Elena Barreras named head of Primavera Pro
Elena Barreras has been installed as the new head of music industry conference Primavera Pro.
Primavera Pro 2023 will be held at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and the Parc del Fòrum from 31 May to 4 June.
Barreras, who has more than 20 years of music industry experience – 12 of them with Primavera, succeeds longtime colleague Almudena Heredero in the director role.
“I am very happy to take over the management of this project, which is so special and different in its kind,” says Barreras. “Primavera Pro is not just a professional meeting, it is something that goes beyond that. It is a space which is in constant motion, that is diverse and where we can continue to discover the future of music. It is a global and enriching experience and I am very proud to be able to continue to see it grow and to grow with it.”
“Apart from making Primavera Pro expand, we want to try out new formats and open up to other themes and sectors”
New monthly activities are being prepared from October onwards to expand Primavera Pro to a year-round brand.
“Apart from making Primavera Pro expand, we want to try out new formats and open up to other themes and sectors,” adds Barreras. “The idea is to make the project more cross-sectional and to continue collaborating with the local fabric. To explain everything that will change and mark the professional relations of future generations.”
Heredero, meanwhile, was recently named as the new director of Primavera Sound Madrid. The Madrid leg debuts at the City of Rock in Arganda del Rey from 8-10 June 2023, a week after its flagship Barcelona edition (1-3 June).
“There are challenges that can only be taken on with pride and enthusiasm,” says Heredero. “The fact that Madrid is going to host its first edition of Primavera Sound is one of them. On the one hand, it is an important but natural step, after years of tours organised by Primavera Sound as a promoter and events like Primavera Club that have already linked the two cities.
“On the other hand, from a professional point of view and as vice-president of the Association of Women in the Music Industry (MIM) since 2019, I can only be happy to accept the challenge of directing a music festival that demands as much responsibility and professionalism as Primavera Sound.”
“We are thrilled by the response and the welcome that Los Angeles and its public have given us”
Primavera held its maiden US edition in Los Angeles last weekend, welcoming 50,000 attendees from 50 countries to the State Historic Park from 16-18 September. Artists included Arctic Monkeys, Lorde and Nine Inch Nails.
“We are thrilled by the response and the welcome that Los Angeles and its public have given us,” says Primavera Sound director Alfonso Lanza. “It has been a challenge, but also an honour, to have transferred the philosophy and the differential factor of a festival created in Barcelona two decades ago to one of the nuclei of the music industry.
“This is one of our main objectives: that the model and concept of Primavera Sound be understood and enjoyed in any part of the world where it is held.”
Primavera’s 20th anniversary celebrations continue with events in São Paulo, Brazil from 31 October to 6 November, Santiago in Chile (7-13 November) and Buenos Aires, Argentina (7-13 November), and the Primavera Weekender in Benidorm, Spain (18-19 November).
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Primavera Sound expected to expand for 2022 edition
Barcelona’s Primavera Sound is set to dramatically expand for its 20th-anniversary celebration in 2022, according to Reuters.
Reportedly, the festival will take place between 2–5 June and 9–12 June next year – double its usual length – and will host around 400 shows across two line-ups.
No decision has been made yet on whether to keep the new two-weekend format beyond 2022, according to Reuters sources.
Primavera organisers told IQ that they ‘could neither confirm nor deny’ the information.
In March, the flagship festival was cancelled for a second consecutive year due to the pandemic, shortly after the cancellation of sister festival NOS Primavera Sound, in Oporto, Portugal.
Primavera organisers told IQ that they ‘could neither confirm nor deny’ the information
As in 2020, all tickets remain valid for the delayed Primavera Sound 20 in June 2022. Ticketholders who would prefer a refund will be able to make a request from 2 June, when the 2022 line-up will be revealed.
Headliners for Primavera Sound 2021, which sold out in record time, were Gorillaz, the Strokes and Tame Impala, with FKA Twigs, Tyler the Creator, Iggy Pop and Disclosure also set to perform from 2 to 6 June.
