As Primavera Sound celebrates its 25th anniversary, Barcelona is buzzing in anticipation. Renowned as one of Europe’s standout live music events, the festival showcases an extensive selection of artists and strives to engage, challenge, and inspire its audience. Over the course of a week, the team creates an environment where pop innovators meet underground club legends, reaffirming its promise to maintain a diverse, gender-balanced lineup — a commitment that made them the first international festival to achieve this in 2019. Combined with a dedication to sustainability, educational initiatives, and support for local venues, Primavera Sound exemplifies a progressive festival spirit, operating as a platform that reaches beyond its physical confines.
Tickets for this year’s edition sold out within a week of the lineup announcement, featuring three groundbreaking female headliners: Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chapell Roan. Additionally, the festival boasts performances by FKA twigs, the Irish band Fontaines D.C., the HAIM sisters, and dance-punk legends LCD Soundsystem, among many others.
Ahead of the June events, CLASH interviewed Marta Pallarès, a key member of the festival team, to delve into the organizational aspects of Primavera Sound. As the head of international press and PR, she shared insights on the goals, initiatives, and experiences that contribute to this pivotal moment in the festival’s history.
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When did you first join Primavera Sound, and what is a crucial takeaway from your tenure with the team?
Marta Pallarès: I began my journey with Primavera in 2016, starting as the project manager for the live stream, and then advancing to oversee all international press. From there, I moved up to head of press. A vital lesson I’ve learned throughout these editions is to expect the unexpected, which is quite valuable in the current industry landscape.
Primavera a la Ciutat emphasizes life beyond Parc Del Forum, featuring a concert series in various local venues. Why is it essential for Primavera Sound to integrate thoroughly with its home city?
This approach allows us to give back to the city. We are not located in a field and don’t offer camping; we’re deeply urban and proud of our connection to Barcelona. Our model is rooted here. We promote events year-round, collaborating with larger venues accommodating up to 18,000 people, as well as many smaller spaces, because we believe live music should be present in all music venues. This aspect is fundamental to the essence of the festival.
What inspired Primavera Sound to engage in the educational realm? How vital is it to you to contribute to the growth of future generations, sharing essential knowledge and experience?
Indeed, we collaborate with a diverse range of young people through our foundation, La Fundacion De Primavera. We engage with three high schools in Barcelona all year, where students receive lectures and guidance from teachers and our permanent staff about booking, production, logistics, and communications. We also partner with local universities to offer master’s programs for those aspiring to work in the music events industry.
Firstly, it’s fantastic to connect with young individuals as they provide fresh perspectives. It’s crucial because we’re cultivating our future workforce. Production and logistics require specific technical knowledge, and this initiative keeps us grounded and linked to the broader city network.
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Over the years, Primavera Sound has demonstrated its dedication to a sustainable event approach. What practices or guidelines do you have for this year's festival?
The more we learn, the more aware we become of areas for improvement, so our aim is to introduce a new improvement or function each year. This year, we will have additional stages running on sustainable energy, which is excellent. We're progressing toward becoming a plastic-free festival and are offsetting our carbon footprint through various projects. We provide a green rider for our artists, allowing them to opt for sustainable travel alternatives instead of flying. We promote eco-friendly transportation in the city, collaborating with Barcelona’s local government to extend tram and metro service hours. Additionally, we work with Greener Future, a wonderful UK organization, which audits us annually and shares their expertise.
We interpret sustainability in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. True sustainability requires gender equality — without equal access to education for girls or equal workforce opportunities for women, a sustainable future is unattainable. Our approach to sustainability encompasses not just environmental considerations but also emphasizes education, community work, diversity, and gender equality as integral elements.
This year, you’ve announced three powerful women to headline the festival. What does it mean to showcase Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chapell Roan on the main stage, and how significant is it to continue advancing equal gender representation in your line-ups?
In 2018, we found that about 37% of our artists were female without even trying, which prompted us to aim for a modest increase to 50%. Our audience resonates with that ethos, and it's reflected in our demographics. We're also increasingly acknowledging non-binary talent, as it’s essential that our
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