Our favorite festival is back! Online ‘pundits’ have complained about a lack of strong headliners whose names capable of pulling large crowds, and they’re right. Usual rock suspects Idles and Fontaines DC are unlikely to draw Pixies or Tame Impala levels of people with daily tickets; Killer Mike might be one of the biggest names in the more ‘tasteful’ international hip hop scene, but he’s no Kendrick Lamar; and Thursday doesn’t have a single artist worthy of headliner status on a 20-30k people festival.
But the question is: does it really matter? The festival is at its most pleasant whenever it’s 20% below capacity, anyway. The drift away from the ‘mega headliner’ format that Primavera Sound Porto is now adopting was a winning formula in 2023, and we’re glad to see it stick – even if it was not intentional. To make up for it, the undercard of the lineup is phenomenal, probably its best ever, to the point that there’s an additional band each day playing the secondary Yorn stage, even taking some of the usual DJ set spots. Sure, maybe staying up until 6 am every day isn’t the best thing a thirty-something should do with their life, but we’re not saying no to bands like Sextile or Tramhaus. Read on to find out which ten artists – only one of them plays the main stage – we decided to write about this year, download our classic printable/mobile timetables, and listen to our playlist.
Vodafone Paredes de Coura runs from 14 to 17 August 2024 (but there’s music from the 11th); daily tickets are available for €60 and 4-day passes for €120. Camping is free for ticket holders. Check their website for all info.
