Os hórarios do MEO KALORAMA foram divulgados, vamos ajudar-te a criar o teu roteiro dentro do festival, prepara-te para não perder nada.

SEXTA, 28 DE AGOSTO

    O KALORAMA começa a ganhar vida ao fim da tarde, quando o calor começa a desaparecer e a Bela Vista se transforma no cenário perfeito para uma noite longa. A programação arranca com Folk Bitch Trio e Anna von Hausswolff, antes de MARO subir ao palco e preparar o terreno para uma noite que vai crescendo de intensidade. Interpol trazem o seu universo nocturno e elegante, Grace Jones promete uma presença absolutamente magnética e Judeline acrescenta uma das vozes mais interessantes da nova geração. E quando já parecer que a noite chegou ao seu ponto alto, ainda há Robbie Williams, às 01h20, para fechar o primeiro grande capítulo do festival.

    Para quem continuar pela madrugada, o Panorama Lisboa é o lugar certo para seguir viagem, com Nathan Fake, Roman Flügel, hunee e outros nomes da eletrónica a prolongarem a noite até às primeiras horas da manhã.

SÁBADO, 29 DE AGOSTO

    O segundo dia começa mais cedo e pede tempo. Tempo para chegar, circular, descobrir um palco pelo caminho e deixar que o alinhamento dite o percurso. Bruno Pernadas abre uma das sequências mais interessantes da tarde, seguido por Vince Staples e Ravyn Lenae, enquanto Unknown Mortal Orchestra traz ao festival o seu universo psicadélico e imprevisível.

    Mas o sábado guarda o seu grande momento para a madrugada. Às 00h05, Ms. Lauryn Hill sobe ao Palco MEO acompanhada por Wyclef Jean, YG Marley e Zion Marley. É um daqueles concertos que ultrapassam o contexto de um festival e carregam consigo uma parte importante da história da música das últimas décadas. Antes disso, há ainda Criolo, Amaro & Dino e, às 23h00, Sam The Kid com Orquestra & Orelha Negra, numa das atuações portuguesas mais aguardadas da edição.

DOMINGO, 30 DE AGOSTO

    O último dia chega com espírito de despedida, mas a programação não deixa espaço para abrandar. TRAVO, High Vis e Peaches vão construindo a noite até Turnstile entrar em palco às 21h45. A banda norte-americana é conhecida pela energia dos seus concertos e promete transformar a Bela Vista num dos momentos mais físicos do festival.

    Depois, a noite segue por outros caminhos. Freddie Gibbs + The Alchemist e Clipse trazem o hip-hop para o centro da programação, enquanto Wednesday acrescenta uma dose de rock alternativo. E à meia-noite e meia chegam os Deftones, responsáveis pelo último grande momento do Palco MEO. No Panorama Lisboa, a despedida continua pela noite dentro com DJ Lycox, DJ Marfox, Nídia e O Ghettõ.

    Três dias, dezenas de artistas e demasiadas possibilidades para conseguir ver tudo. Talvez seja precisamente essa a graça do KALORAMA: chegar com um plano e acabar a noite num palco completamente diferente daquele que tínhamos imaginado.

MEO KALORAMA | 28, 29 e 30 de agosto | Parque da Bela Vista, Lisboa

    O segundo dia começou no Taboão ainda com as últimas memórias da madrugada anterior, mas sem tempo para recuperar. Às 16h30, Milhanas abriram o Coura Sem Paredes, enquanto o recinto começava novamente a receber os primeiros festivaleiros. Pouco depois, às 17h10, A Garota Não levou ao palco Vodafone a sua voz e a sua escrita, dando início a uma tarde que, à semelhança do primeiro dia, iria crescer lentamente até à madrugada.

