Primavera Sound 2025: Our Ones to Watch

Words: George Gray, Images: Primavera Sound Instagram

Primavera Sounds has arguably been the jewel in the Iberian festival scene’s crown since its inception in 2001. The festival’s evolved a great deal in its rich 24 year history but this year looks like it’ll go down as one to remember, curating possibly the most sought after line-up of 2025.

Headlined by the Powerpuff girls of Pop (Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan) and laced with some of the most exciting alternative acts across a range of genres, Primavera has something for everyone this year.

Don’t be surprised by their all female headliners too, the festival’s always championed a more inclusive and diverse model for the music industry. It’s “The New Normal” campaign launched in 2019, making Primavera the first major festival to achieve a gender balanced line-up and six years later the legacy continues. They remain a shining example of how musical talent can come from any genre, background or artist.

Much like anyone with their hands on a ticket for this year, we’re beyond ready to get down to Parc Del Forum. So with less than 50 days until the action kicks off, here’s ASBO’s guide of who to watch out for at this year’s festival.

Day one of the festival and the action will be coming thick and fast with electronic music’s finest Caribou getting things started. From humble beginnings in small town Canada, Caribou provides infectious electro tracks that transcend dance genres but have one thing in common, they get you grooving.

Another to stay tuned for is Hinds. The Spanish Indie rockers have been steadily growing a base in the UK, recently delivering a slick live session on Radio 6 music. Known for their fantastic live presence and already firm home heroes in Spain, the crowd should be rocking for this.

Day two is the first full day and although the big name artists include the likes of Idles, Jamie XX and Parcels, there are a range of great smaller names in the mix.

DJ Koze is beyond an established name in the European electronic scene, and with a freshly released album he’ll have plenty of firepower on the night. Koze revolves around an ethos that music is a living, breathing organism, and he curates his sets just that way, racing through genres and styles to create an unstoppable flow. For lovers of dance music he’s a must see, here’s a taste of what to expect.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, CMAT’s beautifully layered vocals are sure to blend seamlessly into a Mediterranean summer night. Championed by the likes of Jools Holland and Radio 6 Music, CMAT’s ability to ride the waves of each bridge, riff and chord progression is like no other. The singer/songwriter is part of a gaggle of Irish artists taking the world by storm in 2025, and with new track Running/Planning there’s never been a better time to get on the CMAT train.

Day three may be the half-way point but there’ll be no slowing down. Big highlights will include a must-see live Floating Points set as well as an array of 21st century indie heroes from HAIM to Wet-Leg.

Our first pick of the day has to be London boys High Vis, with a sound merging post-punk, indie rock and hardline electric beats. There’s few bands out there that provide such charged vocals balanced with echoing guitar riffs and euphoric bridges, just take latest single Mind’s a Lie for instance. These lot will be sure to provide, and with a sound fresh from the mainstream, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a crowd flocking by the end of their set.

If you want to keep the energy high, then 4AM Kru can’t be missed too. The modern Junglists are firmly part of the genre’s renaissance, with high octane live performances that leave audiences reeling for more. The group are already established in the dance scene and when you hear tracks such as Incognito Rhythm and Earshots it’s easy to see why.

Day four brings indie boys Fontaines DC and electro-rock legends LCD Soundsystem to the stage, before synth pop icon Chapell Roan finishes things off for the night. The day’s depth is jaw-dropping though, with a smorgasbord of smaller alternative acts on offer. Few festivals can list Glass Beams, Los Campesinos! and Confidence Man all on the same billing after all.

Sherelle has to be our first pick for the day, with the new album With a Vengeance a reminder of her powers producing as well as behind the decks. With high-speed, full gas no breaks dance tracks and a bank of experience sweating it out in the independently run clubs and radio stations of London, few artists have the momentum and knowledge of Sherelle.

Our indie pick for the day are the Bristol/Brighton boys Squid, who’ll be hitting up Barca after a month of touring the US. The group have an eclectic sound, elements of electronica, indie sleaze and surreal experimental rock. You could compare them to any of the alt-rock legends of the last 25 years, but it’s a sound uniquely new at the same time. The band say their latest album Cowards is the work they wished they’d started with, and for good reason, it’s sure to convert any listener to a fan.

The final day of Primavera Sound may not be a full day but it’ll make sure you’re not left cold turkey after the previous four days of pure action. Solid Grooves main man Michael Bibi leads the dance heavy charge with live specialist Paul Kalkbrenner and Carlita following closely. The perfect way to end a festival line-up to remember.