It’s that time of the year again: the festival season is kicking off and as usually, Primavera Sound Festival is the first festival on our bucket list. Located in Barcelona’s Parc El Forum, the festival will happen from Thursday, 30th May to Saturday, 1st May. The festival line-up curates artists of all genres again, with one major difference: The ratio between female and male artists is equal. That makes Primavera the first major festival with gender equality in its lineup. But the concept with motto The New Normal wasn’t a conscious decision from the start, but rather a conclusion the festival’s booking team made after putting together the lineup. From over 200 artists Erykah Badu, Solange and Rosalia are the headliners among Interpol, Tame Impala or Future.

Even if you can’t make it to Barcelona, Primavera Sound will cover you with a livestream you’ll find at the bottom of this page. But first  make some space for the new leading ladies and our top five picks which you should check out, no matter if you are joining us in Barcelona or not.

Clairo

With her lo-fi bedroom pop, Clairo quickly gained millions of views on Youtube. Her first EP Diary 001, released last year, featured Rejjie Snow and production by Danny L Harle of PC Music. In August, the Massachusetts-based artist will release her debut album Immunity. The first single Bags was co-produced by Rostam and features a vision of the artist being left by her partner. With her Primavera performance, we’ll hope to hear more of her stunning production and emotional songwriting.

Charli XCX/ Lizzo

Not many artists have the creative outcome that Charli XCX has. Even though her long-awaited album his still absent, she released two fierce EPs with Number 1 Angel and Pop 2 and several singles. Most recent, Charli teamed up with Lizzo for Blame It On Your Love. Lizzo released her Cuz I Love You record a few weeks back, containing some of the catchiest pop songs of this year. We’re curious if the two will team up again for a performance at Primavera. Because this is how pop should sound like in 2019!

Rosalia

Of course, the biggest Catalonian pop star isn’t missing on the lineup. With her interpretation of flamenco pop, Rosalia topped the charts in Spain and  won two Grammy’s this year for track Malamente. With Barefoot In The Park she was also featured on James Blake’s Assume Form. At this year’s Primavera Festival, the fans will get the chance to catch the globally successful star back in her home region of Catalonia, and who knows… maybe on stage with J Balvin or James Blake.

Peggy Gou

Peggy Gou made her way from Harper’s Bazaar to producing House music, from Panorama Bar to world domination. There hasn’t been a comparable hype around an artist in electronic music for a long time, with the Berlin-based artist DJing in a different country every week. With her latest EP Moments released on her own label Gudu Records, sings again in her Korean mother-tongue. Her DJ-Kicks mix will be released in June. We’re sure, that Starry Night will be THE festival anthem this year.

CHAI

Having formed already in 2012 by twins Mana and Kana in Nagoya, Japan, CHAI are on a mission to make indie rock more inclusive. They’re the founders of NeoKawaii, a redefinition of the Kawaii movement. With their definition, the band channels the usual Kawaii meaning –  being skinny, having big eyes or white skin. ‘Being different from other people is kawaii. Being unique is kawaii’ is their message. With their second album PUNK – released via Heavenly Recordings – CHAI present their charming and rebellious take on Garage Rock. It’s loud, quirky and charming – and definitely Kawaii in it’s own right.

For those of you who can’t make it to Barcelona this week you’ll be able to experience the whole thing not just via NBHAP’s very own Instagram but also via an exclusive livestream the festival will provide. The programme will include performances by beloved artists like Courtney Barnett, Alice Phoebe Lou, Soccer Mommy, Low, Big Thief, Snail Mail, Kurt Vile, Kurt Vile & The Violators and many more, to name just a few. So, needless to say you should keep an eye on the Primavera Sound Radio Page and on the following YouTube stream: