No matter what type of music you like, the venue you'd like to enjoy it in, the days you want to be at the festival, whether you prefer large crowds or small groups, from now until September you could be at one or more festivals every week. Do you want to enjoy summer nights with different artistic disciplines? Grab your planner, recharge your batteries, and start planning your summer nights.
Lots of music
Jofre Font, a cultural journalist at TV3 - 3Cat, has been attending music festivals for 30 years. He made his debut in 1995, taking a bus to Reading in the United Kingdom, just turned 18. Since then, he hasn't stopped; he's been to every edition of Primavera Sound, Vida Festival, Cruïlla, Sónar since his third year (before that, he was too young). He spent a decade attending FIB Benicàssim… hundreds of festivals from Tokyo to San Francisco, Buenos Aires, and Budapest. "I'm lucky that I have to go to many of them for work, but if not, I would still go. I like macro-festivals; I'm curious, and this format allows you to see a lot in a short time," he says.
Over the years, the formats and the way we experience festivals have changed. There's now a much wider range of offerings, and most are very large. There are acts that overlap, and you have to choose what you want to see. He explains that the perception of festivals has changed: tiny. Last year, Pulp played to 60,000 people!
Vida Festival is one of the few festivals that hasn't grown in capacity. They could accommodate more than double the number of people, but they're clear they want to continue this way, taking care of the details. However, to deliver original, daring musical offerings that end up being featured at many festivals, its director, Dani Poveda, and his team have been working for Vida 2026 for over five months. "Getting the musicians we want, especially those of an international level, means competing against large multinationals," says Po. He acknowledges that the lineup is the most complicated, "despite the fact that we don't have the dictatorship of the big headliners and that almost half of our audience buys their tickets before knowing the program, we spend all year listening to music to make the best choice," he comments with satisfaction.
A few years ago, venue concerts were a significant force, but this trend is changing. "Now there are many artists who you either see at a festival or you don't see them at all," Font recalls, adding that if you also consider the prices of concerts outside of festivals, even though they may be longer, it's worth buying a pass or going to the festival on a specific day.
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Primavera Sound | June 4-8
From Barcelona to the world. No one wants to miss Primavera Sound, which is probably why nearly 270,000 people from all over the world attended last year. All the music you can imagine and more.primaverasound.com
Sónar Festival | June 12-14
The city's digital culture hub, bringing together people from 90 countries. Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night, Sónar+D, AI & Music... you won't miss it!sonar.es
Vida Festival | July 3-5
The Vilanova i la Geltrú International Festival remains true to its unique character, bringing the best music of the moment from both the national and international scene, without the desire to expand beyond measure. Take advantage of it because, as they say, life is short.vidafestival.com
Canet Rock | July 5
It's only a day, but it offers so much that you'll feel like you've been there for at least two. You'll find the highlights of the Catalan music scene, and you're guaranteed to see the sunrise.canetrock.cat
Crossing Festival | July 9-12
They're celebrating their first 15 years with a spectacular lineup. And in addition to music, there's once again art, comedy, and the social commitment to creating a sustainable festival that cares for the environment and its people.cruillabarcelona.com
PRACTICAL TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE MACRO FESTIVALS
Are you new to macro-festivals? You haven't been in years and don't know exactly how to organize yourself to make the most of it? Here are the tips from Jofre Font, cultural journalist for TV3 - 3Cat.
Pacify your energy. At festivals that last two or more days, if you plan to go every day, keep this in mind on the first night: don't give it your all. If you get too carried away by the initial euphoria, you could lose steam by the second and third days. Pacify your energy to enjoy the festival and make it to the end in one piece.
Plan ahead. Especially if you want to take advantage of the artistic experience, plan ahead. Check the schedule and plan the route that best suits you to see what interests you. If your goal is to go to the festival is more social, there's no need to plan ahead as much.
Choose the venues. At the larger festivals, especially Primavera Sound, but also at all of them, if you're not particularly interested in the artist on the main stages when selecting concerts, take a closer look at the smaller stages. The closer they are, the more intense and better the experience. So, when in doubt, go for the smaller one.
Food and drinks. Try to make sure these logistical issues don't take away from your music time. Avoid peak hours, which are easy to predict, and book in advance to avoid waiting in lines. Each festival has its own policy regarding the admission of food and drinks; check them out and decide what's best for you.
Restrooms. Locate them before the start of the day. The most practical ones are those located in the passageways; take advantage of the transitions between stages, especially when the audience isn't moving during a big concert. You'll also want to use the restrooms on stages where there aren't any performances.
The return journey. Be clear about how you want to return to avoid wasting as much time as possible and tiring yourself out, especially if you have more days of festival time ahead of you. Many festivals have bike parking, which is a practical option. If you opt for public transport, consider whether you'd prefer to leave a little earlier and save yourself an hour or more of waiting. You can also stay a little longer after the concert and take advantage of the DJs, while also avoiding downtime, lines, and waiting.
THE CATALAN SCENE AT FESTIVALS
"Although this year Sónar has a powerful Catalan premiere with Maria Arnal presenting her new show, Ama , and there will also be Mushka and Alizzz, the Catalan musical presence has been losing ground at festivals that traditionally focus on foreign artists of the moment," comments Franc Lluís, a journalist for Icat and Catalunya Ràdio. He believes that an opportunity to put local bands on the European and international map is being missed, although he understands that they have a clear idea of their target audience and these options don't fit them as well, except for Vida, one of the few major festivals with Catalan voices and bands. People looking for these offerings are very clear that they should go to Canet Rock, Cabró Rock, or Cruïlla.
On the contrary, there are an increasing number of festivals in regional capitals with a strong presence of bands from the Catalan scene who are returning to more than one festival. These are bands positioned in the Catalan mainstream and touring their new show, such as Figa Flawas, Mushka, Julieta, The Tyets, Mamá Dousha, Ginestà, or Alérgicas en el Polen. Lluís asserts that Canet Rock is like the biggest festival of all festivals: "Years ago, if you followed the Catalan scene, you would find the bands at the biggest festivals. Now, with the new festival culture, Canet Rock and Cabró Rock are a new space for people starting to go out." They are festivals with very similar lineups where Catalan bands triumph. You can go one night and see many in the same venue. "It's a kind of premium lineup of biggest festivals concentrated in a 10-hour festival," he concludes.
