Primavera Sound Music Festival 2012, Barcelona: Essential Guide
Primavera Sound is fast becoming one of Barcelona's most popular music festivals. It has a growing reputation for offering one of the most innovative and forward-thinking line-ups in Europe. This is a festival for true music aficionados.
I have attended Primavera Sound for the last three years running and have decided that it's about time that somebody provided answers to all of the practical questions relating to the festival. If you're coming to Primavera, it's useful to get clued up on the basics before you arrive. There's nothing worse than standing in a ticket queue for an hour whilst your favourite band are playing, before being told that you were in the wrong queue all along!
This page will provide a general overview to Primavera Sound Music Festival, with news on the line-up, advice on how and where to buy tickets, how to get to and from the Primavera Sound site, accommodation information and some tips on where to eat.
An overview of Primavera Sound 2012
As you can probably guess by Primavera's location - there's not a field in sight at this festival. It is located in a purpose built outdoor area called the Forum. This seaside site was originally built for an international convention - the Universal Forum of Cultures. It is a large outdoor space with concrete floors and large auditorium areas - perfect for a festival with no mud and great views of the bands. There is no camping at Primavera, so you will need to find accommodation elsewhere in Barcelona.
Dates For the 2012 Primavera Event
Wednesday 30 May - Sunday 03 June.
The Primavera sound line-up 2012
This year's Primavera line-up offers is not yet confirmed in its entirety.
For the full festival line-up, check the Official Primavera Sound Website.
Tickets Available for Primavera Sound
There are various tickets available for Primavera Festival:
- Weekend pass: This is the full ticket and grants you access to all events during the whole weekend (this includes any Primavera Sound organised events taking place in clubs in Barcelona). These tickets are now on sale (see below).
- Day pass: This ticket grants access to all stages at the festival for one day of the festival. These tickets are not yet on sale.
- Night pass: This ticket grants access to the night time part of the festival on a chosen night. It is important to note that the night pass only grants access to certain stages within the festival site - namely the 'electronic' stage and some of the events around it (we will be able to provide more exact details of this nearer the time of the festival). These tickets are not yet on sale.
Where to buy your tickets for the Festival
Tickets for the festival are available on the phone or online. Primavera Sound sell the tickets through various ticket outlets. It is worth noting that most outlets add a booking fee to the price of the tickets and these vary depending on which outlets you get your tickets from (the booking prices are included below).
Shops in Barcelona Where You Can Buy Primavera Sound Tickets
For more information regarding how to purchase tickets for Primavera Sound. Check the Official Primavera Sound website.
Prices of tickets
Weekend Pass: €175.00
Day Pass: Price not yet available
Night Pass: Price not yet available
How to get to the Sound Festival Venue: Parc del Fòrum
Primavera Sound is located in an area called the 'Forum'. The most distinguishing feature of the area is the famous blue building called 'Barcelona Fórum' that sits at the heart of the area. You cannot miss it - it is designed to look like a large sponge and is bright blue with mirrored sections.
If you are a truly dedicated Primavera Sound fan you may wish to stay at one of the hotels that are located right next to the festival site (see below for more details). However, it is worth remembering that the festival site is a thirty minute walk from the city centre so if you stay in one of these hotels you may not get to see much of Barcelona. However, whilst waiting for the festival to start you will be perfectly located to hit the beach.
Barcelona Fórum
Plaça Levant
Getting to Primavera Sound Event by Bus
Shuttle Buses to Primavera
For the Thursday and Friday of the event there will be shuttle buses going from the centre of Barcelona (Plaza Catalunya) to the festival site and back again. They will run every 10 - 15 minutes. They will begin running at 00:00 midnight and the service will end at 05:00. Tickets will cost about €2.00.
Normal Buses to Primavera
There is also a regular bus service that runs from the centre of Barcelona to the Forum. However it is worth noting that this service will begin at around 05:00 and will end at around 23:00. Therefore, this is the best bus to catch if you are heading to the festival to check out some of the bands who are playing during the day. The bus travels from Zona Universitaria through town. It is available every 6-12 minutes during its operating hours. For full bus details see the official Barcelona transport website.
Getting to the music festival by Metro
Luckily, there is a metro station very close to the festival site. On leaving the metro you will not find it hard to figure out where you are going - simply follow the crowds towards the big bright blue building!
On the Thursday evening the metro will stop running at 00:00 midnight and start again at 05:00 and on Friday night the metro will stop running at 02:00 and start again at 05:00. On Saturday there is a continuous service. When the metro has stopped running it is relatively easy to catch a bus from outside the festival site (see below).
You can see the metro operating hours on our Barcelona Metro page.
Metro: El Maresme Fórum (Yellow Line, L4)
Tram
There is a tram stop that is located right outside the forum site. This is on T4 of the tram line. Depending on where you are staying this could be a very convenient way to get to and from the festival. On the Thursday night the tram service will stop running at around 00:00 midnight and on the Friday and Saturday night it will stop running around 04:00.
For a full guide to the tram service in Barcelona, see our El Tram guide. Here you will be able to find links to the tram stops and timetables, plus information on how and where to buy tickets.
Taxi
A taxi from Barcelona city centre (Plaza Catalunya) to the festival site will probably take about 20 minutes and cost around €20.00. This is a viable option if you are in a larger group and do not fancy the hassle of using public transport.
