Artists We’re Most Excited To See At Primavera Sound 2026
From indie favourites and future headliners to pop stars and post-punk legends, these are the sets we’re most excited to catch at Primavera Sound 2026.
I was sat outside in my garden the other day, sweating profusely through my t-shirt as with the rest of the capital, and found myself thinking: “I really don’t like the heat sometimes.” Luckily for me, Primavera Sound has rolled around the corner much, much faster than I expected, so a trip to Barcelona is on the cards next week. So much for taking a break from the sun. That said, the festival always manages to boast an incredible lineup that take large swings, as well as a large diversity in genre across the three days in the Catalan city. It can be difficult to narrow down all the artists that we want to see, but we’ll give it the best shot we can.
Cameron Winter
Crazy, another little music magazine saying that you should go see Cameron Winter. How original. At this point, after the year that Winter and his band Geese have had (who are also playing the festival by the way), really does anyone need to tell you to go see him. That said, Winter is playing the Auditori Rockdelux, and one of the first sets to kick off the festival. It’ll be a littler darker, a little more intimate, a little cooler, and a pretty perfect way to send you off for the rest of the 3 days.
Massive Attack
Trip hop act Massive Attack are another big tick on the Thursday. Originally slated to headline the two-weekend format when Primavera returned after the pandemic, illness meant they had to pull out of the festival. They’re back now though, and a (hopefully) sun-drenched Barcelona will play host to some of their biggest hits, transporting us back a couple of decades.
The New Eves
Brighton based rockers mix a pretty varied sonic palette. Their debut The New Eve Is Rising was a complex blend of folk, punk, and poetry. It remains one of the finer releases from last year. So yeah, it’ll be pretty great to see some of these songs live on the Port stage, which lies right by the water.
NewDad
Hailing from Galway, NewDad have continued to collect devoted fans as they play high-energy live shows without compromising on their personal lyrics. To start your day on Friday, there won’t be anything better than colourful guitar licks and Julie Dawson’s honest vocals.
Addison Rae
Former TikToker and dance trend pioneer Addison Rae is now one of the newest risers in pop. If you’d told me a couple years ago that I’d be incredibly excited to see her perform at Primavera, I would surely be frozen in disbelief. That said, tracks like ‘Fame Is A Gun’ or ‘Headphones On’ are pretty undeniable, so you will catch me dancing with the rest of the girlies on Friday night.
The Cure
There really isn’t that much more to say here. Robert Smith is one of the greatest songwriters ever, and has written some of the greatest songs ever. Whether I am in the back drinking an Estrella, or in the mix crying tears of joy, there is absolutely zero fucking chance I will not see The Cure. I wonder who will be choosing to go see Role Model instead.
Grace Ives
The song ‘Dance With Me’ has been stuck in my head ever since Ives’ latest album Girlfriend came out earlier this year. An indie pop stalwart, Ives plays the vaunted Cupra stage. At least in personal experience, it’s where I’ve seen acts play before the skyrocket in popularity: Little Simz in 2022, MJ Lenderman and CMAT last year. I’m expecting a similar trajectory.
Ninajrachi
Australian DJ Ninajrachi is on a meteoric rise. Her debut I Love My Computer is a love letter to early internet culture, which makes me nostalgic then instantly feel incredibly old. Thankfully, its idiosyncratic rises and glitchy falls make it so much more than just another artist trying to remind you of a better time. Oh and she was also the cover of our latest print magazine. You should definitely get one.
Dijon
A landmark year for the leftfield artist, where his album BABY got near universal critical acclaim, and his live shows have a reputation that preceded it. His collaborations with mk.gee and Justin Bieber only go to show his growing influence across the greater pop-scape, and fresh off of another talked about set at Coachella, his set will be one to look forward to.
Rusowsky
I don’t really know if I’ll be able to convince any of my friends to see rusowsky over My Bloody Valentine. Honestly I don’t even know if I’ll be able to convince myself to stay the whole time, but for as long as I’m there, I know I’ll be able to dance to a mix of dance-pop bangers that blends in a lot of his Spanish identity.
Smerz
The Copenhagen alt-pop scene has been popping off for a while now, and Smerz has now broken containment in certain circles. Maybe just my circles. Her album Big city life is sultry and dark, so it’s going to pair well with the sun and heat. Irony aside, hearing ‘You’ve got time and I’ve got money’ live will most likely be a highlight of the festival it’s that good of a song.