Primavera Sound has unveiled plans to open a massive pop-up music venue in Barcelona this autumn.

The Spanish festival brand will take over the former Mercedes-Benz factory in Barcelona’s Sant Andreu district from September until 2026, when construction begins on the future eco-district.

The 90,000 m² site, aptly named laMercedes, has been renovated and refurbished to host concerts, electronic music sessions and other events, according to Primavera.

Renowned Belgian DJ and music producer Amelie Lens will inaugurate the space on Sunday 21 September with a seven-hour party, taking place from early afternoon until nightfall.

The 90,000 m² site, aptly named laMercedes, has been renovated and refurbished to host concerts

The event is a collaboration between Primavera Bits and Nitsa Club, Barcelona’s longest-running electronic music club.

Amelie Lens is also set to perform at the 23rd edition of Primavera Sound (5–7 June), which sold out five months in advance.

The 75,000-cap festival at Parc Del Fòrum in Barcelona will be headlined by Charli XCX & Troye Sivan, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.

Primavera Sound’s head of bookings Fra Soler disclosed the festival’s criteria when it comes to booking headliners in a recent interview with IQ.

Tickets are still available for Primavera Sound Porto, which runs from 12-15 June. Acts will include Charli XCX, Central Cee, Jamie xx, Paul Kalkbrenner, Haim, Deftones, Michael Kiwanuka, Caribou, Fontaines D.C. and Anohni and the Johnsons.

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Revenue from live music ticket sales in Spain rocketed 25% year-on-year to generate a new record high of €725.6 million in 2024, powered by tours from homegrown artists.

Spain’s Association of Music Promoters (APM) disclosed the figures today (12 March) at a press conference in Barcelona, heralding the launch of its 2025 Live Music Yearbook.

The numbers represent a third successive annual increase for the market, which earned €579m in 2023. Madrid (€185.4m), Catalonia (€138.6m) and Andalusia (€116.2m) were the top three regions in terms of ticket income, with Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga the leading cities.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band claimed the best-selling international tour, shifting 275,885 tickets for their sold out, Doctor Music-promoted five-show run.

Next in the rankings were two Spanish-speaking artists: Colombian Karol G, who moved 219,943 tickets for her four-night, sold out run at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, staged by Live Nation, and Mexican singer Luis Miguel, whose Iglesias Entertainment-promoted 12-concert tour sold 203,114 tickets.

However, tours by domestic acts led the way – headed by Melendi, who pulled in 501,197 attendees for his 41 concerts, organised by Riff Producciones.

“After the pandemic, the work of national artists is highly valued”

In second place was Estopa (376,805 tickets sold for 25 concerts), followed by Robe (280,901 tickets/37 shows), ING OT23 Tour (143,023 attendees/10 shows) and Rozalén (84,640 attendees for 47 concerts). Also making the top ten were Pablo López (77,581 ticket sales), David Bisbal (74,352 attendees), Malú (72,091), SFDK (69,040) and Manuel Carrasco (65,103).

Concert Studio’s Carlos Pérez previously discussed the Spanish audience’s shift towards native acts in an interview with IQ, attributing it, in part, to the impact of Covid.

“Traditionally, promoters used to hire much more international artists, specifically Anglo-Saxon ones,” he said. “However, after the pandemic, the work of national artists is highly valued.”

Borriana’s Arenal Sound was the most-well attended festival, with organiser The Music Republic reporting 300,000 visitors across the course of the event.

Primavera Sound Barcelona was second with 268,000 attendees – up 20,000 on its 2023 edition – and Villarrobledo’s Viña Rock, also promoted by The Music Republic, was third with 240,000 fans. Mad Cool (221,843) and Benicassim (180,000) rounded off the top five.

The top ten was completed by Sonar (151,000), O Son Do Camino (126,000), BBK Live (110,000), Granca Live Fest (80,000) and Low Festival (69,000).

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Belgian festival Tomorrowland sold 200,000 tickets in a record 18 minutes during its presale for Belgian visitors, beating last year’s 27-minute sellout.

The final batch of tickets for the electronic music extravaganza were snapped up in a matter of hours during last weekend’s global pre-sale.

Tomorrowland 2025 will welcome 400,000 ticket holders across two weekends to Boom, in the province of Antwerp, from 18–20 and 25–27 July.

