Primavera Sound 2018: A guide to Spain's biggest music festival

Always a buzz: Primavera
Primavera Sound/Garbine Irizar
Daisy Fletcher9 April 2018

​Primavera Sound is fast approaching and festival goers around the world are brushing up on their Spanish for a weekend living it large in Barcelona. Arctic Monkeys are headlining, along with Björk, The National and Lorde, in one of the most impressive line-ups of the summer.

NTS Radio have also partnered with the festival on Primavera Bits, an electronic music oasis that will bring music to the beach for the first time, with Four Tet, Daphni and Floating Points holding the fort.

For all you Brits lucky enough to be going, here’s a roundup of the best things to do in the city when you’re not ogling Alex Turner.

Where to eat

On a festival hangover in the blazing sun, good food is a panacea to get you through your headache.

La Monroe is a good place to start. With tapas if you feel like sharing, and burgers if you’re feeling homesick, there is something for everyone in this breezy cobblestoned café. The Granma Croquets and Daffy Duck Confit with potato and thyme are particularly worth a spin.

Servico Continuo is a more upmarket option for informal Catalan food, even after midnight. The mussels with green curry are terrific, and the Cantonese pork ribs deserve a mention too. They also serve the best Bloody Mary in Barcelona if you really want to push the boat out.

Where to drink

Warm beers are all very well, but if you want to sip on something more upmarket between sets, head to El Paradiso. Hidden behind a secret fridge door in a pastrami bar, this dive boasts re-distilled whisky and delightful cocktails, at a decent price.

To get to know the locals, try Negroni bar on Joaquin Costa, and sample their famous mojitos (and, er, negronis). These come with a complimentary bowl of crisps, for ravers who are running low on funds.

What to do

If you do have any cash left to splash, check out Discos Paradiso record shop in the Raval neighbourhood. Arguably the epicentre of Barcelona’s electronic music scene, this place has a superb sound-system and regularly hosts live shows too.

For some highbrow culture, swing by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) for a quick exhibition, debate or film screening.

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Where to stay

One of the many joys of Primavera is that after a long day on the razz, you don’t have to crawl into a sweaty tent to fry yourself to sleep.

Most punters stay in Airbnbs, but Hotel Zero is a stone’s throw from the action, and has a pool and spa in case you need a massage to take the edge off.

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