A Guide To The Primavera 2026 Line-Up

Primavera Sound prides itself on its unique DNA, in a field of announcements with similar names each year the Primavera line up always offers a unique perspective, with acts no one else has that spans nostalgic legends, new superstars, indie darlings and the downright weird.  

Before we get underway, this is a deeper dive to the artists confirmed thus far, there is also a more general guide to the festival and Barcelona you can find here. Also, if you are joining the festival this year and want to speak with some like minded folk, or if you are a solo traveller - come and join our WhatsApp community.

The Cupra Stage / Shazad

While the big acts always excite it’s the blend of pop, rock, R&B, electronica, hip-hop and experimental music, that gives the festival and the crowd its identity. As you walk through the festival, you will see every form of music fan, but with one thing in common a love of all music so deep that vibe never falters. 

Last year saw pop icon Sabrina Capenter, Spanish Indie Legends Carolina Durante and Hardcore’s favourite new sad boys High Vis duke it out for your attention as the sun set on the first night. After last year’s success of the powerhouse girl pop trio of Charlie XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappel Roan, sold out to a roaring success, trust Primavera to throw a curve ball and announce a line up no one was expecting. With a focus on breadth and depth, rather than tent pole acts, this may be the best line up yet.   

The Trainline Stage in 2025 / Robbie

The 2026 lineup is both nostalgic and forward-looking.  Primavera released its poster earlier than ever, unveiling 150 artists across pop, rock, R&B, electronica, hip-hop and experimental music.  Here’s a tour of some of our highlights:

Headliners and icons 

• The Cure:  you know you’re doing something right when you have your own encyclopaedia. Famed for their goth looks, pop hits and marathon length concerts (they hold the record for longest PS set) the band return, following the critical acclaim of their 2024 album Songs of a Lost World. If you’re not a fan but think you know what the bands about you probably don’t. There is little that connects the genius pop of Just Like Heaven and the monster rock dirge of A Forest except their punk ethos, and songwriting genius. Expect big crowds and big things.   

Robert Smith of the Cure performing in London / Javiera Sánchez 

• Gorillaz: There has been much chatter about Oasis of late, with the sold-out stratospheric stadium shows being undeniably the cultural event of the summer. Which has caused many to say Blur won the battle, but Oasis won the war. Maybe that’s true or maybe Damon Albarn was never playing your game, because as Blur slowed down and the Britpop era ended, he slowly set up a new legacy, working with animator Jamie Hewlett and if Damon is to be believed presets on a crappy Casio keyboard, Gorillaz launched an entirely new concept, an animated band, with some of the best features around. Plastic beach. Demon Days and the debut have seen Gorillaz pulling a rare trick, loved by the kids, the indie heads and the critics alike, while remaining a crowd of one. They   arrive hot on the heels of a new album, The Mountain. 

 

 

• Doja Cat: Much like Primavera Sound, an artist that’s difficult to peg. She launched with an irreverent and downright dirty pop hits long before Sabrina et al decided to get slutty with her homage to head Go to town, before finding real fame with her more straight up rat hits like Tia Tamera her albums have hit more eras than Taylor. She’s just dropped another hard turn Via her new 80s R&B inflected album that has left critiques asking is she the new Janet, all sexy pauses, jazz sax and 80s beats. Dua Lipa is getting worried, and she should, alongside the hits Doja has a reputation of putting on a SHOW! 

• The xx: The Spotify bio says they are an Atmospheric Indie pop group. Umm sure, but that’s being a little modest. The band and its members have had an influence that outstrips almost anyone in modern music, Jamie XX, Romy have graced the festival recently in their solo guises, and with all band members finding solo success, few were hopeful of a reformation. The band look like they hate the sun, so expect them to wait until the early hours to see them, but it will be worth it and will make the perfect setting for the spacious, open beautiful Timbaland influenced hits. They recorded and wrote much of xx while still at school in a home studio, and with Ollie Simms Joy Division bass lines, launched out of nowhere to moderate indie success, but the strength of the records has lived on, and they are now true indie royalty.  

• Massive Attack: A rare sighting for the festival fan, committed to their political agenda and ensuring they are carbon neutral, and that the concerts they play aren’t linked to anything they oppose, not many festival organisers will be able to book Massive Attack. The triphop pioneers made a scene and left the music scene with visceral scars struck by their delicate, intoxicating but brutal brand of hip hop. Cancelling or being cancelled twice this is one of the most anticipated sets of Primavera. If you don’t know them Teardrop tells you all you need to know, sparse, heartbreaking and ethereal. But delve deeper and give the unparallelled Blue Lines a spin.