    Com Tomode, às 18h00, e Aldous Harding, às 19h00, o festival começou a ganhar diferentes tons. Aldous Harding trouxe para o palco principal uma presença mais misteriosa e singular, criando um ambiente que contrastava com a energia que se começava a formar no resto do recinto. Às 20h00, Friko ocuparam o Coura Sem Paredes, mantendo a sucessão de propostas diferentes que fazia com que, a cada mudança de palco, fosse possível encontrar uma atmosfera completamente nova.

    Quando Kurt Vile & The Violators subiram ao palco Vodafone, às 21h00, o dia já tinha entrado definitivamente na noite. A sonoridade descontraída e psicadélica de Kurt Vile encontrou um cenário particularmente adequado em Coura. Sem necessidade de pressa, as guitarras foram preenchendo o espaço e o público foi-se deixando ficar, numa espécie de suspensão entre a tarde e a noite. Ao mesmo tempo, o Coura Sem Paredes preparava uma mudança de ambiente com Pale Jay, às 22h15, trazendo uma dimensão mais soul e quente à noite.

    Às 23h15, chegaram os Hermanos Gutiérrez. As guitarras dos irmãos suíço-equatorianos deram ao palco principal uma atmosfera quase cinematográfica, como se por alguns minutos o Taboão tivesse deixado de ser apenas um recinto de festival para se transformar no cenário de um filme. A música avançava com espaço e calma, criando um contraste interessante com aquilo que estava prestes a acontecer.

    À meia-noite e meia, Wu Lyf assumiram o Coura Sem Paredes e começaram a empurrar a noite para um território mais intenso. Já não havia propriamente sinais da tarde que tinha começado horas antes. O recinto estava cheio, as luzes dominavam o espaço e a madrugada começava a aproximar-se.

    À 01h30, o palco Vodafone recebeu Underworld, e a transformação ficou completa. O duo britânico trouxe uma dimensão eletrónica que alterou completamente a relação do público com o espaço. Os graves atravessavam o Taboão, as luzes acompanhavam os ritmos e o anfiteatro transformou-se numa enorme pista de dança ao ar livre. Depois de uma tarde marcada pela canção, pelo indie e pelas guitarras, Coura encontrava-se agora mergulhado numa experiência totalmente física, feita para dançar e permanecer acordado.

    Mas a madrugada não terminou com Underworld. Às 02h45, Show Me The Body levaram ao Coura Sem Paredes uma energia muito mais agressiva, enquanto às 03h45 Bassvictim prolongaram a noite. A essa hora, já não era apenas o cartaz que mantinha as pessoas no recinto. Era o próprio ambiente de Coura, aquela vontade de adiar o momento de partir por mais um concerto, mais uma música, mais alguns minutos.

    O segundo dia percorreu assim um caminho muito diferente do primeiro. Se a abertura do festival tinha sido marcada pelo eclipse e por uma sucessão de momentos muito contrastantes, a quinta-feira construiu-se lentamente até desembocar na eletrónica de Underworld. Pelo meio houve a personalidade de A Garota Não, o universo singular de Aldous Harding, as guitarras de Kurt Vile e Hermanos Gutiérrez, a soul de Pale Jay e a intensidade de Wu Lyf e Show Me The Body.

    Quando Bassvictim terminaram, às 03h45, o segundo dia já tinha atravessado mais de onze horas de música. O Taboão começava novamente a esvaziar-se, mas ainda havia luzes, vozes e pequenos grupos a caminhar pelo recinto. A noite tinha começado com calma e terminado em movimento, deixando para trás mais uma madrugada de Coura. E, enquanto o festival começava a preparar-se para um novo dia, ficava a sensação de que o segundo capítulo tinha conseguido fazer aquilo que Coura melhor sabe fazer: mudar completamente de ambiente sem nunca perder o fio à sua identidade.

