Is Primavera Sound going ahead this weekend? Major sets cancelled following Barcelona storm

Thousands of music fans have flocked to Barcelona, Spain, for the ever-popular Primavera Sound festival this weekend (4-7 June) - but doubt has been cast on how the performances will run following major rain disruption on day one.

Doja Cat, Massive Attack, Bad Gyal, and Mac DeMarco were among the major names that had their sets cancelled following heavy rainfall, deeming the main stages unsafe.

No headline performances went ahead.

Given the last-minute nature of the cancellations, fans have been left understandably frustrated, with some claiming they were only learning of updates on screens at the Parc del Forum site.

Footage from the evening shows crowds of people huddling under the limited shelter space around the site in a bid to keep dry, prompting chaos.

“Due to adverse weather conditions, performances on this stage have been temporarily suspended", a message on a screen read as attendees sough shelter from the heavy rain.

“Please remain calm and follow the instructions of the festival’s security and staff teams,” it continued. “Stay tuned to the festival screens and official channels for further updates. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Doja Cat took to Instagram to in tears to announce that her show wouldn't be going ahead.

"Barcelona i am fully dressed and ready to go to stage but it’s just not safe enough to continue the show tonight. I’m so sorry that this is how this shit has to be right now. I will think of everything I can under the sun to make it up to you. Please stay safe and warm I will see you again I promise", she posted on X as the news broke.

Massive Attack's performance was initially pushed back by two hours, with some fans leaving and returning to the festival site, but, ultimately, it couldn't go ahead.

Some smaller stages were still operating as scheduled, but many opted to head home and stay dry instead.

Much of the frustration was prompted by previous warnings for rainfall and thunderstorms across Catalonia, with reports forecasting 40 to 60 millimetres of rain within an hour.

"Worst Primavera ever. Making people come back only to cancel an hour later is completely unacceptable. My disappointment is beyond words", one attendee posted online.

"It is unacceptable that a festival of your scale is unable to anticipate situations like this and organize accordingly", someone else added.

"I will wait for the Netflix documentary of this day next year", a third vowed.

The festival has already announced that anyone with a Thursday day ticket will receive a full refund.

The events ring similar of the Madrid iteration of the festival in 2023, which was forced to cancel its opening day due to adverse weather.

Will Primavera Sound go ahead this weekend?

The good news is that the weather forecast for Barcelona is looking a lot more positive over the coming days, with temperatures of around 21 degrees along with sun and cloud expected.

Other acts expected to perform over the weekend include The Cure, The xx, Gorillaz, My Bloody Valentine and Skrillex.

Indy100 reached out to Primavera Sound for an update, and they confirmed the festival will continue to run as anticipated. For full details, read their full statement here.

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