Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020: a triumphant lineup to celebrate 20 years of the #bestfestivalforever
· 211 artists of 35 nationalities make up a lineup that looks backwards, forwards and every which way, that is panoramic, diverse and gender-balanced
· The number of days in the Parc del Fòrum have increased to include Sunday 7th June, with a Brunch –On The Beach party headlined by a Disclosure DJ Set, Nina Kraviz, Amelie Lens and Black Coffee
· Tickets for the festival on sale on Thursday, January 16th, from 10:00 on primaverasound.com and DICE
Of course twenty years of music fit into one single lineup. And so much more than that. Today, Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020 presents the full lineup of its 20th anniversary, that will take place from 3rd to 7th June in the Parc del Fòrum and that will welcome the most far-reaching, open and inclusive list of artists in its history: a real collection of disciplines, emotions and origins that celebrates the role of the festival as a central pillar of the cultural zeitgeist in the last two decades. 211 artists of 35 nationalities form a lineup that more than ever looks back as well as looking forward, with as much passion as on the first day. Every one of Primavera Sound lineups has been a snapshot of the music of its time. So the lineup of the 20th anniversary of the Barcelona festival had to be a snapshot of all of that time, a party that would reflect the identity that had been built over the years with the same enthusiasm with which we started 20 years ago. The enthusiasm we know we share with all of you. All those Primavera Sounds that you can remember, and all of those you can imagine, are represented this year. From #bestfestivalever to #bestfestivalforever.
THE FESTIVAL WITH NO SMALL PRINT
The admiration that we feel for each and every one of the artists that we programme makes us an artistically democratic and horizontal festival, all the names have the same weight. We are proud to welcome Tyler, The Creator again almost a decade after his first appearance at the festival in 2011 with Odd Future, now proclaimed the new king of hip hop thanks to his superb latest album IGOR. But we are also proud to have the earthquake Little Simz, back by popular demand for the second year running; Lana del Rey at the height of her creativity with the critically acclaimed Norman Fucking Rockwell! and Weyes Blood with her beautiful and intricate songwriting; The Strokes about to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the seminal Is This It and Fontaines D.C. as the flag bearers of a new generation of guitar bands; Bad Bunny as the shiniest star of contemporary urban music and Bad Gyal who has become the emblem for an entire generation; Pavement for an exclusive reunion to play in Barcelona and at NOS Primavera Sound Porto and the comeback of Bikini Kill at the perfect moment; the eternal innovators Massive Attack and the reencounter, at last, of Chromatics; the country pop star Kacey Musgraves and King Princess who is destined for brilliant pop glory; the titan of North American hip hop Young Thug and the king of slow motion folk Bill Callahan; Beck for his first visit to the festival and the relentless Brittany Howard with her first solo album. All the music at this festival is important.
THE LEGENDARY FESTIVAL
A festival doesn’t celebrate 20 years without a constellation of names around it that forms its own universe, setting it apart from the rest and allowing it to build its own mythology whilst paying tribute to the musicians who, from the festival’s point of view, are legendary. Because the icon of soul Mavis Staples, the great lady of Catalan song Maria del Mar Bonet, the re-discovery of the Brazilian gem Arthur Verocai, the living legend Iggy Pop, the tireless Kim Gordon presenting her first solo album under her own name, two reggaeton pioneers DJ Playero and Ñejo, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott thrashing out their pre, during and post-The Housemartins career, the new resurrection of the gothic legends Bauhaus, the idols of post-hardcore Jawbox, the eternal Jeff Mills, The Jesus and Mary Chain dusting off their album Darklands for the occasion (and playing on the Wednesday –free for the general public) and the veteran grindcore turbine Napalm Death are all universal icons in 2020. Total respect to them all.
THE FESTIVAL IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Now that is a challenge: if on a festival poster you take off the year, can you situate it in time precisely? Primavera Sound happens in the present. That is why it evolves at the same speed as its context. The fact that the festival continues to be in sync with its time is guaranteed by several names that reflect what 2020 sounds like in its broadest conception. Any contemporary article would be incomplete if it didn’t mention the dynamic King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the vigorous vision of hip hop by the revolutionary collective BROCKHAMPTON, the soul with a message by Jamila Woods, the new folklore from Helado Negro and Jessica Pratt, the pop fantasies by Caroline Polachek and Kim Petras, Carolina Durante and black midi as the personification (each in their own way) of the new era of guitars, the mystery of King Krule and the soothing songs by Ferran Palau. All of them are here and now. So, how could they not be at Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020?