Texto: Sofia Reis

Fotografias: Hugo Lima

 A tarde começou a ganhar vida no Taboão com Miramar, às 16h45, no Coura Sem Paredes. Ainda com o recinto a encher e o calor do dia presente, o duo abriu a programação num ambiente que permitia ao público entrar lentamente no espírito de Paredes de Coura. Meia hora depois, às 17h25, Westside Cowboy levaram as suas guitarras para o palco principal, começando a transformar a chegada dos festivaleiros numa verdadeira tarde de música. O primeiro dia ainda estava a começar, mas o recinto já começava a ganhar aquele movimento constante de quem vai de palco em palco, entre concertos, encontros e descobertas.

    Às 18h25, foi a vez de Greg Freeman no Coura Sem Paredes, num registo mais próximo e intimista. Uma hora depois, o palco principal recebeu First Breath After Coma + Salvador Sobral, num dos momentos mais particulares de todo o dia. A atuação de A Residência coincidiu com o eclipse solar parcial, fazendo com que a música e o céu acabassem por dividir a atenção do público. Enquanto a luz se transformava sobre o Taboão, os ecrãs transmitiam o fenómeno e milhares de pessoas acompanhavam aquele momento raro. O eclipse não interrompeu o festival; tornou-se parte dele, acrescentando uma dimensão inesperada a uma atuação que já tinha uma natureza especial.

    Com o fim do eclipse e a chegada da noite, o ambiente começou a mudar. Às 20h15, Horsegirl assumiram o Coura Sem Paredes, enquanto no palco principal CMAT preparava uma das mudanças de energia mais evidentes da tarde. 

    Às 21h00, a artista irlandesa trouxe consigo uma presença de palco exuberante, misturando pop, country e uma boa dose de teatralidade. O público já estava mais concentrado no recinto e a atmosfera começava a deixar para trás a tranquilidade das primeiras horas.

    Às 22h05, os Capitão Fausto levaram a sua música para o Coura Sem Paredes, mantendo uma forte presença portuguesa numa noite dominada por diferentes propostas internacionais. Uma hora depois, às 23h05, chegaram as Wet Leg ao palco principal. A banda britânica encontrou um público já completamente envolvido e trouxe uma energia que encaixava naturalmente no ambiente do festival. As guitarras, o humor e a atitude da banda fizeram o recinto avançar definitivamente para a noite, com cada vez menos espaço entre quem tinha vindo especificamente para as ver e quem simplesmente acabou por ficar.

    À 01h25, Kneecap entraram no palco principal e fizeram a noite ganhar novamente velocidade. A intensidade do trio irlandês encontrou um público preparado para a madrugada, criando um dos momentos de maior energia do primeiro dia. Depois de uma tarde que tinha começado de forma gradual e de uma noite que passara pelo ambiente contemplativo do eclipse, a diferença era evidente: agora o Taboão estava completamente acordado.

    Mas o primeiro dia ainda estava longe de terminar. Às 02h40, Getdown Services assumiram o Coura Sem Paredes, mantendo a música viva quando grande parte dos festivais já estaria a caminhar para o fim. E às 04h00, quando a madrugada já se aproximava da manhã, University fecharam a programação. O último concerto marcou o verdadeiro fim de um dia que tinha começado mais de onze horas antes, quando os primeiros sons de Miramar começaram a surgir no recinto.

    Quando University terminaram, às quatro da manhã, já não havia propriamente uma linha entre a noite e o dia. Restavam o cansaço, algumas luzes ainda acesas, vozes perdidas pelo recinto e aquela sensação estranha de que se tinha vivido muito mais do que cabia num único dia. O Taboão tinha passado da calma da tarde à intensidade da madrugada, com um eclipse pelo meio, e agora começava finalmente a respirar depois de horas sem parar. O primeiro dia tinha chegado ao fim, mas em Paredes de Coura a noite nunca parece realmente acabada, fica fica à espera do dia seguinte.

Texto: Sofia Reis

Fotografias: Hugo Lima

    Há qualquer coisa de especial na última grande noite de verão, chama-se MEO KALORAMA. O calor começa a baixar, Lisboa fica mais lenta e, na Bela Vista, as luzes acendem-se uma a uma. Durante três dias, entre 28 e 30 de agosto, o MEO KALORAMA volta a transformar o Parque da Bela Vista num ponto de encontro para milhares de pessoas, com música, arte, gastronomia e um cartaz que atravessa diferentes gerações e linguagens.