• Addison Rae: Social media superstar turned pop star, is perhaps not what you want to read in an artist’s bio, but hold on, she’s actually good. We will need to revisit old prejudices now the old music business pathways are closing or at least harder to get to, Addison has perhaps done more than anyone to blast through the barricades and become famous through TikTok and then turn out one of the best pop albums of the last few years Addison, with its big hitters Diet Pepsi and Fame is a gun, she has the songs to warrant her billing. Ignore the naysayers and see if she can match the tracks with a performance to leave you a forever fan.

 Addison Rae in April 2025 / Emma McIntyre | Getty 

• My Bloody Valentine: The little shoegaze band that did its best to bankrupt a record label, have had something of a renaissance. The famously truculent reclusive genius Kevin Shield’s band has been adopted and adored by a new generation, and they are now more relevant than ever with a new generation of copyists and homages, and a slew of tik Toks  sound tracked by the peerless Loveless this is a gig people will want to be at. I’m just not sure if they realise how loud it will be. Yes, any music fan worth their salt has heard MBV are one of the loudest bands ever but knowing that and feeling your body shake are too quite different things. The beauty of the music and the vocals is undeniable but get ready for an assault.  

• PinkPantheress Splicing pop, R&B UK garage and Drum and bass into a wonderful mix, PinkPantheress is continuing a proud history of female first line ups, after impressing the crowd at Glastonbury big things are expected for what is likely to be a huge headline draw. 

• Skrillex Famed for ruining dub step, by bringing the finance bro version of the scene to the fore, Skrillex does not seem like the most obvious Primavera headliner, except he’s so much God damn fun. He might not think he’s Andy Warhol, and he may not have his mates Jason Bieber and Ed Sheeran at hand for this gig, but if you fail to lose your mind when Bangarang drops or Where are U Now hits there’s something quite wrong with your ears.   

• Peggy Gou: bridging hyperpop and electronic headliners, the queers will come out in force for Kim Min-Ji and turn Primavera into a party. A favourite of the young party crowd, Peggy Gou also has quite a lot of indie crossover clout, this set is likely to see one of the most diverse crowds of the festival.  

 Peggy Gou / Primavera 

• Kneecap Get your brits out, Kneecap showed up last year, played a tiny gig that anyone lucky enough to have seen will confirm was mind-blowing, liked it so much they decided to come back. With all the fervour over the band, expect this to be a rare chance to see the band at a major festival and they will not disappoint.  

Electronic heavyweights & club culture

Primavera took a different tact in 2025, after a falling out with boiler room people weren’t sure how this was going to go. Instead of taking a backwards step, the Pulse by Cupra club within a festival just got bigger, they added an extra electronic stage where things got steamy and the avantgarde Warehouse stage (a converted underground carpark) just got wilder.  

In 2026 expect to see acts like Skrillex and Peggy Gou to turn out the main stages, while other notable electronic acts like Overmono, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, KI/KI draw big crowds as the festival slips into the early hours.  Closing time is usually around 6am, and the throngs of punks and indie fans are replaced at the smaller stages by   people flocking to dance to Fckuckers, NEW YORK, and VVV. 

 ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U

In previous years they have held the main bulk of electronic acts drop two weeks before doors open. Expect a whole slew of extra DJs to be announced closer to the time. Probably enough for a whole extra stage?  

But don’t forget the after party, Sunday June 7 will see the party start up again after the main festival closes, with a dance focused rager at the main site headlined by Carl Cox and Joseph Capriati with BLOND:ISH and Greta. 

And then there’s the surprises, Tame Impala flew in for a surprise DJ set, and Charlie not only rocked the beach during the day at a surprise album launch but bought her PartyGirl set to a surprise slot in the festival.  

Indie, rock metal and punk  

Some fans were missing the big indie headliners last year, as Charlie et al stole the limelight, while there was plenty for the shacket and converse crowd to enjoy, this year the tables have turned with Indie stealing the headlines. 

Beyond the top line, the poster reads like a Spotify rabbit hole come to life.  Expect sets from Mac DeMarco, Big Thief, Father John Misty, Wet Leg, and Ethel Cain.  

 Galea McGregor  / Credit: WXPN 

After Turnstile Summer, 3am on the Amazon stage on the closing night has become known as the Turnstile Slot, and fans of heavy music are expecting to lose their mind and maybe a few teeth at Knocked loose.  They lack some of the crossover appeal but more than make up for that in how they apply their hardcore stylings. Anyone who has seen the wall of death open, the lights go off and then come on as all hell breaks loose on insta will know that this is going to be something to see, perhaps from a safe distance.   

