What Primavera Sound 2022 will be like: 11 days of music and 500 concerts

BarcelonaPrimavera Sound promised that, after two unsuccessful editions, when it returned it would do so through the big door, and so it will be: in 2022 the festival will be held over two weekends in the Parc del Fòrum and will have two completely different and equally eclectic line-ups, with the exception of some star bands that will do double bills on the weekends of 2 to 4 and 9 to 11 June. "It will be two different experiences", said the co-director of the festival, Alfonso Lanza, and an "unprecedented experience in the music sector". The rest of the programme, from Sunday to Wednesday, Primavera en la Ciutat, will be spread throughout the venues of Barcelona to "vindicate its role in the cultural fabric of the city", said Lanza, who mentioned the Apolo, Razzmatazz, Sidecar, Luz de Gas, la Nau, Jamboree and Bóveda, among others, a list that could be extended with municipal venues to guarantee a free offer. Every day there will be concerts in fifteen or eighteen venues in the city. So far there are more than 400 artists and 500 concerts programmed in 11 days, from Thursday 2 to Sunday 12 June 2022, in "the most ambitious edition in the history of the festival". The venues will host some 150 concerts and the Primavera will close with a brunch on the beach with live music. Primavera Pro will be held from 7 to 11 June at the CCCB.

Economic return to the city

The aim is to become the most important festival in Europe, in fact, to turn Barcelona into "the world capital of music for 10 days". "It's an important step for us and for the city. It is an opportunity to create a model of a massive festival integrated into the city, leaving its mark on the fabric where it takes place in a sustainable way. We will export this model to the festivals of Oporto and Los Angeles. We want to export it to the world under the slogan of created in Barcelona", said Lanza. On whether it will be a model that will stay like this for other upcoming editions, they have stated that for the moment "we have to prove that we are capable of making this 2022 edition".

The festival will have a budget of more than 50 million euros "which will partly reactivate the industry, something that collaborators and professionals expect". Capacity will be increased at the Fòrum, so that 400,000 people are expected throughout the week: "Imagine the economic impact for the city". It is estimated that 350,000 overnight stays will be generated in Barcelona, which will benefit all sectors linked to cultural tourism. The economic impact is estimated to be around 300 million euros. The mayor of Barcelona has explained that it will be "a pioneering experience and a benchmark that will mark the festivals of the future at international level", according to Colau, who predicted that it will be a success at all levels, for the city, for the economic sectors - and for neighbourhoods.

After two suspended editions, this "is the 20th anniversary that we owe to our attendees and to us". "We want it to be an engine of enthusiasm and a reason for joy and recovery of the sector", said Lanza. The line-up will be unveiled on Tuesday 25 May, although it is already known that one of the big names will be Antònia Font. It will be an equal line-up, they have assured. Most of the artists scheduled for 2021 will be present. All those who have a ticket will be able to choose a weekend or may return and also extend the entry. The different season tickets available also include the venues. Tickets will go on sale on 1 June.

A foundation is created

The festival has announced the creation of a foundation, with an initial budget of 200,000 euros, to bring together the social responsibility actions that are already being carried out and to generate projects linked to the neighbourhood where Primavera Sound takes place, between Barcelona (Diagonal Mar and the Besòs) and Sant Adrià de Besòs. The headquarters of the foundation will be right there and the main areas of work will be music, education, social integration, feminism, and sustainability.