San Miguel Primavera Sound 2011 will be held at the end of May this year in the Catalan capital. It mainly programs names from the independent music industry. There are relatively big bands playing like PJ Harvey or Grinderman, but the biggest part of the 100 artists are or unknown acts that still have to be discovered, or curiosities that you see rarely.

It is a combination of all of these factors that make such a good festival poster. Summing up doesn’t work at Primavera, there’s no hierarchy in artists.

The press conference where a big part of the line-up was introduced and this year’s edition was being clarified, took longer than an hour and every aspect of the poster was being explained. It characterizes the festival’s philosophy.

Nice setting

The festival houses 8 stages, among which are an ATP and a Pitchfork-stage. So, independent executors.  This is great, but there’s way more: the festival itself lasts three days and take place at a enormous modern complex with sea views. The Forum of Cultures also took place there in 2004. The complex also got an auditorium, of course this area will be a stage too.

The day before and the day after the festival, there will be some other acts. This will be held in a park at the other site of the city. This while several smaller concerts are being held  throughout the city during the week.

Primavera Sound is in this context the ultimate urban festival that immerses the whole local scene and introduces them to the rest of the world. The big city is living the festival and vica versa.

Set the bar high

With a capacity of 40.000 visitors a day, Primavera can easily call itself the most important pure alternative festival in the world. Take ‘Dour’ for example, it is a little bigger, but hasn’t that much unique names  on its festival poster.
Primavera Sound is something for purists. Mainly Indie lovers can ease their needs, but there’s a wide range of styles. For instance dubstep with Darkstar, Kode9 and the same Kode9 in the role of Burial. Also James Blake is sparkling on the poster next to Interpol, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Ariel Pink’s, Haunted, Graffiti, John Cale, Sufjan Stevens, Low and many more.

Names as John Cale, Mercury Rey and Echo & The Bunnymen come to play one of their albums integrally.

But let’s keep it by these names. You will look at the complete line-up and program with a hand cloth so you can wipe of your dribble for sure.  

Dilemma’s

Like these names are not enough you’ll get worth for your money twice with lot of artists. Take Sufjan Stevens for instance, next to his regular act he will also be playing exclusively in the auditorium.

But people will really begin to sweat when the time schedule is being posted. Hard choices will have to be made on which acts to visit. But these are of course luxury problems that don’t affect the fun.
The ticket prices are currently 170 Euros but keep on rising. The early birds who already bought their tickets this fall only paid 110 Euros, the same price as Dour Festival.

In short: who wants to witness the alternative music scene of these days has to put some money aside and travel to the beautiful city of Barcelona.

Primavera Sound Festival 2011 will take place from the 25th until the 29th of May in Parc del Forum and Poble Espanyol in Barcelona.

This article was written by Benjamin, writer for Apartime provider of accommodation for primavera sound in Barcelona 2011