As Barcelona heats up, and spring transitions into summer, it’s finally that time again. What time, you ask? Outdoor Music Festival Time. Because heaven knows, there’s nothing better than you and a few hundred of your fellow Wilco or Lana del Rey fans sweating in tandem, while swaying to your favorite tunes, en directo (that’s live, if you’re still lagging behind in your Spanish studies).
(San Miguel) Primavera Sound
From the May 30th through June 3rd, checkout once indie, now nearly mainstream big names like Wilco, Franz Ferdinand and Rufus Wainwright. While we think Rufus is by far the dreamiest, we must admit a certain inclination to see the aging members of The Cure, especially Mr. Goth Bed-head himself, Robert Smith (Friday June 1st, we’re in love, too). Other amazing musicians that we don’t often see coming through Barcelona include Yo La Tengo, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Walkmen. Tickets are 80 euros per day, bought ahead of time via ticketmaster, or 85 euros at the event. Interested in attending the whole shebang? Full festival tickets are 195 euros.
Broke your piggy bank on something else, but dying to pack some music into your weekend? There are free concerts in Arc de Triomf May 30th (the Black Lips, Jeremy Jay, The Walkmen) and June 3rd (Joe Crepusculo, Nacho Vegas, Yann Tiersen, Richard Hawley, Lorena Alvarez y Su Banda Municipal), but be forewarned, like all free events in Barcelona, they’ll be packed.
As is always the case, everywhere (not just in Barcelona), you shouldn’t get so plastered you don’t know where you are (or even worse, how to get home) and since these gigs are always suffocatingly crowded, you might avoid bringing along your gold Amex and 500 euros cash, pets, and small children.
Chris Ciolli is a Barcelona-based writer, translator and artist with Midwestern roots. She shares her escapades as a Missourian in the world at Midwesternerabroad.com, and writes about Barcelona from a guiri-gone-native perspective at Barcelonaforidiots.com. A closet foodie and self-proclaimed art addict, Chris typically blogs about the drinks, eats and other cultural attractions she encounters on her travels. In her spare moments, she reads obsessively, slurps excessive quantities of coffee and tea, and plays with art supplies and kitchen tools. Oh, and travels as much as humanly possible.
