Primavera Sound Barcelona 2023 + Primavera Sound Madrid 2023

[xxialac]

On the plus side, auditori is the best place for Swans and John Cale.

[Martin_89]

3 minutes ago, xxialac said:

 

Presumably e.g. one stage will simply replace Cupra X Boiler Room, one stage will replace where the Hidden Stage was, one stage will replace Warehouse etc.

They cannot create new space as there simply isn't any available space!

Not sure I buy the theory that they cannot shift tickets. Having sold 200% of previous ticket levels last year, they can surely sell half of that this year. 

Yeah, I believe that is the only option, if they can't expand the main area in any way.

I like that they are cutting BITS when we still can't use the bridge. It was way to long to walk and it had capacity problems last year since. It closed during Grimes concert, even though it was not full at all. And that is just because of the capacity rules Primavera had to follow.

[Orens]

VIP stands will return to their original position towards the sides of the stage.

 

edited, for more context:

Quote

 

Q: Where will the VIP areas be this year?

AL: There will be no VIP area in front of the stage.  Artists want their fans in front. VIP area includes preferential access.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Orens

[xxialac]

Just now, Orens said:

VIP stands will return to their original position towards the sides of the stage.

Thank god for common sense on that.

[Martin_89]

Seems like they are keeping all the stages, and Boiler Room confirmed to return this year. Will be very exciting to see this year's map.

[xxialac]

 

 

They cannot 'add' three new stages to this already super busy main section of last years' site.

They can only replace.

And the outcome of losing maybe 1/3rd of the old site is inevitably more crowding.

[chilirocker]

11 minutes ago, xxialac said:

 

 

They cannot 'add' three new stages to this already super busy main section of last years' site.

They can only replace.

And the outcome of losing maybe 1/3rd of the old site is inevitably more crowding.

They could move the food and drink section by the main stage to by the Jack Daniel's stage and probably fit a couple of stages there, and they might return to the two main stages at opposite ends to avoid sound bleed. 

[xxialac]

They were so positive defending the two main stages side by side thing (which I hated personally) and didn't mention this morning going back to the old system, so I assume it is here to stay. 

[JedTheHumanoid]

18 minutes ago, xxialac said:

And the outcome of losing maybe 1/3rd of the old site is inevitably more crowding.

it all depends on the numbers.

if by less tickets they mean about third of the tickets less - this is great news, no more endless walks across the bridge

if it's just a symbolic less tickets - it sucks

 

[JedTheHumanoid]

Quote

AL: There will be a free ticketing system for the Pet Shop Boys concert in Madrid.

stating this specifically on Madrid implies that we won't have one in Barcelona

I wonder if it means Mordor or just hoping the area will be enough

[xxialac]

1 minute ago, JedTheHumanoid said:

it all depends on the numbers.

if by less tickets they mean about third of the tickets less - this is great news, no more endless walks across the bridge

if it's just a symbolic less tickets - it sucks

 

No way in hell will they be willing to sell a third less tickets in Barcelona. For one, the cost of the headline acts looks equivalent to last year and 2019. For another, there is a real risk of losing money in the first year of Madrid so they need to maximise profits in BCN.

I suspect it will be 5-10% fewer tickets sold.

[xxialac]

2 minutes ago, JedTheHumanoid said:

stating this specifically on Madrid implies that we won't have one in Barcelona

I wonder if it means Mordor or just hoping the area will be enough

Must be Mordor. PSB are hugely bigger than many previous Wednesday acts like Big Red Machine and Belle & Sebastian and Mordor can accommodate a shitload of people.

[JedTheHumanoid]

3 minutes ago, xxialac said:

No way in hell will they be willing to sell a third less tickets in Barcelona. For one, the cost of the headline acts looks equivalent to last year and 2019. For another, there is a real risk of losing money in the first year of Madrid so they need to maximise profits in BCN.

I suspect it will be 5-10% fewer tickets sold.

yes, third seems too optimistic.

on the other hand, it always seemed that the BITS area is rather vacant, I don't believe at any point it held more than 10-15% of the crowd at any moment, so even selling that much less can do the trick

Edited February 2, 2023 by JedTheHumanoid

[kaytee...]

With the changes, lineup and cost of flights and hotels this year's it's starting to become a less favourable option 😔

[kaytee...]

With the changes, lineup and cost of flights and hotels this year's it's starting to become a less favourable option 😔

[Gnarler]

I am very cautious this year as there were so many greedy mistakes in 2022. I already have my ticket so I'm obviously invested in the festival. 

1. I think removing the BITS is sad as I enjoyed it but I despised that 30 minute walk and the politics surrounding the bridge aren't what I want to talk about at a festival. 

2. Truly hope they don't just mean a 5-10% reduction in capacity. With ticket prices going up by 50% and not paying for the use of the other side of the bridge, I feel like that money should help in reducing capacity to 2019 levels.

3. Squeezing stages in is going to be very hard. I can't even picture it honestly. Maybe on that strip between Pitchfork and Mordor by the sea they can put more stages? The Jack Daniels stage there was nice but maybe unnecessary so hopefully they can fit something there.