The 2025 instalment will feature artists such as David Guetta, Charlotte De Witte, Armin Van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Netsky, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.

Before heading to Boom, Tomorrowland will stop in Colombia for CORE Medellín in February, then in France for Tomorrowland Winter in Alpe d’Huez in March.

Tomorrowland isn’t the only festival that has reported sellout success for 2025; Wacken Open Air, Primavera Sound, Greenfield Fest and Electric Picnic have also seen tickets fly off the shelf.

Tickets for the 2025 edition of Electric Picnic, Ireland’s biggest music festival, sold out more than a year in advance without a single act being announced.

Green Man, the largest festival in Wales, sold out in a record 60 minutes and without a single act announced

General admission tickets, priced €290, were snapped up within hours. The Festival Republic-promoted festival also operates a loyalty scheme, offering discounted passes for previous attendees.

Electric Picnic will be held at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, from 29-31 August next year, reverting to its traditional late summer date.

Similarly, Green Man, the largest festival in Wales, sold out in a record 60 minutes and without a single act announced. Organisers say the 25,000-capacity, independently owned event is the first UK festival to sell out for 2025.

The festival is set to return to the Black Mountains in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in Wales from the 14–17 August with a programme that spans music, comedy, literature, film, performance and installation art, wellness and science.

Elsewhere, the 2025 edition of German heavy metal festival Wacken Open Air (WOA) sold out nine months in advance. The majority of the 85,000 tickets were snapped up days after the 4 August 2024 pre-sale, with the remainder shifted by 30 September.

The 34th edition will return to Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, between 30 July to 2 August 2025, with acts including Machine Head, Saltatio Mortis, Papa Roach, Gojira, Apocalyptica and more.

Primavera Sound Barcelona also enjoyed sellout success, having shifted all tickets to its 23rd edition five months in advance of the event.

All full festival passes and day tickets were snapped up within 67 days of going on sale for the 75,000-cap festival at Parc Del Fòrum.

Organisers believe the feat offers an endorsement of the 2025 bill, which is headlined by Charli XCX & Troye Sivan, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan from 5-7 June.

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The European Festival Report (EFR) 2024, a packed annual summary of the biggest trends, happenings, and initiatives on the continent’s festival scene, was published in December.

In this excerpt from this indispensable guide, Primavera Sound’s head of press Marta Pallarès discusses the emerging headliner shortage, why Primavera puts focus on gender-balanced lineups, and the benefits around spotlighting diversity and accessibility.

How was this summer’s festival season for you?
Primavera Sound is always the first festival in the season. This year was particularly rewarding – we finally found the perfect format that we want for the festival in Barcelona. It was very stable, felt like a homecoming, and really embraced the city. Barcelona is our main headliner, in a way, and finding the right format for the festival to complement that is something we’re really proud of.

What challenges does the festival industry face? And how are you aiming to address them?
The biggest challenge ahead for festivals is the lack of headliners. Artists are leaning more towards stadium shows, where they have better control over production and merchandise. Of course, we need big names, but at Primavera, we also aim to create our own headliners by thinking outside the box. Especially since 2019, with our first-ever gender-balanced lineup, we made several artists a headliner even though some people questioned it.

But we believed in them, and it turned out to be the right choice. We rely on our instinct to craft a lineup that makes sense as a whole – it’s almost like being a trusted friend to our audience, someone who introduces them to new music they’ll love. It’s a way of keeping our lineup fresh and meaningful, despite the industry challenges.

“Diversity on stage brings diversity in the audience”

What trends do you think we will see play out in the next few years at festivals?
I think we’re going to see festivals that are more diverse, respectful, and sustainable. These issues are core values for the new generations. You simply can’t have a festival that doesn’t offer vegan food or that ends up covered in plastic cups – it doesn’t match today’s expectations. Artists are also increasingly using their platforms for activism, so festivals need to keep up.

For example, Massive Attack have been vocal about environmental issues, and artists have been central to recent political movements. While making sustainable festivals affordable is still a challenge, I think we’ll find a way forward as a society.

Can you share some of the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) measures or initiatives you have in place at Primavera to ensure they are welcoming places for everyone?
Diversity on stage brings diversity in the audience – it’s that simple. We started with gender-balanced lineups, which had an immediate impact. From there, we developed the Nobody is Normal protocol, which promotes a safe experience at our festival. Nobody is Normal is more than an anti-harassment protocol; it’s about spreading inclusiveness.