    Na sexta-feira, 28 de agosto, Robbie Williams assume o papel de anfitrião de uma primeira noite que promete ser uma das mais fortes da edição. Com décadas de carreira e um repertório que atravessou gerações, o artista britânico chega à Bela Vista para um daqueles concertos pensados para grandes multidões. No mesmo dia, os Interpol levam ao festival o seu rock alternativo de Nova Iorque, enquanto Grace Jones, uma das figuras mais singulares da música e da cultura pop, promete um espetáculo à altura do seu estatuto. MARO, Anna von Hausswolff, Melody’s Echo Chamber e Judeline completam uma programação que passa por diferentes universos musicais.

    No sábado, 29 de agosto, o ambiente muda e o hip-hop ganha um dos principais lugares da programação. Ms. Lauryn Hill é o grande nome do dia e traz consigo uma carreira que marcou profundamente o hip-hop, o soul e o R&B. Ao seu lado, Black Star, Vince Staples e Unknown Mortal Orchestra apresentam diferentes gerações e abordagens à música contemporânea. Ravyn Lenae e Bruno Pernadas são outras das propostas a descobrir num dia que cruza nomes incontornáveis com artistas que continuam a expandir as fronteiras dos seus géneros.

    A fechar o festival, no domingo, 30 de agosto, chegam os Deftones. A banda norte-americana continua a ocupar um lugar muito particular no rock alternativo, mantendo uma identidade que atravessa décadas sem perder relevância. Turnstile, uma das bandas que mais tem contribuído para renovar o hardcore, junta-se a Clipse, Freddie Gibbs + The Alchemist, High Vis, Wednesday e Peaches numa noite particularmente forte para quem procura guitarras, hip-hop e música alternativa. A programação inclui ainda vários nomes da música eletrónica portuguesa, como DJ Lycox, DJ Marfox e Nídia.

    Mas o KALORAMA não se esgota nos palcos. Uma parte importante da identidade do festival está também na relação que estabelece com o território onde acontece. A Bela Vista não é apenas o cenário dos concertos, mas um espaço onde existe uma comunidade durante todo o ano. Nesse sentido, o festival tem procurado desenvolver iniciativas que aproximam moradores, estruturas locais e público, criando uma relação mais próxima com quem vive na zona e procurando que a presença do evento possa gerar envolvimento para lá dos três dias de programação.

    A sustentabilidade é outra das dimensões que tem vindo a ganhar espaço na construção do festival. A gestão de resíduos, a redução do desperdício, a mobilidade, a utilização mais consciente dos recursos e a sensibilização do público fazem parte de uma preocupação crescente em torno do impacto ambiental de um evento desta dimensão. A ideia é que um festival possa continuar a crescer e a receber milhares de pessoas sem deixar de pensar no território que ocupa e nas consequências da sua presença.

    Entre um concerto e outro, há ainda espaço para a arte, a gastronomia, a eletrónica e para aquela parte dos festivais que não aparece no alinhamento. São os encontros inesperados, as descobertas de última hora, o artista que não conhecíamos e que acaba por se tornar uma das memórias do fim de semana. É também aí que está uma das forças do KALORAMA: na capacidade de construir uma experiência que não depende apenas dos grandes nomes do cartaz, mas que convida o público a percorrer o recinto e a descobrir aquilo que acontece pelo caminho.

    De 28 a 30 de agosto, Robbie Williams, Ms. Lauryn Hill e Deftones lideram três dias com identidades muito diferentes, mas unidos pela mesma vontade de juntar música, pessoas e cidade. Quando as últimas luzes se apagarem na Bela Vista, fica a sensação familiar dos grandes festivais: a de que durante três dias estivemos noutro lugar, mesmo estando em Lisboa.