Ahead of the 2022 event, Primavera Pro, the music industry conference, will take place in a ‘hybrid’ format (part physical, part online) from 2 to 4 June 2021.
Primavera Sound’s Primavera Weekender will also return, welcoming some 30 artists and around 1,000 attendees for the second edition of the resort festival in Benidorm, this November.
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Primavera Sound called off, Primavera Pro goes hybrid
Primavera Sound has called time on its 2021 event, cancelling its planned 20th-anniversary celebration for a second year in a row, despite having shown that live music need not lead to an increase in Covid-19 infections with its Primacov clincal trial.
In an announcement today (2 March), the Barcelona festival says its 20th edition “deserves a party like the ones we are used to, and the global situation does not seem favourable” towards being able to go ahead without significant restrictions this summer. Headliners for Primavera Sound 2021, which sold out in record time, were Gorillaz, the Strokes and Tame Impala, with FKA Twigs, Tyler the Creator, Iggy Pop and Disclosure also set to perform from 2 to 6 June.
As in 2020, all tickets remain valid for the delayed Primavera Sound 20 in June 2022. Ticketholders who would prefer a refund will be able to make a request from 2 June, when the 2022 line-up will be revealed.
“We have reached this painful decision due to the uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events on the original dates of the festival,” say organisers, “which, added to the restrictions that currently exist, mean that we cannot work normally on the preparation of the festival nor ensure that, once the date arrives, it can be celebrated. Although it is painful, we know that this is the right decision, especially for those of you who have to plan your trip in advance.
“The 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound deserves a party like the ones we are used to, and the global situation does not seem favourable to allowing something like this to happen”
“We have left no stone unturned: we led the clinical trial carried out at the Apolo in Barcelona last December and we have been in constant contact with the health authorities to explore all possible solutions. But the 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound deserves a party like the ones we are used to, and the global situation does not seem favourable to allowing something like this to happen this summer. At least not in a way in which we can live the full Primavera Sound experience.”
Primavera Pro, the music industry conference, will hold a ‘hybrid’ edition (part physical, part online) from 2 to 4 June. Sister festival NOS Primavera Sound, in Oporto, Portugal, is still scheduled for 10–12 June.
The Primacov study at the Apolo, organised by Primavera Sound in association with Barcelona’s Hospital German Trias, found that concerts held with rapid coronavirus testing in advance are “not associated with an increase in Covid-19 infections”.
Primavera Sound announced a series of physical concerts in Barcelona, Coliseum Nights, set for 26 April–2 May, earlier this month.
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Rescheduled Primavera Sound 2020 cancelled
The 20th anniversary of Primavera Sound will no longer take place this year, despite being rescheduled to the end of August.
Organisers of the festival, which experienced record ticket sales this year following the release of a line-up including the Strokes, Massive Attack, Iggy Pop, Lana Del Rey and Kacey Musgraves, announced today (11 May) that they have been “obliged to postpone the next edition of Primavera Sound Barcelona, for reasons of force majeure, until next year from 2 to 6 June 2021.”
The festival had previously been rescheduled from its usual June dates to 26 to 30 August 2020, in a bid to avoid disruption from the pandemic.
“We are devastated and are terribly sorry for the inconvenience caused, but the health and well-being of our audience and of all the people involved in the festival has always been and still is our absolute priority,” reads a statement from organisers.
“We cannot thank you enough for your patience, love and understanding in this very uncertain scenario”
“We cannot thank you enough for your patience, love and understanding in this very uncertain scenario.”
All tickets for the festival and delegate passes for the Primavera Pro industry conference will be valid for the 2021 events with “special benefits for all those who decide to keep them”.
Those wishing to ask for a refund can do so from 3 June, when this year’s edition was originally meant to kick off. The first wave of artists for Primavera Sound 2021 will be announced on the same day.
A fully virtual edition of Primavera Pro will go ahead from 21 to 24 July, with a focus on analysing the recent challenges facing the sector.
The news of Primavera Sound Barcelona’s cancellation comes as the fate of its Portuguese sister event, NOS Primavera Sound Porto, hangs in the balance as the Portuguese cabinet proposes a ban on festivals until 30 September. Organisers had previously rescheduled the festival for 3 to 5 September.
