The headliners are one of the reasons that take the public to music festivals, but in Primavera Sound Porto, whose 10th edition began today, the venue and the environment are also at the top of the list.
The venue, in the City Park, opened at 5pm and by 6:30pm many people were already spreading out across the space, which has been revised and expanded this year, with changes in the location of stages, more bathrooms, and a wider range of bars and restaurants.
Carolina, an ‘habitué’ of Primavera Sound Porto, arrived at the festival with her husband and children around 17:30. When Lusa found her, almost an hour later, she was still getting her bearings.
“I was used to a certain mood, and now everything feels different, everything new. We’ve just arrived, but I’ve already noticed a lot of things that are different, I’m enjoying it. I like this wider green space, to fit more people,” she said.
Today she’s at the festival to see Kendrick Lamar, an artist who appeals to everyone in the family. On Saturday she will return, but only in the company of her husband, to see Blur and New Order. “We come every year also for the atmosphere, we like it a lot”, she pointed out.
Today’s headliner – American rapper Kendrick Lamar – was the main reason for Joana and Tiago to travel from Lisbon to Porto and decide to be at Primavera Sound Porto for the first time.
Joana and Tiago arrived with “high expectations”. And when Lusa met them they were “really enjoying the place”. As for the concert: “Let’s see what’s coming, what he’s going to give”.
Closer to Paredes, but also because of Kendrick Lamar, Beatriz decided to return to the festival this year. As soon as she arrived she saw that the venue “is much bigger” than last year.
“I always like the space, being in the City Park, it has a lot of greenery, and the marks are well hidden, they seem to be camouflaged in the space. I think we can almost walk around inside. We are not limited to a stage. It feels like a small town, I think it’s really cool,” he said.
Sitting on the grass with friends, she told Lusa that she had to choose only one day of the festival, but thinks that “the program is spectacular” on all four days.
Brits Jess and Safron are luckier and will be at the City Park on all days of the festival.
Visiting Portugal for the first time, on a “friends vacation”, they thought it would be “a nice mix” to add concerts to the trip.
Holly Humberstone, Maggie Rogers and Fred Again… are among the artists they most want to see, but Kendrick Lamar and Rosalía are also among their preferences.
“[The poster] has chill, rap, techno and oldies, like the Pet Shop Boys, which is really cool. It’s a good mix,” Jess mentioned.
As for the venue, Safron confessed that he “didn’t expect it to be so big and with so much going on.” “It’s very nice. I didn’t imagine it would have so many stages and so many places to eat, so many options,” he said.
Jess thinks the festival has “a very ‘chill’ vibe. “If this was in the UK, there’d be like a hundred drunk people falling on the floor by now,” he quipped.
Unlike newcomers Jess and Safron, Daniel is a regular at Primavera Sound Porto. The trip from Lisbon to Porto is always worthwhile: “This festival always surprises, because it is the festival with the most beautiful space in Portugal.
The ‘new’ venue seems fine to him, but he confesses that he will “miss the stage in the clearing a lot. And that this year it is in an area closer to the sea.
John, who accompanied Daniel, pointed out that he found “the space more complete” and that “the production seems to have invested more and more.” “It’s getting better and better,” he said.
The two will be present in the City Park all four days. The program includes Pet Shop Boys, Allison Golfrapp, Halsey, New Order and Rosalía.
João made his debut at the festival last year and was “completely melted”. Porto Primavera Sound has become one of his favorite music festivals, to which he intends to keep coming back “mainly for the atmosphere”.
The 10th edition of the Primavera Sound Porto festival runs until Saturday.
In the enclosure there are five stages, four outdoors and one indoors, but today only two are working, the main ones, on which they perform: Beatriz Pessoa, Alison Goldfrapp, Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar, Georgia, Holly Humberstone, The Comet is Coming and ¥///0 $#££[[ //&$ #£>3.
