In its third year, Primavera resurfaced after the turmoil of two pandemic years, returning with amplified energy and the familiar sense of normalcy that festivalgoers were craving. Thursday felt like a festival of a Saturday mood, a debut day unusually crowded as the Parc del Fòrum transformed into a mosaic of stages and a bubbling optimism that warmed the air. Attendees wandered among a broad lineup, from the electric grit of Kim Gordon to the bright, Mediterranean textures of Maria del Mar Bonet.
Audience energy surged in the crowd, arms raised at the Joey Bada$$ concert as the evening unfolded. The image captured the festival’s vibrant atmosphere and the sustained enthusiasm that marked Primavera’s return.
Old excitements found new life as international audiences returned in strong numbers, a trend that had become increasingly evident in recent editions. Long queues formed at the Auditori del Fòrum, the most intimate venue on the site, a space known for its Rockdelux affiliation. Here, many of the afternoon’s most anticipated moments began, including Kim Gordon, a figure who remains a bold force in no wave and indie circles and shows no signs of dialing back her intensity.
Gordon revisited the essence of her alt-rock roots with a fierce, art-punk intensity that moved the crowd to the rhythm of distorted guitars and relentless momentum. The performance drew from No Home Record (2019), delivered by a tight trio and enriched by industrial-era imagery that spoke to the decay and resilience of urban life. The set included the slow, deliberate cadence of Get Yr Life Back, ferocious eruptions on Earthquake, and a ferocious, DNA-tinged tribute to the No Wave scene in New York, reimagined with extra dissonance. Gordon’s presence remains unmistakably hers, even as she pushes further outward.
In the same hall, Maria del Mar Bonet brought a Festival debut that felt momentous. She dedicated one piece, Dansa de la primavera, in an expanded recital featuring six musicians and a panoramic survey of her work, including a song with an Eastern influence, Digues amic, that nods to Verdaguer. The recital didn’t confine Mallorca’s classics to a single moment; Merce and a tribute to two recently deceased friends, Jordi Sabatés and Pau Riba, threaded through the program. The performance bridged the present with memory, and Bonet’s voice carried every note with clarity, even when singing a cappella to honor rooted popular traditions.
A further anchor arrived with Kacey Musgraves, whose voice carried through the square in a mood affectionately dubbed Mordoh. Her set charted a path from country beginnings toward pop textures, delivering songs that felt both intimate and expansive. The Texan artist confessed to feeling “damn excited” about her Barcelona debut, offering tracks such as Good Wife and Cherry Blossom from her album Star-Crossed. The atmosphere at dusk carried an aromatic blend of pedal steel, country education, and modern pop polish, all arranged with a distinctive sense of staging that aligned with the album’s introspective mood. Comparisons to Faye Webster’s softer, melancholic roots appeared, yet Musgraves brought a sharper, more polished edge to the scene.
Yo La Tengo’s set, captured in the Barcelona Forum, underscored Primavera’s breadth by presenting a thoughtful, intimate performance in a place famed for its sea-backdrop amphitheater. The assembly of songs blended melodic clarity with the band’s characteristic sharp dissonance, a reminder of their long-standing rapport with festival crowds and the night’s evolving energy.
Even as mainstream pop found a place in Primavera’s mosaic, the festival continued to honor its post-punk origins. Les Savy Fav embodied that lineage with a performance that carried traces of past glory and a playful sense of mischief. The band’s return felt like a celebration of their impact on the scene, a nod to what once drew audiences into orbit years ago. Dinosaur Jr. followed, its electric drought and generous harmonies buoyed by the presence of J Mascis and Lou Barlow. The duo navigated a set that included Sweep It to Space, Freak Scene, Feel the Pain, and a vibrant cover of The Cure’s Just Like Heaven, all presented with their characteristic unrestrained energy.
The night began with a potent mix of guitar-driven energy and melodic care, opening doors to possibilities that bordered on the experimental. Hoboken’s legends, unpredictable as ever, gave a performance that felt both familiar and adventurous as they closed in on a sea-facing Cupra stage. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, energized by Ira Kaplan’s guitar work and the band’s signature blend of mischief and precision. From there, the night drifted toward a broader spectrum of emotions, advancing with a pace that kept the audience riveted. It was a kickoff day that set the tone for a weekend famous for headline acts and deep, underground discoveries alike, with Beck and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds among the weekend’s long-anticipated moments.