Barcelona could hardly be accused of being a quiet city.
Known for sangria, tapas and football, it’s a great place to visit for a weekend escape or a longer trip exploring the sparkling Catalan coast.
But that’s not all the city offers. Barcelona is also home to Primavera Sound, one of the biggest festivals on the European summer circuit.
Pop lovers descend on the seaside metropolis for a week packed with live music, lured by the fact that sun, sea and cervezas are there to hasten recovery each morning. This year’s cabal of headliners has solidified the festival as the hottest ticket of the summer, with Charli xcx, Jamie xx, Sabrina Carpenter, Haim, Chappell Roan and Fontaines D.C all taking to the stage from June 5.
While the festival is set in Parc del Forum to the north of the city centre, special events are taking place across the Spanish city from Monday June 2 through to Sunday 8 when things wrap up.
If you were lucky enough to get a ticket on the first release (waitlist purgatory awaits if not), but have yet to sort your accommodation, it’s time to get your skates on. Hotels and villas across Barcelona have rapidly been snapped up by more organised fans.
But all is not lost. We have scoured the internet to find stellar properties for all party sizes, whether you’re going to just a couple of mates or taking a bigger group that needs a larger crash pad.
As you might imagine, options close to Parc del Forum are few and far between, so you may have to base your headquarters in the nearby Stiges or other surrounding areas and travel in.
For smaller parties, city centre hotels will provide direct trains to the festival gates, which is much easier than trying to hail a cab or book a surge-priced Uber when the crowds swell.
So where to find your Primavera pad? Airbnb is, of course, a popular favourite, and Booking.com has great, if expensive, options for two to four people. But if you’re in a big group, you may strike it lucky at Oliver’s Travels. The site lists rental villas so stunning, you may not want to leave for the festival at all.
Booking through the platform is easy, plus you can take advantage of a free concierge service with the option to fill your fridge before arrival, organise transfers and book other activities and excursions to make the most of your Barcelona break. It sure beats living in a sweaty tent in England.
If you’re still frantically looking for the perfect Primavera pad, we’ve drawn up a list of the best accommodation still available for 2025’s festival.
Villa Montras, Costa Brava
Sleeps: up to 10
It may look like a quaint rustic pile, but pull open the door and you'll realise Villa Montras is anything but. The luxurious villa is decked with every mod-con you can shake your Wi-Fi-enabled devices at, plus a private pool and terrace with a BBQ that's made for pre-festival drinks.
There are five beds and five baths for your crew to spread out in, plus parking spaces if you're planning to hire some wheels. You'll also find a washing machine and dishwasher for easy clean-ups, whether that's festival garb or dinner plates that you don't want to face after a good night's raving.
A chic retreat in the Catalan countryside. Six nights minimum booking.
Buy now, Oliver's Travels
La Camota, Vilanova del Vallès
Sleeps: 10
With seven beds across five bedrooms, four spacious bathrooms and a terrace made for pre-festival drinks, La Camota offers a tranquil space for R&R in between nights at Primavera. While there are cosy pockets to catnap in, it’s designed for epic gathering and charming homewares, adding to the home-from-home feel.
Shake off the cobwebs with a dip in the villa’s pool or feed your hangover in the fully fitted kitchen. Can’t face standing at a hot stove? There are great restaurants nearby, including some with a sprinkling of Michelin stars.
From June 5 - 9 costs £3100 in total.
Buy now £3100.00, Airbnb
Cabrils holiday rental
Sleeps: 10
It’s Spain: a pool is essential. A villa designed with more contemporary interiors, this sleek luxury abode was designed by Spanish interior designer Pedro Cabalerro. While it feels private, it’s just 20 minutes from Barcelona’s city centre, so you can dip in and out of the action as you wish.
Not that it’ll take much persuading to remain in this gorgeous villa, which boasts views of the mountains and the sea from its boundaries. The outdoor pool, complete with an FC Barcelona mural, is heated, and there’s a solarium, gaming area and cocktail bar to make full use of too.
With five bedrooms, there’s plenty of space for the whole gang to recover from their inevitable hangovers.
From June 4 - 9 costs £7120 total.
Buy now £7120.00, Airbnb
Villa Vista, Alella
Sleeps: 11
It’s a case of vistas for days at the aptly-named Villa Vista in Alella, a charming village to the north of Primavera’s festival site. The Mediterranean-style villa has it in spades, from mountain views to scenes across the sea and vineyards.
This cosy home feels intimate yet has space for up to 11 of your best friends. While it is on the pricey side, the facilities speak for themselves, from a barbecue space and games room to a jacuzzi and fancy swimming pool. There’s even a gnarly 400-year-old olive tree to curl up under.
It’s ideally placed for foreign visitors too, taking just 30 minutes to reach the airport and 15 minutes to get into the heart of Barcelona’s buzz.
From June 5 - 12, £6690 total.
Buy now £6690.00, Airbnb
Apartment Aramunt, Eixample, Barcelona
Sleeps: 10
Want to make the most of being in one of Spain’s greatest cities? We can hardly blame you. With the festival starting in the late afternoon, there’s plenty of time to explore all Barcelona has to offer.
Stay slap bang in the centre with your whole crew by booking three chic apartments that can sleep up to 10 adults in total. There’s more room to spread out than a standard hotel room with a kitchen to cook in, air conditioning to take the heat off the Spanish sun and an (admittedly very compact) outdoor swimming pool to cool off even further in. Modern, stylish and airy, this is a great HQ to soak up the best of Barcelona.
£3628 for a three-night stay between June 5 and June 8.
Buy now £3628.00, Booking.com
Petit Palace Boqueria Garden
Sleeps: up to 10 adults across five rooms
Prefer the service and convenience of a city-centre hotel? Point your flip flops towards the Petit Palace, built in a 19th-century building beside the famous La Boqueria Market.
The Palace offers twin or double rooms, meaning you can tailor your booking to your group size. Explore the city at your own pace and dance the night away at the festival, knowing you have your pristine bed or the private courtyard to unwind in later.
Five double rooms between June 5 and 8 costs £4986 in total.
Buy now £4986.00, Booking.com
Barceló Sants, Sants-Montjuïc
Sleeps: two in the deluxe double, three in the family room
Festivals can feel like entering another planet, so why not continue the theme in a hotel inspired by outer space?
Perched above Barcelona Sants Train Station, Barceló Sants offers pared-back rooms, rainfall showers and windows that show either a city view or the stars and faraway galaxies.
It's a great stay if you're looking for something unusual and is incredibly easy to reach from Barcelona's airports or by rail from other European destinations.
Three nights from June 5 - 8 cost £1939 when booking both a deluxe double and the family room.
Buy now £1939.00, Booking.com