Touche Amore, Agriculture and Lambrini girls will keep the fans of the heavier stuff happy.  

R&B, soul Hip Hop and Reggaeton  

Blood Orange, Dijon and others blend genres and offer something for everyone, but there is no doubting what Bad Gyalwill bring in her only festival appearance of 2026. The reggaeton queen is a huge draw and low key one of the biggest acts on the line up, expect the world to shake to her beat for 90 minutes when she takes to the stage.   

Bad Gyal / WikiCommons

Expand your mind 

Einstürzende Neubauten, MeltBanana and Merzbow for those that know, are the acts to see, legendary and legendarily odd, classification is a bit futile but must sees for many.   

Primavera’s curators have scratched some nostalgic itches with returns of some fantasy acts seeing Rilo Kiley and Texas Is the Reason among others reunite.   

You may have missed

Indulge me while I highlight the bands you may not have recognised on the line up or just point out what I can’t wait to see:  

Geese and Cameron Winter Performing twice over the weekend once solo and once with his band Geese, Cameron Winter is the great hope for the indie scene at just 23 he already has a stellar back catalogue, and the new Geese album will clock up a lot of mentions in the album of the year lists. Do not be surprised if they are your new favourite acts.  

The Mediterranean Sea is a unique backdrop / Sheryl

2hollis King of the industry plants, nepobaby number 1, mediocre white boy, and one of the best things you will see this year. Is there a more hyped hyperpop acts since Brat dropped, probably not, and it deserves the praise.  

Ninajirachi Australian DJ/Producer act Ninajirachi is blending A.G. Cook and Brittney to provide us with something quite special, by the time the festival comes around, expect her name to be on a lot of people’s lips.

Ninajirachi

Joey Valance & Brae Who needs a rerun of the beastie boys, turns out we all do.  There is not a band that brings the fun more than these guys. If you like Kneecap but it’s not hectic enough for you get ready. They blew the top off Leeds, Reading and Glasto, dropped a new album and are ready to change your world.  

 

Joey Valance & Brae

Global voices and emerging names 

Primavera’s global outlook means the bill stretches far beyond Anglo-American pop.  The 2026 lineup features Amaarae from Ghana, Six Sex from Argentina, Buscabulla from Puerto Rico, Sama’ Abdulhadi from Palestine, Guedra Guedrafrom Morocco and HYPNOSIS THERAPY from South Korea.   

The Main Stage Aka Mordor / Sheryl

Nobody’s normal

Primavera Sounds slogan highlights their commitment for making the festival a safe space for everybody, but they also have a long-standing focus on pushing this with the lineup.  Gender balance, queer artists and global representation are all over the line up in 2026, Primavera is among the most progressive festivals both in vibe and what you get to see.  

Waiting for timetables and the “Primavera a la Ciutat” programme 

The lineup poster doesn’t show daily schedules. Day splits will drop before day tickets become available, probably around Christmas. 

 Primavera typically releases timetables a week or two before the festival, so don’t expect to know about the “Horarios” until late in the day.    

The parallel “Primavera a la Ciutat” concerts, held across various clubs and theatres, will also be announced later.  These are ticketed events, and a lot of first timers don’t realise this until too late. You buy a ticket for a fee, which is then refunded if you show up, to stop no shows. Ticket releases are usually in three stages, VIP, Ticket holders, General sale, the star events will sell out quicky so keep the official app handy for updates and be ready to book.  

Is this it? 

We don’t know, in some years the line up hasn’t changed, outside of replacement for last minute dropouts, but last year they added Central Cee and The Hard Quartet unexpectedly, and one year they gave us New Order a few months out. Surprise acts do appear but don’t expect a Glasto style headliner popping up in the middle of the day.  

We may get more acts, but there will almost certainly be a release of acts for in the city, and the electronic releases.  

The stages  

Young kids queuing for pulse waiting for the hottest DJ of the moment, sunsetting as the indie darling plays out on the nicely sized waterside stage, Moshpits going wild on a tiny outdoor stage, or braving Mordor for the Two main stages side by side with barely a moment between big acts and the colosseum style theatre stage with seats, as well as indoor auditoria and a converted garage.

Sunset at the festival / Barna.News

The festival has a real variety of feels, it’s not massive you can move between places in 15-30 minutes depending on your speed, but each area has its own sense to it, and you can easily find some space to chill and watch the sunset over the coast in the beautiful Barcelona.  

There are always changes so watch this space but expect to find your own favourite.