We worked with specialists in gender violence, law, and mental health to create a protocol that doesn’t just react to incidents but sets a standard. It’s about encouraging everyone, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and non-conforming people, to express themselves freely and feel safe. We want everyone to know that this is how we do things here – everyone is welcome to be themselves.

“Festivals are special because they create space for discovery and the unexpected”

We also take accessibility seriously. We have special seating areas, accessible paths, and we welcome assistance dogs. For attendees who feel overwhelmed or have sensory sensitivities, we’ve created safe spaces where they can take a break. But we still want to do more, particularly for people with non-visible disabilities, which is something we’re working toward.

What role do festivals play in the cultural landscape?
Festivals bring people together in a way that few spaces do. Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve all realised just how much we longed for human connection. Festivals are special because they create space for discovery and the unexpected. You might come for a specific headliner but end up finding new artists you love or make unexpected connections with people. It’s not like going to a concert, where you know what to expect – it’s a whole world of surprise and spontaneity.

If you’ve never been to a festival, you might think it’s just too expensive, but when you get the chance to go, you realise it’s much more than a concert. It’s about community, music, and discovery. It’s a way to encourage openness and curiosity that I think benefits people, culturally and socially.

The third edition of the European Festival Report, from IQ and festival association Yourope, is available to read online for free.

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At the International Festival Forum last year, music biz directory and data platform ROSTR revealed that across 50 festival lineups in Europe, the number of men on stage during headline performances was up to 92% (from 90% in 2023).

ROSTR’s analysis disclosed that across those 50 events, the gender balance for all acts saw the split as 69% male, 22% female, mixed 9%, and non-binary less than 1%. Two of the 50 surveyed events – Denmark’s Roskilde Festival and Primavera Sound in Barcelona – have already achieved gender balance, skewing the figures even further.

In an effort to help other events improve their gender balance ahead of this year, IQ spoke with principals at both festivals to learn how they managed to be so far ahead of the curve.

How difficult was it to achieve gender balance at your event?
“We realised that in 2018, 35% of the artists on our lineup were women, and that was without trying,” says Marta Pallarès at Primavera Sound. “So, then we thought, ‘What if we tried?’ And in the following year, we achieved our first-ever gender-balanced lineup, and we called it the ‘new normal’ because, to us, it should be normal to have as many women as men on stage.”

“I find the topic to be fairly straightforward,” comments Thomas Sønderby Jepsen, Roskilde’s head of music. “Having a balanced programme should be a given by now. That said, our programme has not always been as balanced as it is now, so it is something we have become more and more aware of and worked towards. Our team of bookers and scouts is also quite diverse, and it helps us to reach broader and experience more tendencies and talents. As a cultural institution, we have a responsibility – and an obligation – to seek out, embrace, and incorporate the agendas of tomorrow, striving to create meaningful change.”

“There are a lot of great female and non-binary artists, so it is just a matter of being curious”

What tips would you give other events who want to achieve gender balance?
MP: “Look at your own Spotify list, your Grammy nominations, your chart sale. You can’t deny that women are making music – they are topping all the charts right now. And the more aware you are of the fact that maybe you’re not doing enough, the more you can work to improve that. For example, we have now also started counting the non-binary artists, to improve our diversity there.”

TSJ: “There are a lot of great female and non-binary artists, so it is just a matter of being curious – go experience and book some of those names.

“Another approach I would recommend is focusing on your poster and billings. These can serve as a powerful platform for showcasing diversity. For instance, you might highlight a specific artist or spotlight a trend directly on your poster to make a meaningful statement. At Roskilde Festival, curating a balanced and inclusive programme is a top priority for driving meaningful change.

“Equally important, however, is cultivating an engaged community that can also amplify the message behind your efforts. The connection between artists and audience plays a vital role in building this engagement and atmosphere, so paying attention to this interaction is key to creating an impactful event.”

“Every time you book [a female artist/band] you are creating a more diverse environment for everyone”

Have you seen any changes in the festival demographics or audience behaviour?
TSJ: “Our community mirrors society – not only in Denmark but on a global scale. And like society, we evolve all the time, driven by the active engagement of our participants. One thing that characterises our participants is that they also pay a lot of attention to topics like diversity, inclusion, and how we treat each other within the festival community.”

