Since its inception in Barcelona in 2001, Primavera Sound has been a staple music festival in numerous country, as it brings different genres and cultures under one roof for an unforgettable weekend.
Earlier this month, the festival made its US debut in the City of Angels and like any good story, it made its way down to Hollywood welcomed by bright lights, thousands of fans, and perfect weather for an electrifying three days of music and fun!
On Friday (Sept. 16), the gates at Los Angeles State Historic Park welcomed more than 50,000 fans who roamed the festival grounds while listening to some of the most talented artists in the ‘biz right now.
The Celeb Secrets team headed to the festival earlier than expected to get a lay of the land, and to our surprise, there were tons of photo opportunities, basic amenities and an easy route to each stage. Throughout the day, we caught some of the best and futuristic alt-pop music imaginable — acts like PinkPantheress, Clairo, Giveon, Mitski, and headliner Lorde dazzled the stage and gave us some unbelievable performances.
PinkPantheress has the stage presence of a star and comes with hilarious commentary; while Clairo brought out all the hits and sang several fan favorites including “Sophia,” making the venue one big sing-a-long.
Giveon was also an artist who didn’t disappoint, as he brought soulful vocals and powerful lyrics to the stage, ultimately leaving the crowd speechless.
Mitski has become overly powerful this past year… her song “Nobody” has been a viral sensation on TikTok AND she’s opened for Harry Styles on his Love on Tour European Dates! The star-in-the-making’s eclectic dances and her expressions really add to the emotion and storytelling to her music that is truly unforgettable.
Lorde closed out Friday night with the most dance worthy, fun-filled night! Her stage, as always, was filled with pieces she can use throughout her performance, including stairs and turntables to walk on. We laughed at Lorde’s jokes, we cried during her “Liability” speech, but most importantly, we danced all night to some of her biggest hits.
Day two of Primavera Sound LA was one for the emo girlies and those who love electro-rock, as well as a splash of hip-hop. The lineup was stacked for Saturday (September 17) as Tierra Whack, Drain Gang, Khruangbin, Surf Curse, and Nine Inch Nails were some of the many artists that hit the stage.
Tierra Whack was the start of our day and she came in with a colorful, vibrant act trying to hype up the early crowd to get ready for the day! She sang popular songs like “Pretty Ugly” and “Hungry Hippo.” Khruangbin was a nice way to hangout and just be one with the music, swaying back and forth enjoying the moment, while Surf Curse brought out the rock in us and had us dancing, moshing, and head banging the whole set.
The stage for Nine Inch Nails was HUGE! While some fans were walking from the additional stages, others had been waiting there for hours to hear their favorite 90’s band! To no surprise, the rock group ended the night with explosive sound, flashing bright lights, and a whole lot of smoke.
Day three’s energy stemmed from the thought of seeing Arctic Monkeys back on stage in America for the first time in years. While the UK band was the big ticket item for Sunday’s festivities, there were so many acts to enjoy, like Faye Webster, King Krule, Girl in Red, Cigarettes After Sex, and James Blake.
Faye Webster brought the alternative indie vibe to the grounds while singing her hit “Kingston.” She even came down from the stage to thank and meet her fans in one of the cutest moments of the entire weekend! Despite feeling a little under the weather, King Krule still put on a performance with an array of eclectic sounds that was one that could not be missed.
Girl in Red was what we needed to get our endurance pumping for the rest of the night! The viral singer/songwriter admitted she was one of us, who was just a fan waiting for Arctic Monkeys and dedicated her set to them. She danced, rambled about grass, and crowd surfed to end the night.
Cigarettes After Sex was the chill, alternative band we needed before the chaos that we were able to endure with Arctic Monkeys in just MINUTES. Swaying back and forth, fans gathered at the Tecate Alta Stage to listen to the band sing songs like “Apocalypse” and “K.” Fans ran to the Primavera Stage to catch Arctic Monkeys before they came on and the crowd was MASSIVE!
The time that everyone waited for finally arrived, as Arctic Monkeys played songs like “AM” and “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” to a massive crowd. Alex Turner brought the vocals, the dance moves, and charisma, and even ended the night by playing an unreleased song.
Primavera Sound LA is the festival Los Angeles has been missing for a very long time. It wasn’t overcrowded and was located in the heart of Los Angeles with unforgettable music from all around the world, which is something that’s much needed these days. Being its inaugural year in the city, there were definitely some things that still needed to figured out (like the underage section), however, the location was picturesque and accessible with a narrow landscape that gave the three-day event an intimate feel.
