We’re back from a wild, sweaty, and music-filled weekend in sunny Barcelona, where we caught dozens of the world’s biggest dance acts at Primavera Sound 2025. And as we’ve reflected on what was a historic 23rd edition of this festival, one thing has become clear: Primavera Sound has once again proved that beyond the guitars and headliners, the real heat radiates from its dance stages.
Across three stacked days at Parc del Fòrum, electronic artists from across the spectrum turned the Mediterranean into a massive open-air club, where hardcore ravers, TikTokers, and vinyl-heads all found their groove. Keep reading to discover our highlights!
Kelly Lee Owens’s lush blend of ambient techno and ghostly vocals first found their audience during COVID, with the release of her sophomore album Inner Song. Playing Primavera Sound for the first time, Owen’s delivered an emotional set at the Schwartzkopf stage that was speckled with tracks from her latest project Dreamstate. Fast-forward to four a.m. and to the sleeze-laced live show from The Dare, who flexed a raw, chaotic energy that felt like a Williamsburg basement party had crash-landed in Barcelona (complete with a Charli XCX cameo in the crowd…but you didn’t hear it from us). An undeniable highlight of the festival from an artist whose star just keeps rising.
Closing out the first evening of Primavera Sound was a nostalgia-laden set from Armand Van Helden, who took over the Cupra stage into the early hours of the morning. Dropping filtered disco anthems and deep club cuts, he reminded us exactly why he’s one of the genre’s most enduring icons.
Four hours of sleep and a few espressos later, we found ourselves back at Parc Del Forum, this time catching a eclectic set from 4am Kru who launched a full jungle assault on the Trainline stage. Earlier that evening, we caught another live set, this time from Fcukers whose cyberpunk electroclash sound was unhinged as it was brilliant. And on the Cupra stage, wrapping up Day 2 was Amelie Lens. who dominated with a blistering run of industrial techno. Her set was relentless and razor-sharp, managing to be both punishing and euphoric—just the way her fans like it.
The last day of Primavera Sound saw LSDXOXO turn the Cupra Pulse enclosure into a hyper-charged dancefloor manifesto. We’re used to seeing LSDXOXO behind the decks, sans microphone, and it was exciting to see this trail-blazing artist blending ballroom, techno, and live vocals into what felt like a powerful statement around queer nightlife’s global power.
And at the Schwarzkopf stage, late into the night, techno cult heroes Sandwell District—to many, the fathers of techno—delivered a dark, minimalist set that brought us back to the earliest days of the aughts techno boom. Finally, we couldn’t think of a better way to close out the festival than with an energizing set from Danny L Harle, who took over the Cupra Stage until 6am to showcase his maximalist sound. It was theatrical, emotional, and weird in all the right ways—proof that Harle’s hyperpop roots are just one side of his dancefloor personality.
There’s a reason why we keep coming back to Primavera Sound which continues to put together some of the most exciting dance lineups on the festival circuit. With the dates for next year’s edition already announced, we can’t wait to see what this iconic festival does next.