4. I was really hoping they'd move the Boiler Room stage away from Pitchfork. So unfair on the quieter acts having to deal with non stop bass when they're trying to build an atmosphere. I really hope something gets done about that.

5. Techno Car Park is going to be wild this year.

[xxialac]

I think you are exactly right and they will go back to 2019 capacity levels.

However unfortunately back then all of Bits was available space and it was even easy to get there with the bridge too!

[aaalive]

38 minutes ago, xxialac said:

They were so positive defending the two main stages side by side thing (which I hated personally) and didn't mention this morning going back to the old system, so I assume it is here to stay. 

Was it easier to get closer to the main stages when they were facing each other? Only was at PS last year and it was a nightmare

[Gnarler]

11 minutes ago, aaalive said:

Was it easier to get closer to the main stages when they were facing each other? Only was at PS last year and it was a nightmare

It was one of the best things about Mordor honestly. Obviously some big acts like Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Rosalia had crazy big crowds but you could walk to the front of most of it. 

[Nesser]

NTS and Boiler Room are coming back. The Sant Adria situation was meant to happen and the lineup already lost several electronic artists compared to previous years so I guess they will relocate just one of the Bits stages. Primavera gets bigger (bigger than 2022? bigger than 2019?) and Mordor keeps on one end but with VIP areas back to the front.

[Martin_89]

2 minutes ago, Nesser said:

NTS and Boiler Room are coming back. The Sant Adria situation was meant to happen and the lineup already lost several electronic artists compared to previous years so I guess they will relocate just one of the Bits stages. Primavera gets bigger (bigger than 2022? bigger than 2019?) and Mordor keeps on one end but with VIP areas back to the front.

They have already confirmed that all Bits stages will be there this year also.

[Nesser]

Not too confident about that tbh. And capacity is not coming back to 2019 levels, obviously.

[chilirocker]

The full Q&A transcript:

 

Q: What has been your most ambitious booking this year?

AL: The headliners are always more ambitious and complex. The line up is a wishlist. There are artists who make us very excited. We are a team of nerds: Laurie Anderson, Eddie Palmieri, Michael Imperioli with ZOPA, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Red Velvet, Le Tigre...

AL: Not all wishes come true.

I haven’t made any personal requests this year: last year we had Pavement, my favourite group.

Q: Did you try to book Pulp this year?

AL: Pulp is a group we love at Primavera. (“Es un grupo de la casa”)

This year they have decided not to leave the UK [and Ireland].

Hopefully one year.

Q: I would love to see Phoebe Bridgers at the Forum, is that ever going to happen?

AL: Of course. She was at Primavera Latin America. A very Primavera artist.

Q: Do festivals prevent some artists and groups from playing regular concerts, in indoor venues?

AL: We are a concert promoter that does a lot of “normal” concerts, in indoor venues. Many artists can only be seen at festivals because touring in theatres doesn't pay off. International hip-hop artists do not go through Spain (for various reasons). Festivals allow us to see them: eg. Kendrick Lamar.

Q: How do you decide the timetable of the artists at Primavera Sound, by stage and time?

AL: It is a big effort to balance schedules and other variables: production, artist schedule requirements, routing, stage parity, distribution of the public in the venue. The overlaps exist because they are necessary to avoid crowding. Each slot is designed for a reason.

Q: Is there going to be a change in the Primavera Stage?

AL: There is a more important structural change: Primavera won’t be using the Sant Adria site [where BITS etc traditionally were] this year because we can’t use the bridge. The festival site will be more compact: there will be less walking.

AL: The stages that were in Sant Adria will be relocated to the main site. The capacity of the festival will be reduced in line with these changes, as the public wanted. The Primavera stage will be bigger.

Q: What can we expect from the concerts in the Auditori de Barcelona this year?

AL: Swans, John Cale, Laurie Anderson, Boris…

AL: At the Lope de Vega Theatre in Madrid there will be a parallel [Auditori] program.

There will be auditorium programming during daytime as a warm up to the Arganda del Rey fanzone.

Q: What will the tcketing system be for the concerts at the Auditori / Lope de Vega Theatre/ Primavera a La Ciutat / Brunch?

AL: There will be a reservation system via AccessTcket. To ensure that people with reservations actually attend, the reservation will cost a ‘symbolic’ price. This will be returned as a credit in AccessTicket to consume at the festival when entering the venue.

AL: There will be a free tcketing system for the Pet Shop Boys concert in Madrid.

Q: Why did you decide to put the same line-up on in Madrid and Barcelona?

AL: To establish a routing base in the Iberian Peninsula. It means you can offer artists more concerts. The same idea with Latin America.

Q: Is there enough of a public for two festivals with the same line up?

AL: Yes definitely.

Q: If, in 2023, it had been possible to repeat the 2022 model of two weekends in Barcelona, would there be Primavera Sound Madrid?

AL: Madrid has been in our thoughts for years. It was impossible to do two weekends in Barcelona and a window of opportunity opened up in Madrid.

I prefer to do the same line up in two different cities: it’s two different experiences.

Q: Is Madrid a first step towards leaving Barcelona for good?