THE FESTIVAL IN THE FUTURE TENSE
Although an anniversary invites one to look back, the lineup could not be understood if it was not full of stories still to be told that encourage you to look forward with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. Generating new classics that join those that already exist is one of the aspirations that has got us to where we are today and, without a doubt, the future is served by the Jamaican artist Koffee, the Latin phenomena Paloma Mami, the boss of Argentinian trap Duki, the pop future by Hannah Diamond, 100 gecs and their electronic music from Matrix, Black Country, New Road demonstrating that guitars are still in good hands, the captivating choruses by Mabel, the little big songs by girl in red and new R&B incarnated by the violinist Sudan Archives and by Mariah The Scientist. The first chapter of their history at Primavera Sound will be written in 2020: welcome to our favourite artists of tomorrow.
THE CHALLENGING FESTIVAL
Who wants to be content in their comfort zone forever? This is one of the striking differences of this festival: in every corner, on every stage, at any moment you can find a challenging proposal that you will never forget once you have seen it live. For example, watching Einstürzende Neubauten making jaws drop, freaking out with the sound performance by the pioneer Jordi Valls and his project Vagina Dentata Organ, dancing to the funk of the Mali band Les Amazones d’Afrique, asking yourself what the pop of today sounds like when confronted with the bracing sounds by the Japanese born British artist Rina Sawayama, going crazy to the noise frenzy of Lightning Bolt and the happy hardcore by Gabber Modus Operandi, or letting yourself marvel at the new madness of the local heroes Za! (on this occasion accompanied by something they have called TransMegaCobla and the Barcelona duo Tarta Relena) or leaving all prejudices aside whilst watching the pop extra-terrestrial Richard Dawson, the subversive j-punk by Otoboke Beaver or the queen of bounce Big Freedia. That is also what Primavera Sound is all about: embracing risk.
THE HOME FESTIVAL
Please don’t forget to bring the family to this year’s festival: they made Primavera Sound. The gates of the Parc del Fòrum will open and we will meet, once again, with old friends with whom we have grown over the years. Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr. and The National will come back to renew a commitment that in reality is already eternal. Also Black Lips and Les Savy Fav will be at the festival again a decade after their last visit and that love at first sight called Amaia and C. Tangana, who is now a consolidated pop idol. Kurt Vile, the local heroes Manel, Metronomy (who will all play on Wednesday free for the general public) together with Núria Graham. Even Le Hammond Inferno, representatives of the festival’s first edition will be back to do a DJ set. Once at Primavera Sound, always at Primavera Sound. And of course the two house DJs will also be there, DJ Fra and DJ Coco, who will recover his slot on Saturday to close the triple 20 on a spectacular high. And Shellac? Obviously they wouldn’t miss this celebration. They are already ready to put their name in the lineup for the fourteenth time.
THE CLUB FESTIVAL
If we look back at the first year of the festival in 2001 in the Poble Espanyol, it is clear that Primavera Sound was born with an electronic music soul. An essence that has gained weight in recent years thanks to the expansion of the festival site towards the beach of Sant Adrià de Besòs and the inclusion of the microworld Primavera Bits, orientated towards the most festive sounds in the widest sense of the word. And it was patently obvious that at its twentieth edition, there would be plenty of dancing at Primavera Sound. Not only in Primavera Bits but all over the Parc del Fòrum site, by welcoming Disclosure’s return, with the presentation of the long awaited new album by Caribou, the new incarnation of Floating Points accompanied by the Falaise Ensemble, the colossal queer pop from Brazilian artist Pabllo Vittar, the good chaos of Squarepusher, DJ Shadow with his constant homage to that dance music, the veneration of hedonism by DJ Harvey and Honey Dijon, lysergic beats from BICEP, the versatile Josey Rebelle, a DJ set from the producer and genius of soundtracks Mica Levi and that mysterious word search puzzle AEAEA that conceals the new project by Nicolas Jaar and Patrick Higgins.
THE BEACH FESTIVAL (ALSO ON SUNDAY)
In fact, the Primavera Bits beach will host an extra day of the festival for the first time on Sunday 7th June. In association with Brunch -In Barcelona, Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020 will last for one more day with a closing party on that very beach headlined by a Disclosure DJ set, the techno goddess Nina Kraviz, the energetic Amelie Lens and the South African artist Black Coffee. This day will be included in the full festival ticket, but a limited number of day tickets will also be on sale on DICE and Resident Advisor.
THE STREET FESTIVAL
On the street, right down at ground level is where many of these proposals, which the world will assimilate on the festival’s stage, start taking form. Being at Primavera Sound 2020 will entail understanding that the classical hip hop by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib and Rapsody can be just as contemporary as the experimental vision by Earl Sweatshirt; that the laws of the hood are universal whether they come with the French accent of PNL, the emperors of Paris, or with the British accent of a pillar of grime such as Kano; or that reggaeton is ready to lay down its own future with daring projects such as Sangre Nueva (unprecedented alliance between DJ Florentino, Kelman Duran and DJ Python). To connect to that street spirit in its purest form aided by the fact that Yung Beef, an icon that goes beyond just music, is back to curate his own stage, El Punto, after its inauguration last year. He is the best godfather possible to introduce us to the rebellious rap speeches by BigKlit and Cuban Doll, to Sonido la Changa’s cumbiera fiesta, to the versatile flow by Killavesi and to the potential of Pablo Chill-E, MVP of new Chilean trap who will play with Yung Beef himself.