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Paradigm investor Yucaipa ups interest in live
Private-equity firm the Yucaipa Companies has provided backing for another live entertainment company, making a “substantial” investment in independent US festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP).
Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa has existing interests in the live music industry, through its joint venture with Paradigm Talent Agency and minority stake in Primavera Sound and Primavera Pro.
Danny Hayes, CEO of DWP, cites Yucaipa’s “successful investments in the music industry” as the reason for the financial partnership.
“We had several different options for investors, but ultimately selected Yucaipa because they really understood our growth strategy, and they are uniquely situated to help us execute on it,” says Hayes.
“Yucaipa [also] has key relationships in cities where we already operate and others we’d like to enter. We believe they will be able to accelerate our plans to expand into new markets.”
“We believe [Yucaipa] will be able to accelerate our plans to expand into new markets”
Founded in 2011, LA-based DWP produces seven music festivals across the US: Sonic Temple in Ohio, Aftershock in California, Epicenter in North Carolina, Welcome to Rockville in Florida and the Louisville Trifesta series, comprising Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond.
DWP festivals attracted almost 750,000 fans in 2019.
The promoter aims to announce its initial acquisitions soon, having also announced new investment from First Horizon Bank and a renewed ticketing partnership with Front Gate Tickets.
“Collectively, the new and renewed partnerships provide DWP with a foundation to aggressively grow the business surrounded by forward-thinking partners,” comments Hayes.
The United Auburn Indian Community, an earlier investor in DWP, continues to hold a position with the company.
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Spain’s MIM appoints new board of directors
Spanish association Women in the Music Industry (Mujeres de la Industria de la Música – MIM) has appointed a new board of directors on the third year from its inauguration.
Carmen Zapata, manager of the Catalan Concert Venues Association (Associació de Sales de Concerts de Catalunya), will stay on as MIM president.
Primavera Pro director Almudena Heredero takes on the role of vice president and treasurer, with Patricia Gabeiras, founder of law firm Gabeiras & Associates, will serve as secretary.
Additional new board members are Ticketmaster’s Celia Carrillo, Anxela Baltar of punk two-piece Bala and I Wanna management, Herminia Martínez of Palosanto agency, Maca Arena of Spanish promoters’ organisation APMusicales, Mar Rojo, who programmes Madrid venue El Sol, and Violeta Hernández, founder of live agency La Suite.
Launched in 2016, MIM provides a platform for female music professionals to gain more visibility and works on ways to address the gender imbalance within all sectors of the industry. MIM was last year’s recipient of Primavera Sound’s Primavera Award.
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Primavera Pro gets untamed with Insumisas
Primavera Sound has partnered with Spanish association Women in the Music Industry (MIM) to launch Insumisas, a new strand of its industry facing Primavera Pro event focused on the role of women in music, culture and politics in increasingly “conservative times”.
Insumisas (Spanish for “Untamed”) will take place on Thursday 30 May, on the second day of the Barcelona convention/festival, and serves to open “debate about the dissemination of feminist thinking in the cultural domain”, according to organisers.
Primavera Sound awarded MIM (Mujeres de la Industria de la Música) its Primavera Award in 2018, in recognition of its work to promote gender equality in the Spanish music industry, and Insumisas cements the relationship between the two parties. The festival is a signatory to the Keychange declaration, and its 2019 line-up is gender-balanced, with at least as many female as male performers.
Insumisas comprises two roundtable discussions. The first, ‘Feminism, politics and culture: separate battles?’, tackles class differences, cultural segregation and the ‘patriarchy’, as well as the role of women in societal conflicts, while ‘All-female showcases: a necessity or a double-edged sword?’ asks whether ‘safe spaces’ for women are a positive development – or an excuse for event organisers to exclude females from the main programme.
Primavera Pro, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, takes place alongside Primavera Sound from 29 May to 2 June 2019. Tame Impala, Solange and Cardi B headline Primavera Sound 2019, which runs from 30 May to 1 June at Parc del Forum in Barcelona.