MP: “Every time you book [a female artist/band] you are creating a more diverse environment for everyone. And this is good for business: if you’re catering to a more diverse audience with a more diverse lineup, you’re going to sell more tickets because there are more people interested. We released the Primavera Sound lineup some weeks ago, [and we’re already] sold out of full tickets.

“Also, our sponsors are big supporters, because as a brand, you want to be associated with something like this: to know that your brand is aligning with fans’ values.”

Christina Hazboun (Keychange) will run a workshop on gender-balancing events at ILMC 37 on 26 February.

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Primavera Sound Barcelona has sold out its 23rd edition more than five months in advance of the event.

All full festival passes and day tickets have been snapped up within 67 days of going on sale for the 75,000-cap festival at Parc Del Fòrum.

Organisers believe the feat offers an endorsement of the 2025 bill, which is headlined by Charli XCX & Troye Sivan, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan from 5-7 June.

“Selling out is the absolute confirmation of the cultural relevance of the work of these three artists who have had a colossal 2024,” they note, “but also of a festival model that looks much farther and that brings together legends like LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Stereolab and Spiritualized and new icons like FKA Twigs, Clairo, Jamie xx, Central Cee and Haim, rock renovators like Fontaines D.C., Idles and Turnstile with the most promising names of the moment like MJ Lenderman, Wet Leg, Madgalena Bay and Fcukers.”

The lineup for complementary concert series Primavera a la Ciutat will also be announced in the next few weeks, while traditional free opening day – with performances by Caribou, La Casa Azul, Hinds and Llum – will open reservations a few weeks before it starts.

“We always like to present acts at the early stages of their careers and bet on potential headliners of the future”

Meanwhile, closing party Primavera Bits x Nitsa, organised with Nitsa Club on its 30th anniversary, will star Michael Bibi, Paul Kalkbrenner, Carlita, BUNT. and Ona.

Primavera Sound’s head of bookings Fra Soler disclosed the festival’s criteria when it comes to booking headliners in a recent interview with IQ.

“Since we are a tastemaking festival, we always like to present acts at the early stages of their careers and bet on potential headliners of the future,” he explained. “It has occurred several times that an act we booked in September has become a headliner by the time Primavera happens in June.

“We have a very deep lineup, with more than 100 acts, and our idea has always been to tell different stories through our lineup. In a way, our curation is also one of our headliners. That said, we also look for quality, relevance, success, and freshness in a headliner.”

Tickets are still available for Primavera Sound Porto, which runs from 12-15 June. Acts will include Charli XCX, Central Cee, Jamie xx, Paul Kalkbrenner, Haim, Deftones, Michael Kiwanuka, Caribou, Fontaines D.C. and Anohni and the Johnsons.

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Charli XCX has announced she will reunite with Troye Sivan for her Primavera Sound Barcelona headline slot next year.

The 5 June performance will be the only European stop on their Charli XCX & Troye Sivan Present: SWEAT tour and follows their sold-out 22-date tour of North America last autumn, which saw the British and Australian artists play to almost 300,000 fans. Both acts performed separately at Primavera this year.

Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter will also headline the 5-7 June 2025 festival at Parc Del Fòrum.

Elsewhere in Spain, Madrid’s Mad Cool has released the first wave of acts for the 2025 edition, led by Olivia Rodrigo, Kings of Leon, Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams.

Alanis Morissette, Weezer, Benson Boone, Justice, Iggy Pop, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Arde Bogotá, Residente, Glass Animals and St. Vincent are also on the bill. The festival will return to Iberdrola Music between 10–12 July.

Brazil’s The Town has lined up Green Day, Sex Pistols, Bruce Dickinson, Iggy Pop, Initial Capital, Pitty, CPM 22 and Supla & Innocents for 2025.

Organised by Rock in Rio founder Roberto Medina, the 100,000-cap festival will return to São Paulo between 6–7 and 12–14 September.

Portugal’s Nos Alive has announced an additional six acts: Barry Can’t Swim, Dead Poet Society, Finneas, Foster The People, Parov Stelar, Mother Mother and Sammy Virji.

They will perform at the Lisbon festival between 10–12 July and alongside previously announced acts such as Olivia Rodrigo, Kings of Leon, Amyl and The Sniffers, Artemas, Benson Boone, CMAT, girl in red and Glass Animals.

