Portugal’s music scene is eagerly anticipating Charli XCX’s performance, with the artist currently at the pinnacle of her form after delivering a spectacular show in Barcelona last week. The Grammy-nominated star is set to debut in Portugal at the Primavera Sound Porto, building significant excitement around the event, as noted by José Barreiro, director of Primavera Sound Porto 2025.
In an interview, Barreiro mentioned that approximately 35,000 attendees are expected each day, totaling around 140,000 between June 12 and 15.
“Tickets remain on sale, with no expectation of running out, but we are very pleased with the numbers. We’re averaging 35,000 daily attendees and continue to attract many international visitors, having sold tickets to over 100 countries,” Barreiro stated.
The director emphasized that while most festival-goers are Portuguese, there is also a significant international presence.
“Combining general passes with daily tickets, roughly 70% are Portuguese and 30% are foreigners, amounting to between 15,000 and 20,000 international visitors,” he specified.
The top five nationalities of attendees include the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United States.
Currently, there are no forecasts for rain at the Primavera, Barreiro assures, predicting a “completely dry” edition given that the depression previously affecting the area is dissipating, bringing sunshine to Porto.
“I believe it won’t rain for the remainder of the festival. There might be some precipitation tonight, but no rain is expected from Thursday onwards,” Barreiro remarked.
If there is rain, Barreiro explained that shelters have been set up for attendees. Additionally, attention has been paid to “access and drainage systems” to prevent water accumulation and minimize disruptions caused by rain during the festival.
Barreiro acknowledged the challenge in sheltering 35,000 people unless an indoor venue was used, which would negate the outdoor festival experience.
“Rain is a factor that greatly affects us, as a lot of dedication goes into making the festival the best in Portugal, and rain detracts significantly from the experience. We do what we can, but covering an 11-hectare area is quite difficult,” he added.
This year features the introduction of a new main stage.
“There has been an increase in the structural reinforcement of stages and facilities that accommodate large crowds. While the layout remains the same, we’re unveiling a new main stage, the Palco Porto.”
The previous main stage will now serve as the Palco Vodafone, or stage 2.
Another highlight is Sunday’s focus on electronic music, showcased on the Palco Revolut, stage 3, until 11:00 PM.
Regarding the end of the current 650,000 euros financial support from the Porto City Council as of the triennium 2023-2025, Barreiro is optimistic that support will continue under the next city administration, ensuring the announcement of the 2026 festival dates on the event’s last day.
“While the support concludes this year, discussions are underway to extend it by a year. Conversations with all Porto city council candidates indicate that they are fans of the festival and recognize its significant impact on the city. The dates for next year will be announced on the last day, as Primavera is now part of the city’s culture,” stated Barreiro.
Thursday’s lineup, featuring British artist Charli XCX, includes acts like Fontaines D.C., Caribou, Anohni and the Johnsons, The Dare, The Jesus Lizard, Surma, Tuilpa Ruiz, and Angélica Garcia, among others.
The festival promises a diverse program ranging from pop, rock, metal to electronic music, described Barreiro.
In the following days, performers such as Beach House, Deftones, Michael Kiwanuka, Garota Não, Jamie XX, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Haim, Parcels, TV On The Radio, Kim Deal (Sonic Youth), Squid, Capitão Fausto, and many others will take the stage at Primavera.
