a Spain that are open, diverse and full of energy," Sánchez said on Instagram.

For Illa, the festival reflects Barcelona's "talent, creativity and international profile."

The Cure return

With the weather much improved from Thursday, The Cure returned to the stage at Primavera Sound on Friday, while Addison Rae, Ethel Cain, PinkPantheress, Skrillex and Einstürzende Neubauten were among the other highlights of a line-up that spanned genres and generations.

The festival's third and final main day on Saturday featured performances from Gorillaz, The xx, My Bloody Valentine, Peggy Gou, Little Simz, KNEECAP, Big Thief and Dijon.