Poland’s Orange Warsaw has announced its first headliner, Charli XCX, who will deliver the final set of the festival.

The Alter Art-promoted event will return to Służewiec Horse Racing Track in Warsaw between 30–31 May.

The US is set to gain another new music festival called Starbase

France’s We Love Green has also secured Charli XCX for a headlining set alongside other acts including Air, Laylow, Gesaffelstein, Amelie Lens, Parcels, FKA Twigs and Bicep.

The festival will once again take place at Bois de Vincennes Park in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, between 6–8 June.

Across Europe, Austria’s Lido Sounds has confirmed Justice, Parcels and PaulWetz for the 2025 instalment, set to take place between 27–29 June on the banks of the Danube in Linz, Vienna.

City Splash – billed as the world’s biggest independent one-day celebration of Caribbean and African culture – will take over London’s Brockwell Park on the 26 May bank holiday.

Set to perform at the event is Jamaican roots reggae singer Tarrus Riley, queen of dancehall Spice, one of Jamaica’s brightest stars Valiant, the voice behind one of Dancehall’s biggest anthems ‘Drift’; Teejay and Afrobeats music collective The Compozers.

Live Nation-owned C3 Presents plans to launch a new rock festival in the US called Boardwalk Rock Festival.

The two-day event will take place between 17–18 May 2025 in Ocean City, Maryland, with some of the biggest names in rock history alongside contemporary favourites.

Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Nickelback, and Shinedown will headline the inaugural edition, with Bush, Chevelle, Three Days Grace and Flyleaf appearing further down the bill.

The US is also set to gain another new music festival called Starbase, launched by GRAMMY-nominated electronic music duo SLANDER in partnership with Insomniac.

The two-day event will take place between 25–26 April at Lake Perris in Southern California with more than 35 events.

A Hundred Drums, AU5, Before Dawn, Body Ocean, Bommer, Charles D, Codd Dubz, Control Freak, Copycatt, Dimension, Fairlane, FrostTop, Ivory, Kill the Noise, Lunice, Mha Iri, Moody Good B2B Chee, Nikademis and Pauline Herr are set to perform at the inaugural edition.

Meanwhile, St. Louis natives Nelly & Metro Boomin will launch a festival in their hometown next year featuring a mix of country and hip-hop music.

The festival announcement comes after St. Louis was notably snubbed from Nelly’s upcoming Where the Party At World Tour.

Details of the inaugural Smokin’ Hayride Festival are yet to be announced.

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After a barren few years for new headliners, the festival business suddenly finds itself with an embarrassment of riches to choose from.

The industry struggled to produce fresh superstar talent over a decade of discontent – a drought that was exacerbated by the global touring boom, as A-list acts increasingly skipped the festival circuit in favour of their own headline shows.

Yet accusations of an over-reliance on heritage acts – ironically enough – are becoming a thing of the past. According to ROSTR, which analysed the 2024 lineups of 50 top European festivals, the artist with the most headline slots this year was Fred Again.. with seven, followed by Måneskin (6) and Dua Lipa, The Chainsmokers, Lana Del Rey, SZA, Sam Smith, Bring Me The Horizon and Pulp (5).

With the exception of Pulp, all of the above broke through in the 2010s or later, while the likes of Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Dave, Halsey and Hozier have also ascended to the top table in recent years.

Next year’s lineups have seen a continuation of the trend, with the likes of Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter ascending to headline status. Most startlingly of all, however, is the world’s fastest-rising artist Chappell Roan, who will top the bill at multiple major European festivals despite having just one album under her belt.

So what makes a festival headliner in this day and age? Primavera Sound’s head of bookings Fra Soler argues the criteria has not radically altered.

“There are two types of headliners: those with long careers… and those who have just exploded and are very hot at the moment”

“Festivals seek headliners who are successful, relevant and sell tickets,” he tells IQ. “It’s the same for 2024/25. At Primavera, since we are a tastemaking festival, we always like to present acts at the early stages of their careers and bet on potential headliners of the future. It has occurred several times that an act we booked in September has become a headliner by the time Primavera happens in June.”

Primavera Sound Barcelona has booked an all-female headline slate for 2025, featuring Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter.

“We have a very deep lineup, with more than 100 acts, and our idea has always been to tell different stories through our line-up,” says Soler. “In a way, our curation is also one of our headliners. That said, we also look for quality, relevance, success and freshness in a headliner.”

