This year marks the festival’s return to Parque de Cidade in Porto after a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This edition – the 9th since the festival expanded from Barcelona to Porto – is considered "a fresh start".

"It’s been like learning to work again. A festival like this involves a lot of people and these connections have been damaged by years of the pandemic. It was a very big challenge [to prepare for the festival], but also appealing, because it's good to start again," said José Barreiro, Director of Pic-Nic, promoter of NOS Primavera Sound, in a statement to Lusa news agency.

Although the organisation tried "not to mess too much with a festival that already has a successful and familiar brand", the works connecting the Parque de Cidade to the sea which were recently completed "forcibly messed with the layout of the festival".

"It was more in the areas of festival entrances, food, and access to the stages. Because the location of the [five] stages is practically the same as it was in 2019", explained José Barreiro.

Headliners

From the poster of this edition, the promoter highlights the headliners, "which is what people are looking for most": on Thursday, Nick Cave and Tame Impala, "two huge names of the music scene on the same night, it is rare that this happens in a festival in Portugal". On Friday, "the grand return" of Pavement to the stage, which should have happened in 2020, as well as Beck. Finally, performing on Saturday are Gorillaz, "a band that rarely steps on stage" and that Pic Nic was "lucky" to bring to Porto.

"Then other names, like Interpol, Jhay Cortez, and Caroline Polachek. The festival has a little bit of every musical genre. We always try to show a bit of everything, without excluding certain musical styles", said José Barreiro.

The poster also includes bands and artists such as Diiv, King Krule, Kim Gordon, Georgia, Slowdive, Shellac, Dinosaur Jr., Little Simz, Pablo Vittar, Earl Sweatshirt, DJ Firmeza, Pedro Mafama, Montanhas Azuis, Chico da Tina, Rita Vian and David Bruno.

The three-day passes "have been sold out for over a month." Day tickers for Thursday and Saturday are also sold out, while Friday is "close to sold out".

The concerts start at 16:30 on Thursday and at 17:00 on Friday and Saturday, with the last performances scheduled for 04:30 am on the first and last day of the festival and, for 4:00 am, on the second day.

In addition to the five stages on the festival grounds, there is a dining space, where there will be no shortage of "traditional Porto snacks". There will also be Primavera market, with stalls of 18 brands "from areas ranging from fashion, urban crafts, and even a tattoo studio".

In the 9th edition, the festival will continue the use of reusable cups, which have the cost of one euro and can "be used as often as necessary during the event".