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Women in the Music Industry to receive Primavera Award
Mujeres de la Industria de la Música (MIM), a Spanish association set up to raise the visibility of women working in music, is to receive the Primavera Award at Primavera Sound 2018, in recognition of its work to promote gender equality in the music industry.
Previous winners of the award, first presented at Primavera Sound 2014, include ITB co-founder Barry Dickins, online music magazine Pitchfork and Danish festival Roskilde.
Commenting on the decision to award the 2018 prize to Mujeres de la Industria de la Música (Women in the Music Industry), Primavera Pro director Almudena Heredero explains: “MIM does not work only by complaining about and denouncing situations of inequality, but dedicates its efforts to proactive work – to finding ways of making projects managed by women viable and working on in integrating them into the music scene, not only on stage, but in all sectors, including […] those which are apparently the most inaccessible, such as technical and programming jobs.”
“We see this award as a homage to all the years of work by many, many women in the music industry who have found themselves very isolated in a predominantly masculine sector”
MIM was established in 2016, and now has around 240 members. It produces training courses, studies and reports and organises collaborations “that help to ensure that the [role] of women in music is not limited to their being objects of desire or the butt of contempt in song lyrics”, according to Primavera.
MIM chair Carmen Zapata (pictured), who is also manager of the Catalonian Concert Venues Association (ASACC), says: “At MIM we are very happy to receive the Primavera Award, which we see as a homage to all the years of work by many, many women in the music industry who have found themselves very isolated in a predominantly masculine sector, and who have fought, and are still fighting, for equality.”
The Primavera Award 2018 will be presented at Primavera Pro in Barcelona on 30 May.
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Brexit, blockchain on Primavera Pro 2017 agenda
Barcelona music-industry conference Primavera Pro has confirmed its first speakers for 2017.
Singer-songwriter Imogen Heap; Killing Joke bassist-turned-producer extraordinaire Youth; Media Insight Consulting’s Chris Carey; band photographer Carlota Guerrero; label exec Fernando Delgado (PIAS); and Comes With Fries consultant Vanessa Picken will join 3,500 delegates for the eighth edition of the event – which runs concurrently with Primavera Sound festival – in the first week of June.
Heap (pictured) will speak on her new project, Mycelia, which aims to develop a “fair-trade music industry”, especially via the take-up of blockchain technology for royalty payments, while Carey will consider the implications of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union for the global music industry.
Delgado and Picken, meanwhile, will share insights on how to launch new artists in the digital age.
There will also be showcase performances by emerging artists (the conferences notes more than 221 bands have played its showcases since 2010).
Primavera Pro 2017 takes place at the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB) from 31 May to 4 June.
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2016 is most international PrimaveraPro ever
Almost 40 bands from six continents will play at PrimaveraPro 2016, the most international edition of the conference and showcase festival to date.
Eleven countries, including new entrants South Korea and Peru, will be represented at the seventh PrimaveraPro, which runs from 1 to 5 June, partially alongside the Primavera Sound music festival. All will present their “most exciting emerging acts”, says organiser Primavera Sound, “with the objective of establishing closer ties between the independent scenes of the [11] countries and boost[ing a] cultural exchange on a worldwide level”.
All PrimaveraPro performers – 37 as of this afternoon – will play both on the daytime stage in the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB), which will be open to the general public, and on the NightPro stage in the Parc del Fòrum as part of Primavera Sound.
Notable among the performers will be a strong South American contingent, with contributions from from Brazil (via A Construtora Música e Cultura Chile and Balaclava Records), Chile (through IMI Chile) and Peru (via IMIP), while the Korean Culture Centre, based in Spain, will prove that K-pop isn’t all to come out of Korea, with three rock acts in the form of wedance, Dead Buttons and DTSQ.
Also performing will be bands presented by Israel’s Sounds from Israel, South Africa’s IMEXSA, Australia’s Sound Australia, Italy’s A Buzz Supreme and Modernista, Poland’s Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland, Luxembourg’s Luxembourg with Music and more.
A full list of performers is available on the PrimaveraPro website.