Moreover, Soler does not consider 26-year-old Roan’s meteoric rise to be indicative of a new phenomenon.

“There are two types of headliners: those with long careers who have achieved a status and maintained it, and those who have just exploded and are very hot at the moment,” he asserts. “For the latter, we hope they maintain their profile over the years and remain headliners for many years to come.

“It is true that we’ve been through some sort of headliner drought in recent years, so it’s great to have fresh and new headliners emerging.”

“When we see how fast acts like these can grow and deliver headliner-worthy shows, it gives us bright hope for the future”

Roan and Charli XCX will also star at Norway’s 22,000-cap Øya Festival alongside Queens of the Stone Age and Girl in Red.

“We have been lucky getting our first choices confirmed this year, all with very different criteria,” says the Oslo event’s founder, owner and booker Claes Olsen. “QOTSA had to cancel last year due to illness, so we’re very happy that Josh [Homme, frontman] is healthy again and ready to be back on the road next summer, while Girl in Red is our local headliner and we are proud of giving the Saturday headline slot to a domestic act.”

Olsen discloses: “On both Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, we made the offers early for slots lower down the bill, then they both grew and grew and the offer got bigger. When we got the confirmed and announced they were definitely solid main stage headliners for us.

“When we as an industry debates the lack of headliners, I must say that when we see how fast acts like these can grow and deliver headliner-worthy shows, it gives us bright hope for the future.”

Olsen concurs with Soler’s view that there have always been exceptions to the rule, with the size of the festival also playing a part.

“At Øya we kind of have to be creative and find a way to lift up new headliners,” he offers. “When we moved Kendrick Lamar up to headline level in 2013 that was also due to the artist growing quickly, and the same with Robyn in 2010; it all happened after we confirmed her and had to move her up.”

“While these names may seem like exceptions, they increasingly represent a trend that any festival must take into account”

Conversely, Virág Csiszár, head of international booking at Hungary’s Sziget, believes the quickfire ascents of Eilish, Roan and Fred Again.. are reflective of “significant changes” in the music industry.

Sziget 2025 will be headed by Roan, Charli XCX and Anyma, and Csiszár points to the emergence of TikTok and streaming platforms for enabling artists to quickly build large fanbases.

“While these names may seem like exceptions, they increasingly represent a trend that any festival must take into account,” she contends.

Moreover, Csiszár insists the public holds a significant say in determining Sziget’s lineup, with the distinct makeup of the festival’s audience also factored in.

“We heavily rely on visitor feedback, conducting various surveys and online questionnaires to monitor which artists generate the most interest each year and who our audience wants to see in the closing slot of the main stage,” says Csiszár. “We do not solely consider Hungarian market demands but also place significant emphasis on the favourites of international visitors when selecting performers.”

“It’s no longer about how long an artist has been in the game, it’s about how they connect with an audience”

Nicholas Greco, co-founder and managing partner of Australia’s Unitled Group, promoter of festivals such as Beyond The Valley, agrees the headliner model has shifted.

“With the speed at which social media propels artists into global stardom, audiences expect festivals to be forward-thinking and at the forefront of cultural trends,” he observes. “Festivals have become breeding grounds for the next wave of talent, which means we have to stay ahead of emerging global trends and new artists before they fully break.”

Greco continues: “It’s no longer about how long an artist has been in the game, it’s about how they connect with an audience. If an artist can create a genuine connection and the crowd can already see their superstar potential, they’ll follow. This is why acts like Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Fred Again.. headlined festivals early in their careers – they’ve managed to capture a moment in time and build a significant, engaged fanbase rapidly.”

Elsewhere in Belgium, Sam Fender is among the headliners for the next edition of Belgium’s Rock Werchter, which prompts organiser Herman Schueremans to share a point of personal pride.

“A lot of our headliners for either Rock Werchter, TW Classic or Werchter Boutique first played when they were an upcoming act and come back later as a headliner,” beams the Live Nation Belgium CEO. “They say it is like coming home for them. We keep building acts and the criteria stays the same – quality!”

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European festival organisers are capitalising on the growth of electronic dance music (EDM) with new dedicated events.

Next year, Primavera Sound Porto in Portugal will hold an extra day on Sunday 15 June dedicated to EDM – the lineup and details of which are yet to be announced.

