We should probably start at the end, because at Primavera Sound Barcelona, the end is usually where the whole weekend finally makes sense.
It was 4:30am on Sunday morning and Peggy Gou was stepping out for the final set of the festival weekend at the CUPRA stage. The sun was starting to come up over the seafront, everyone was running on no sleep and pure adrenaline, and we were lucky enough to be on stage for it with our friends from Twojeys in Barcelona. Some festival moments instantly become the story you tell whenever anyone asks how the weekend was. This was definitely one of them.
That feeling of ending the night with CUPRA became a bit of a theme for us throughout the weekend. CUPRA’s presence at Primavera has grown into one of the best parts of the festival, because they really understand the rhythm of the weekend, and have the two best stages by far. You end up there late, you stay longer than planned, and suddenly it becomes the place where the night peaks.
This was our third year in a row at Primavera Sound Barcelona, and it has properly become one of our summer highlights. There are not many festivals that feel this big but still this friendly. You can be watching a massive headliner one minute, then end up dancing with strangers from all over the world the next, and somehow it all feels connected. The crowd is a huge part of that. Primavera fans are open, music obsessed and genuinely lovely, which gives the whole festival a real sense of community.
At the centre of it this year for us was CUPRA Pulse, which might be the coolest electronic space at any festival we’ve been to. Sitting by the sea as an open air club, it felt like the late night heart of Primavera. Thanks to CUPRA, we were able to enjoy it from the side, which made it even easier to take in just how good the whole thing looked and sounded. The lights, the design, the sound and the crowd all came together perfectly.
[Skrillex at Cupra Pulse stage]
Skrillex was a major highlight in there, with him curating the whole lineup for Saturday. Heavy, chaotic, playful and completely alive. You could see exactly why everyone was desperate to get inside.
We started the weekend at the CUPRA Stage with PinkPantheress, who was amazing, and so were all the people we met and danced with on those amphitheater steps. Her set had that sweet, fast moving energy that makes her music feel so personal, even in front of a huge crowd. Then came KI/KI, who ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the weekend. Her Friday closing set from 4:10am to 6am was unreal, and exactly the kind of unexpected highlight you hope for at Primavera.
Dijon was another big one for us. His set had so much feeling, and brought a totally different kind of energy to the weekend. And then, because Primavera is Primavera, we somehow ended up in the middle of a mosh pit for Knocked Loose, which was ridiculous in the best way. Total chaos, but brilliant.
What really stood out was how naturally CUPRA fits into the festival now. The hospitality was amazing throughout, but it never felt separate from Primavera. It felt like CUPRA understood why people come here in the first place, to dance, discover new music, see friends, make new ones and leave with stories you could never really plan.
After three years in a row, Primavera Sound Barcelona feels less like a trip and more like a summer ritual. CUPRA played a huge part in making this year special, and we will definitely be back for many years to come. Some festivals are great because of the line up. Primavera is great because of everything around it too. The city, the people, the sea air, the late nights, the stages you stumble into and the moments you never saw coming.
And if every year can end with a sunrise CUPRA set with old friends and new, we will keep coming back for as long as they will have us. Until next time Primavera...
