Almost a million attendees have passed through the first post-coronavirus edition of Primavera Sound and its 20th anniversary edition, kicking off the festival calendar in the city in style. Nick Cave, Gorillaz, Dua Lipa, The Strokes, The National, Tame Impala, Phoenix, and Lorde have been some of the international stars who have graced its stages, where local artists such as Manel, Rigoberta Bandini, Amaia, Bad Gyal, María José Llergo, and Antònia Font have also been seen, adding up to more than 500 bands over 12 days. "An absolutely historic edition in every sense," summarizes the organization. Despite the controversies and criticisms of local administrations, its co-directors, Gabi Ruiz and Alfonso Lanza, have announced that they will sign a contract to remain in the Catalan capital until 2027. "We are a Barcelona festival," Ruiz emphasized.
Its permanence in the Parc del Fòrum for the next five years will be combined with its arrival in Madrid, repeating this year's double edition, but dividing it into two venues from now on. Thus, Primavera Sound will return to Barcelona from June 1 to 3, 2023, and then move from June 8 to 10 to Arganda del Rey.
The organization has flatly ruled out repeating an exclusively Barcelona edition like this year's and has insisted on the good reception they have received in Madrid, as well as the possibilities offered by the Ciudad del Rock in Arganda del Rey, specifically designed to host festivals and with a capacity of 110,000 people, above the average of the 77,000 who visited them this year.
Regarding the problems that occurred in this edition, with long queues and crowds, Primavera Sound has requested one more week of setup to avoid them, maintaining the dates in June, taking into account the contracting calendar of American bands. Despite the disagreements with the Barcelona City Council, Ruiz thanked the involvement of its mayor, Ada Colau, who met with the organization on the first day of the festival, in finding solutions. They have also demanded more collaboration from the Sant Adrià de Besòs City Council.
This edition of Primavera Sound has left 349 million euros in the city. "It is the event with the most economic impact for the city after the Mobile World Congress," Lanza stated. Thanks to the festival, the hotel sector has slammed the door on the COVID crisis, reaching full occupancy in June, a level they hadn't seen in years.