    Há bandas que só fazem álbuns e concertos e há outras como os Os MДQUIИД. entram em combustão e fazem-nos a nós entrar também. São daquelas bandas que podes ver vinte vezes que o teu corpo vai sentir sempre o mesmo.

    Nos últimos dois anos, o trio lisboeta construiu uma reputação rara: concertos onde o palco deixa de ser fronteira e passa a ser epicentro. O público responde em cadeia, corpos projetados sobre a multidão, crowdsurfing, circle pits que parecem abrir crateras no chão, volume suficiente para transformar repetição em transe. Quem os viu ao vivo sabe que há qualquer coisa de físico na experiência. Como se a música deixasse de ser som para passar a ser impacto. Para nós a pergunta inevitável é: como se grava isso? e a resposta chama-se BODY TRANSMISSION.

    Editado pela londrina Fuzz Club, o segundo LP dos MДQUIИД. chega depois de um dos períodos mais intensos da carreira da banda. O caminho até aqui foi sendo desenhado através dos singles "pressure/pleasure" e "agony", da colaboração com o duo catalão Dame Area em "dança" e da estreia dos MДQUIИД. num tema totalmente instrumental com "simulation". O álbum reúne agora todas essas peças, mas revela uma transformação mais profunda:  o trio funde impulso das jams com a arquitetura da canção.

    Pelo meio, houve uma extensa digressão europeia, a primeira passagem pelo Brasil, uma atuação na icónica KEXP, integrada no Trans Musicales 2025, e uma sucessão de concertos em festivais como The Great Escape Festival, Festival Impulso, Basqueiral e Rock in Bourlon, em França. Em palco, o ritual repetiu-se noite após noite, culminando num dos momentos mais memoráveis da digressão, quando Silvia Konstance, metade do duo catalão Dame Area, subiu ao palco para interpretar "dança" com a banda.

    Mas BODY TRANSMISSION não é um souvenir dessa viagem. É a consequência dela.

"Obrigámo-nos a escrever canções em vez de apenas captar jams. Queríamos que soasse pesado, concentrado e dançável. É um álbum sempre a abrir."

    A frase parece simples. Na prática, redefine completamente a banda.

    Se PRATA (2024) respirava como uma massa viva, expandindo-se, contraindo-se e encontrando força na repetição, BODY TRANSMISSION funciona como uma máquina industrial perfeitamente calibrada, nada sobra, nada abranda. Cada riff entra exatamente quando deve. Cada batida parece empurrar a seguinte e cada silêncio existe apenas para tornar a próxima explosão inevitável.

    É um disco construído sobre fricção. Noise rock contra techno. Krautrock contra thrash metal. Industrial punk contra EBM. O motorik alemão encontra a violência de Arise, dos Sepultura; as sombras eletrónicas de Schwefelgelb cruzam-se com o ADN pós-punk dos Section 25 e a agressividade de Fugitive. Em vez de parecer um exercício de referências, BODY TRANSMISSION faz algo mais difícil: dissolve todas essas linguagens até formar um vocabulário próprio.

    As dez faixas, "4-to-the-floor", "collapsing", "dança", "agony", "bizarro", "valve", "simulation", "step on me", "out of fear" e "pressure/pleasure", comportam-se menos como capítulos independentes do que como uma única corrente elétrica. O álbum quase nunca oferece descanso. Quando parece perder intensidade, está apenas a ganhar impulso.

    Também nas letras existe uma ambição renovada. Temas como "agony" mergulham em questões como a desinformação, o conflito e a alienação, enquanto o restante disco aborda ansiedade, isolamento e a pressão constante da vida contemporânea. Mesmo quando o discurso se torna sombrio, a música recusa o imobilismo: há sempre um ritmo insistente a empurrar tudo para a frente.

