Primavera Sound adverse weather disruptions: Night of cancellations

On 4 June Primavera Sound’s first full night was heavily disrupted by adverse weather conditions and crowd management issues. Thunderstorms and heavy rain followed a recent heatwave, producing torrential downpours that led to the short-notice cancellation of headline sets by Massive Attack, Doja Cat and Bad Gyal. Acts scheduled on the Occident stage, including Alex G and Mac DeMarco, were also unable to perform. Several other performers had set times postponed or otherwise disrupted by the same conditions.

Organisers said cancellations were made for ‘safety reasons’ and attributed them to ‘adverse weather and technical conditions’. Shows on other stages were kept on schedule despite the disruptions. Doja Cat announced her cancellation on X and Instagram Live before an official notice from Primavera Sound. Some attendees reported that on-site screens did not reflect the cancellations and that staff had told them to leave.

On 4 June, Primavera Sound’s first full night was heavily affected by adverse weather, with thunderstorms and heavy rain following a recent heatwave and producing torrential downpours. The torrential downpours led to the short-notice cancellation of headline sets by Massive Attack, Doja Cat and Bad Gyal, and prevented Alex G and Mac DeMarco from performing on the Occident stage. Several other performers had set times postponed or were otherwise disrupted by the conditions.

Organisers attributed the cancellations to ‘adverse weather and technical conditions’ and said the measures were taken for ‘safety reasons’. Doja Cat announced her cancellation on X and Instagram Live before Primavera Sound issued an official notice. Shows on other stages were mostly kept on schedule despite the disruptions.

Some attendees reported that on-site screens did not reflect the cancellations and that staff had told them to leave for the night. Massive Attack had previously been forced to cancel a Primavera Sound headline in 2022 due to illness.

Attendees reported discrepancies between social media and on-site communications during the disruptions. One report stated news of the cancellations was communicated on social media well before it was revealed on the festival screens on site. Artists’ social posts preceded Primavera Sound’s official notice in at least one case, with Doja Cat announcing her cancellation on X and Instagram Live before the festival issued its own statement. Several attendees said that on-site screens did not reflect the cancellations.

Some attendees reported that staff instructed people to leave because sets would no longer be able to take place, with one account saying Some staff had even told them to leave for the night as sets would no longer be able to take place. Organisers said cancellations were made for safety reasons and attributed them to adverse weather and technical conditions. Reports of delayed on-site communication and staff directions to leave were shared on social media by attendees. The available sources do not provide additional details about how many attendees were told to leave or which specific staff made those announcements.

Headline sets were planned for 5 June following the disrupted first full night on 4 June. The artists listed for 5 June were The Cure, Skrillex, Addison Rae, Ethel Cain and Slowdive. These acts were reported as the festival’s scheduled headliners for the second night.

Planned headline sets for 6 June included My Bloody Valentine, The xx, Gorillaz and Little Simz. These acts were scheduled for the festival’s final night after the disruptions on 4 June. The available sources do not provide additional detail on stage times or on whether replacements were scheduled for the cancelled headline slots.

Festival organisers attributed the cancellations and disruptions to adverse weather and technical conditions and said decisions were taken for safety reasons. The organisers’ wording was presented as the rationale for cancelling headline sets at short notice during the night of 4 June. An official notice from Primavera Sound followed artists’ posts, with Doja Cat announcing her cancellation on X and Instagram Live before the festival issued its own statement.

The organisers’ statements as reported focus on weather and safety as the basis for the decisions and note that official festival communications were issued after some artists’ social posts. The available sources do not provide additional detail about the organisers’ internal decision-making processes, the timing of their notices beyond the sequence with artists’ posts, or further direct quotes from festival spokespeople.

On 4 June, Primavera Sound’s first full night was disrupted by adverse weather, with torrential downpours leading to the short-notice cancellation of headline sets by Massive Attack, Doja Cat and Bad Gyal. Alex G and Mac DeMarco were also unable to perform on the Occident stage, and several other performers had set times postponed or otherwise disrupted. Organisers attributed the decisions to “adverse weather and technical conditions” and said they were taken for “safety reasons”. Shows on other stages were mostly kept on schedule during the same period.

Communication and crowd management issues were reported by attendees, including accounts that artists’ social-media posts preceded an official festival notice and that site screens did not immediately reflect the cancellations. Doja Cat announced her cancellation on X and Instagram Live before Primavera Sound issued its own statement, and some attendees said staff told them to leave for the night because sets would no longer take place.

The festival’s scheduled headline nights following 4 June included The Cure, Skrillex, Addison Rae, Ethel Cain and Slowdive on 5 June, and My Bloody Valentine, The xx, Gorillaz and Little Simz on 6 June. Thunderstorms and heavy rain followed a recent heatwave, and reports indicated weather was expected to improve for the remainder of the festival.