Primavera Barcelona 2026 review: Whiff of disaster dissipates with the rain thanks to brilliant sets from Geese, Addison Rae and Big Thief
The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, as they say – except on Thursday, between the hours of 8 and 9pm, when it seems to mainly fall on the rock band Geese. “Qué bonita lluvia” (What pretty rain!), drawls Cameron Winter, Geese’s rakish, tracksuit-wearing frontman, as the first drops of water fall on Primavera Sound’s Occident stage. They’re words to be eaten: an hour later, the band are drenched, water pooling on the floor and coating the instruments and musicians. Their set meets the epic ferocity of the conditions: this is an immensely impressive, technically emphatic gig from a young band who justify all hyperbole. But another hour goes by, and Spain’s biggest music festival has been rained into disarray. Faced with an hours-long downpour and pernicious winds, Primavera’s infrastructure falters. Safety risks mean that many of Thursday’s acts are cancelled, including Mac DeMarco, Spanish singer-songwriter Bad Gyal, and the headliner, Doja Cat. Organisers can’t, of course, be blamed for unexpectedly harsh weather, but communication proves an avoidable problem. Doja Cat announces her …