THE PLANET FESTIVAL
During the week of the festival, the whole world has its eyes on Primavera Sound. That is why the festival insists on providing a window for the local scene and also a meeting point for artists from far away. And that is why the lineup includes the mythical band Biscuit along with the newcomers CARLA, Chaqueta de Chándal, Rombo and Pantocrator as representatives of the Catalan underground scene and the South Korean producer Park Hye-Jin, the sociological synth-pop by Norwegian artist Jenny Hval, the transoceanic pop anthems from the Argentinians Las Ligas Menores, the Israeli singer Noga Erez with her polymorphic pop, the post-punk gems by the Turkish band Jakuzi, Zambian flow from Sampa the Great, Italian tradition by Iosonouncane, Sao Paulo’s Teto Preto’s non-gerenic party, the fresh ding-a-ling -made in Australia- by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and the “tiny dance” by the Colombian artist Ela Minus. Primavera Sound, from Barcelona to the world.
THE COMMITTED FESTIVAL
#bestfestivalforever? Yes, but also #betterfestivalforever. To be a better festival every year, to learn along the way, has been, is and always will be an objective that is not only about music. In the twenty years of its existence, Primavera Sound has assimilated and has taken on board as an integral part of the organisation a multitude of measures aimed at boosting a reality which is as close to its best possible version as possible. A commitment to organising an event that is environmentally responsible, committed to the 17 sustainable development goals of the UN and to a gender-balanced lineup, that is diverse and inclusive representing all the forms of existence connect Primavera Sound to the world. In 2020 this will continue.
THE TWENTY-YEAR OLD FESTIVAL
2001 was the year of Armand Van Helden and friends. 2002 that of Britpop with Pulp, Tindersticks and Spiritualized. 2003 was the expansion in the Poble Espanyol with The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian and the characteristic first alphabetic poster. 2004 was the smash hit of the first Pixies reunion, but also the year of PJ Harvey, Primal Scream and Wilco. 2005 was the move to the Parc del Fòrum, the beginning of a new era. 2006 was the year of Lou Reed and Motörhead. In 2007 The White Stripes and Wilco came back, Patti Smith came for the first time, and Sonic Youth played Daydream Nation. In 2008 it was the turn of Public Enemy and the double concert by Portishead and that first concert by Vampire Weekend in the early hours of the morning. In 2009 Neil Young landed and… the world stood still. In 2010 came the first Pavement reunion, the second Pixies comeback and the debut of The xx. In 2011 Pulp and PJ Harvey came back and Sufjan Stevens appeared. In 2012 Jeff Mangum emerged from his lethargy, The Cure played for 3 hours, and A$AP Rocky took the stage by storm. In 2013 Blur and The Postal Service reformed and Tame Impala debuted. 2014 was the year of #bestfestivalever, with Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails and Kendrick Lamar. In 2015 came The Strokes, Patti Smith and her band played Horses and The Replacements came back. 2016 was the year of Radiohead, of LCD Soundsystem and of Brian Wilson singing his Pet Sounds. 2017, the year of Arcade Fire, Bon Iver and The xx, the generational changeover and the unexpecteds. 2018 was that of the Arctic Monkeys, Björk and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Lorde’s debut. 2019 was that of Rosalía, J Balvin, Solange, Janelle Monáe and Tame Impala… and #TheNewNormal.
And the 2020 festival will be the #bestfestivalforever.
Primavera Sound, 20 in 2020. Making your dreams come true since 2001.
INFORMATION ABOUT TICKET SALES
Full festival tickets for Primavera Sound Barcelona 2020 are on sale exclusively on Primavera Sound’s website and DICE, on Thursday January 16th from 10:00. The price of the full festival tickets is 195 € plus booking fee.
VIP full festival tickets will also be on sale for 400 € plus booking fee.
Travel packages are available through Festicket.
Primavera Sound once again has the support of Heineken, SEAT and Pull & Bear as fundamental strategic partners, with a participation that will include significant novelties that we will reveal over the next few months. adidas Originals will also be present at our 20th anniversary, deepening its commitment to the urban scene, as well as Desperados, Aperol and Lotus that continue to support Primavera Bits that continues to expand. The alliance with ticketing platform DICE also starts this year to stamp out ticket touting and achieve a 100% mobile festival. As always, the festival wants to express its gratitude to all the collaborators for their fundamental support to undertake our most ambitious festival and to celebrate these 20 years of music together.