The 12th edition of the festival will return to the city’s Parque da Cidade between 12–15 June 2025, the week after Primavera Sound Barcelona.

Charli XCX, Central Cee, Jamie xx, Beach House, Deftones, Fontaines DC, HAIM and Turnstile are among the acts that were today confirmed for Primavera Sound Porto 2025.

Elsewhere, FEST Team is planning to launch Bulgaria’s first major EDM festival in Sofia next summer.

Belgian DJ and record producer Lost Frequencies is the first confirmed headliner for the three-day event, named Aura.

Having brought international EDM stars such as Armin Van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike to the market, FEST Team CEO Stefan Elenkov told IQ that he’s banking on the genre.

“I really believe we will be recognised as the company that organised the best EDM party in the country,” he says.

The global dance music business saw 17% revenue growth in 2023 to a valuation of $11.8bn

Meanwhile, Belgium has gained a new five-day festival and conference dedicated to EDM called Abrupt.

The inaugural edition took place in Brussels earlier this month and comprised seven concerts, six club nights and numerous debates and workshops.

Organised by the non-profit Arty Farty Brussels, the festival took over iconic music venues and clubs such as Botanique, the C12, Bozar and the Ancienne Belgique.

The increasing popularity of EDM is not just underscored by new events but also by the growth of pre-existing ones.

C2C Festival in Turin, which has spawned 22 editions, has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

Organisers yesterday (6 November) reported the highest attendance yet for the 2024 edition, which was the third consecutive sell-out.

This growth is further evidenced by the IMS Business Report 2024, which declared a ‘golden era’ for the global dance music business after 17% revenue growth in 2023 to a valuation of $11.8bn.

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Primavera Sound Barcelona has unveiled its “all-embracing, eclectic and unparalleled” 2025 lineup, headlined by Charli XCX, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.

Hailed by organisers as “the three most important artists of the moment”, the trio are among the first 147 names to be confirmed for the festival’s 23rd edition, which features acts such as FKA Twigs, Haim, LCD Soundsystem, Anohni and the Johnsons, Beabadoobee, Wet Leg and Zaho de Sagazan.

Returning to Parc Del Fòrum from 5-7 June, the gender-balanced bill also includes the likes of Idles, Jamie xx, Beach House Stereolab, Sturgill Simpson, Paul Kalkbrenner, Alan Sparhawk, Caribou, Amaia, DJ Koze, Kim Deal, Armand Van Helden, Turnstile, TV On The Radio, Cat Power, Floating Points, Denzel Curry and Fontaines D.C.

Full festival tickets go on sale on 29 October, cost €295 (€265.50 for Revolut clients), with VIP tickets available for €495 (€445.50).

Primavera co-director Alfonso Lanza, head of press and public relations Marta Pallerès and head of bookings Fra Soler gave an insight into the success of the event in a keynote interview at last month’s International Festival Forum (IFF) in London.

“There’s no secret,” said Soler. “We’re music lovers, we enjoy what we do, and we love to listen to music. So, I think that enables us to get some of the artists before they break through on a global stage. We always take pleasure in discovering and meeting bands, and that’s helped us build lasting relationships with them.

“Some of the headliners played at Primavera before they became headliners for little money, and they appreciate the fact that we spotlighted them from the beginning. And the other thing is we try to avoid super big headliners and create a big gap between them and the rest of the lineup.”

“The effect a gender-balanced lineup has had for us is reflected in our audience demographics”

Pallerès went on to discuss launching the first gender-balanced lineup in 2019.

“No festival of our size had done that before, and it was quite noticeable because we made headlines for it absolutely everywhere that year,” she said. “The effect a gender-balanced lineup has had for us is reflected in our audience demographics, which features a large number of female attendees.”

The promoters also explained the decision to cancel all of the brand’s South American festivals in 2024

“I would rather refer to this as us skipping a year instead of an outright cancellation,” said Soler. “This industry presents a lot of challenges in terms of the lineup you’re aiming for. So, there’s a so-called ‘headliner draft’ which affects every promoter, and when you go to a different territory, there’s a lot of adjustments that need to be made because every territory has a different preference on what they want to listen to.

“We realise it would be a bit damaging, but we always strive to deliver a festival experience that would be up to Primavera’s standards.”

Primavera Sound Porto – the brand’s Portuguese edition – is set for Parque da Cidade from 12-14 June 2025.

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