On leaving Primavera Sound you may not find it easy to get a taxi. Depending on what time you leave the festival, there are likely to be a lot of people trying to flag down any taxis that pass by.
Walking to the Sound Festival
Due to the Forum's location, it is actually a very nice walk from the centre of Barcelona. It sits at the Northernmost point of Barcelona's long stretch of beach. Therefore, if you head towards Barceloneta (Metro: Barceloneta - Yellow Line, L4) beach in the centre, you can walk the beach promenade for about 40 - 50 minutes (depending on how many stops you make to buy beers on the way!) and you will find yourself at the Forum. It is a fairly long walk, however, if you are in the mood for a walk along the seafront, it can be a very nice experience.
If you plan on using public transport (metro, bus or tram) to get to and from the festival site on a regular basis, it is worth buying a T10 ticket. This ticket will allow you to take ten journeys at a more affordable rate than if you buy individual tickets. For full details, see our public transport page. It is also worth noting that these tickets can be shared. So, if you are travelling with a group of friends you do not all need to buy individual T10 tickets.
How to Find Accommodation for Primavera Sound
Due to the Forum's role as a year round conference and convention space, it is surrounded by a large selection of hotels. However, many of these are built to target a business market, and this is reflected in the prices. Also, you will find that these places get booked up very quickly, as they are where the acts who are playing and their 'entourages' will be staying! We have some full reviews of the hotels located within five minutes walk of the festival site:
Hotel Barcelona Princess is a four star hotel that sits directly opposite the Forum site. It is where a lot of the acts will be staying.
Hotel AC Barcelona Forum is a four star hotel with extensive facilities. It is located less than five minutes walk from the festival site.
Hotel Diagonal Port is located slightly further from the festival - about 10-15 minutes walk. However, is is a more, affordable three star hotel.
For a full list and reviews of hotels close to the festival site, see our Guide to Hotels in the Poble Nou area.
If you decide that you would like to be closer to the city centre, there are a whole range of options available to you - everything from cheap hotels to apartments and hostels.
Here are some recommendations that may suite larger group bookings or those looking for cheap accommodation:
For more information on hotels where you can stay with cheap rates and good deals, check A Guide to Value Hotels.
For more information on the cheapest hotels and hostels in Barcelona, see our page with listings for budget accommodation.
If you are coming with a larger group, an apartment can be one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to stay in Barcelona. In general, Barcelona apartments are of a high standard. However, it is worth remembering that the more nights that you stay in them the cheaper they tend to become per night. Therefore, if you are only staying for the weekend, staying in an apartment may not be an option. Check our advice on how to find a reliable apartment agency in Barcelona.
Where to eat during the Festival
One of the least convenient aspects of the Primavera Sound festival is the catering. Inside the festival site you will find a whole area dedicated to food - like an outdoor food court with a large selection of stalls selling everything from noodles to burgers. However, this food is sold at inflated prices. For example, a simple sandwich that you could buy in a city centre bakers for about €2.00 is likely to cost €5.00 or €6.00 on the festival site.
Fortunately, you are allowed to bring food onto the site. So, it is worth planning ahead and bringing a little picnic with you. Especially in the early evening, before the larger crowds arrive, there tends to be quite a lot of space at the festival. What could be better than watching you favourite band whilst the sun sets and munching on some bread and cheese from a local supermarket?
Alternatively, you could eat in the city centre before heading to the festival site. Here I have listed a few of the budget eating options in Barcelona city centre.
Maoz - There are a few outlets of Maoz in Barcelona's city centre. They are falafel take-aways where you can fill your own pitta to the brim with a whole selection of fillings.
Maoz
La Rambla, 95
08002 Barcelona, España
Maoz
Carrer de Ferran, 13
08002 Barcelona, España
Maoz
Carrer Jaume I, 17
Ciutat Vella
08002 Barcelona, España
Pollo Rico - A Barcelona legend - order a half chicken and chips with a glass of 'tinto de verano' (the locals' version of sangria) for less than a fiver. And sit upstairs in the old fashioned tiled surroundings.
Pollo Rico
Carrer Sant Pau 31
08001 Barcelona, España
The only drinks that you are allowed to bring in to the festival site are bottles of water with the lids removed. And the festival staff are very strict about this. Therefore, if you plan on having some drinks during the festival you will need to budget for this. The drink prices on the festival site are higher than normal, but you have no real alternative options.
Events Surrounding Primavera Sound 2012
It is worth noting that whilst the festival goes on there are other events that will be taking place in the clubs and bars all over Barcelona. Some of these will be official events that are organised by the festival itself. For these events you will be able to get in with your Primavera Sound ticket (if you are a weekend ticket holder). Keep an eye out on the Official Primavera Sound website for further details closer to the event.
There will also be a whole load of other club nights and small gigs that will also be organised unofficially in celebration of the Primavera sound weekend. When you arrive in the city keep an eye out for posters and flyers advertising events that might take your fancy.
Primavera Sound is one of Barcelona's most recent success stories. Unlike Sonar festival it's focus is more on bands and less on electronic music. It has filled a niche in the city and never fails to provide a great weekend of original music in an electric atmosphere. If you've never come to Primavera Sound before, its definitely worth giving it a try. And if you're planning on making a return visit make sure to spread the word and bring all of your friends!