AL: No! We are a festival from Barcelona, our DNA is from here.

We had posters saying “Created in Barcelona” at the Latin American and Los Angeles festivals. We are not going to leave Barcelona because it is where we were born.

Q: When can we start to see what the Arganda del Rey site looks like?

AL: We will do something to start giving people an idea. The render of the space is amazing. There are no neighbours, there are no sound or time limitations. It is a space designed to hold a festival.

Q: How is Madrid’s musical scene?

AL: Madrid has a great night life. The week of the festival will be incredible. Madrid’s music will be represented at the fanzone.

Q: How do you get along with Mad Cool?

AL: We do not consider them competitors. They are a complementary festival. We don't have any problem with them and we don’t have much of a relationship with them.

Q: What facilities will you provide to help with arrival and departure from the Madrid site? 

AL: Primavera Sound could not fit in a more central venue in Madrid. We did look. We love Arganda. But it is a challenge. We have an effective mobility plan. Almost 400 buses will run from from the Civitas Metropolitan fanzone.

There will be concerts, accreditations and merchandise at the fanzone. In 28 minutes, you will get to the site.  

AL: There will be a fixed price for taxis, sufficient cars, a pick-up point  in Arganda. We will limit the tckets we sll for Madrid to ensure that the mobility plan works: we will be conservative.

AL: Civitas is not just a bus stop: things will happen there.

Q: Is a tcket that costs more than 300 euros sensible in times of crisis?

AL: Tckets went on sle for  €325 after the lineup was announced. We sll many more passes before that - more than half. The price is set according to budget: artistic; production; promotion. The price of production is high, generally, this year.

AL: The are 3 sources of income for Primavera Sound: tcketing; sponsors; bars. Primavera Sound doesn’t receive any grants. The price is reasonable compared to our international competitors (Coachella, Glastonbury, Roskilde, Tomorrowland…): Primavera Sound is cheaper than these.

AL: It is a reasonable price for what we offer: it works out at €93 / day. There are almost 70 bands / day. A person night see 6-8 concerts a day, a couple of headliners. Compare that with what tckets for big artists’ concerts cost.

AL: There is a discounts for residents of Barcelona and Madrid; and the “Bono Cultural” to take into consideration. (“Bono Cultural” = 400 euros for people in Spain who turn 18 throughout 2022 to spend on cultural goods)

Q: In 2022 there were complaints on social media about crowds, queues at bars, changes in the venue layout... Have you made any decisions about this? Will you take measures so that the saturation at the bars does not happen again?

AL: Last year there were 6-8 hours of difficulties on the first day of the 10-day festival. And we are sorry about that. For 2023 we have reduced the festival capacity, without losing any stages.

AL: VIP stands will return to their original position towards the sides of the stage.

Q: Will there be enough water points at the festival?

AL: Yes: there will be enough free hydration points.

Q: What guarantees do you give that the user experience will be satisfactory, considering all the factors that usually contribute to people not having a good time?

AL: Primavera Sound has 20 years of history: good line ups + good experiences. In Barcelona there will be return shuttles [to the city centre]. We are talking to the taxi association in Barcelona as we have done in Madrid.

Q: Have you taken into account the fact that people of over 40 years of age have different demands and needs from those of young people, between 20-35?

AL: At Primavera Sound there are people from 14 to 80 years old, there are services for young people and for adults. Primavera Sound has more bathrooms than average. We have well-kept VIP areas, we are working with Soho House. Primavera Sound will be a comfortable experience.

Q: Why is it that NO ONE is able to answer any questions we have regarding issues with Festcket?

AL: I apologise for that. We are meeting with Festcket to find a solution to this issue and hope to be able to provide an answer in the next few days.

Q: Where will the VIP areas be this year?

AL: There will be no VIP area in front of the stage.  Artists want their fans in front. VIP area includes preferential access.

Q: In Barcelona, will there be a BITS zone?

AL: Not in Sant Adriá, but it will be integrated into the Fòrum site.

Q: Will there be a Boiler Room this year?

AL: We will announce the Boiler Room line up soon. The Primavera Sound line up is always a living thing. Boiler Room will be in Barcelona and Madrid. 

Q: Will there still be the NTS stage? Will there also be one in Madrid? 

AL: There will be a Warehouse in Barcelona and Madrid.

Q: After the first editions of Primavera Sound in Brazil, Chile and Argentina, will the festival return to Latin America?

AL: I hope so. The three editions went very well, the intention is to continue. We hope to give you some news in the coming weeks.

[pipan]

59 minutes ago, chilirocker said:

For 2023 we have reduced the festival capacity, without losing any stages.

This is the highlight for me. Yes, we don't know what reduction they're talking about or how they're planning to keep the number of stages in a smaller area, but generally, I can't help but to see this as a positive thing. 

[UsernameHere]

Last year day 1 was a disaster in terms of crowding and the other days felt less crowded despite the official numbers showing higher attendance on the other days.

With Bits gone, clashes splitting the crowd and the stages they place acts on will be more important than ever to minimise the risk of bottlenecks. I'm a bit nervous of how they'll pull this off without serious crowding problems.