Barcelona’s iconic Primavera Sound music festival got off to a rocky start on Thursday, as a cascade of last-minute performance cancellations driven by extreme adverse weather left thousands of ticket holders frustrated by what attendees describe as a total breakdown in official communication.
Unstable weather conditions brought heavy rain and wind gusts reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour to the Catalan capital, forcing festival organizers to scrap a full slate of scheduled sets across the day. Early Thursday, artists Alex G and Mac DeMarco had their performances called off after a yellow severe weather warning was issued, with organizers initially issuing only a brief apology for the resulting inconvenience. As the weather failed to improve into the evening, three high-profile headline acts — UK electronic collective Massive Attack, global pop star Doja Cat, and Spanish fan favorite Bad Gyal — also had their sets canceled just minutes before they were due to take the stage. Organizers defended the decision, stating that persistent unsafe conditions made it impossible to guarantee the wellbeing of either attendees or performing artists.
In a public statement released Friday, festival leadership acknowledged the widespread anger among ticket holders, saying they “understand and share the frustration and disappointment of the audience.” Organizers also confirmed that no major injuries or safety incidents were reported during Thursday’s chaotic opening day, and that all event staff followed established safety protocols to the letter. To compensate attendees for the lost day, the festival confirmed that full refunds will be issued for all Thursday single-day tickets, with full details of the refund process set to be announced publicly next Monday.
Attendees who spoke to media have painted a picture of widespread confusion and misinformation across the festival grounds on Thursday, rooted in what they call a total lack of clear, timely updates from event organizers. Alex Milsom, a 28-year-old communications professional from London who traveled to Barcelona for the event, told reporters that while organizers had issued an initial forecast warning about incoming rain, there was almost no follow-up communication as schedule changes unfolded. “I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the middle of the festival,” Milsom said. “Rumors were spreading everywhere, and the only way I could get any information was through fan group chats, personal messages, and random Instagram comments. That lack of clarity just breeds disinformation.” Milsom added that he only learned of Doja Cat’s cancellation when the artist herself announced the news in an Instagram Live, where she told fans she was “absolutely crushed” to miss her set. Even official app alerts only notified users of a “programme update” with no further context, he noted, leaving thousands of fans guessing for hours.
For many attendees who spent months saving money to travel to Barcelona for the festival, the poor handling of the opening day has significantly dampened excitement for the rest of the event. “The least they could do is plan for the rain that they knew was coming four days ago,” Milsom said.
Lauren Cashell, a 27-year-old attendee from County Clare, Ireland, echoed those frustrations, saying she and her friends waited in the pouring rain for seven hours without getting to see a single performance. “It really felt like everyone just had a collective trauma bond from all the rain that happened,” she said. Cashell, who has attended multiple festivals in Ireland with well-established rain contingency plans, said crowds were stunned that Primavera Sound had no clear backup plan to share with attendees. “Everyone was just so shocked as to how it went and how it was handled,” she explained. While Cashell said she expects overall attendee morale will rebound for the remainder of the festival, she added that “there’s going to be a lot of making up to do” to win back disappointed fans.
The festival is set to continue Friday with a packed scheduled of performances, headlined by legendary rock band The Cure, with additional sets from US pop creator Addison Rae and British breakout artist PinkPantheress on the lineup.