    A receção inicial confirma aquilo que os concertos já deixavam adivinhar. BODY TRANSMISSION tem sido apontado por vários meios especializados como um dos lançamentos mais marcantes do ano no universo do noise rock e da música alternativa europeia, elogiado pela capacidade de transportar para estúdio a intensidade quase incontrolável que fez dos MДQUIИД. uma das propostas mais excitantes do circuito underground europeu.

    BODY TRANSMISSION não representa apenas uma evolução em relação a PRATA. É o momento em que os MДQUIИД. deixam de tentar documentar o caos e passam finalmente a dominá-lo. O resultado é um disco simultaneamente mais disciplinado e mais violento, onde a repetição deixa de ser apenas hipnose e passa a ser linguagem, e onde cada canção parece existir no instante imediatamente anterior ao impacto.

    É esse equilíbrio entre precisão e descontrolo que faz de BODY TRANSMISSION o trabalho mais conseguido da banda até à data. Não soa como um concerto gravado. Soa ao momento em que a eletricidade salta do palco para o corpo, antes mesmo de haver tempo para reagir.

Texto: Sofia Reis

Fotofrafia: Emmnuel Poteau

    IDLES brought one of the night’s most intense performances to the Primavera Sound Porto stage. In front of a crowd that quickly became a sea of moving bodies, the British band tore through 17 songs across roughly 85 minutes, driven by heavy guitars, mosh pits and a relentless sense of momentum. “Levitator”, the opening track, set the tone for a show led by Joe Talbot’s commanding presence and his direct connection with the crowd.

    “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” and “Mother” immediately carried that intensity forward. The band’s sharp guitars and muscular rhythm section found a crowd ready to match every shift in pace. Across Parque da Cidade, the music took on a physical dimension: arms in the air, bodies jumping, crowdsurfers cutting through the audience and mosh pits turning the space in front of the stage into a constantly moving organism.

    The setlist travelled across several chapters of the IDLES catalogue, taking in Brutalism, Joy as an Act of Resistance., Ultra Mono, CRAWLER and TANGK. The 17-song selection created a dynamic arc, placing established favourites alongside newer material and shaping the performance through constantly shifting levels of intensity.

    “Gift Horse” and “When the Lights Come On”, both from TANGK, sat naturally alongside “Mr. Motivator”, “Divide and Conquer” and “The Wheel”. Bringing different eras of the band’s catalogue together highlighted the consistency of an identity that has developed over the years. On the Primavera Sound stage, those songs took on another dimension, each one receiving an immediate response from the crowd.

    Joe Talbot was the main catalyst for that exchange. The frontman commanded the stage with an intense presence, moving between screams, physical gestures and direct moments of communication with the audience. His performance balances confrontation with intimacy, turning the songs into meeting points for themes of identity, masculinity, solidarity and vulnerability.

    “I’m Scum” and “Gratitude” brought a more emotional layer to the set. Beneath the force of the guitars and drums, there was room for introspection, revealing the IDLES’ ability to turn personal experience into moments of collective recognition.

    The intensity surged again with “Car Crash”, “1049 Gotho” and “POP POP POP”. Between songs, a brief burst of Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away” added an unexpected twist before “War”. Later, “Danny Nedelko” became another celebratory high point, incorporating a passage from “I Will Survive” and reinforcing the theatrical, spontaneous character of the performance.

    The construction of the setlist proved crucial to the show’s momentum. Each song operated as part of a larger narrative, with moments of heightened tension giving way to passages of greater emotional weight. The result was a performance in constant motion, capable of holding the crowd’s attention from its opening notes to its final moments.

    “Dancer”, towards the end of the set, paved the way for “Rottweiler”. The final song brought the approximately 85-minute performance to a close, completing a journey that had begun with “Levitator”. Across 17 tracks, IDLES turned their catalogue into a collective experience in which music, movement and audience participation became part of the same language.

    The scale of Primavera Sound Porto amplified that effect. Parque da Cidade’s open setting allowed the band’s energy to spread through the crowd, creating a particularly strong connection between stage and audience. Every chorus seemed to return to the band with renewed force, establishing a continuous exchange between the two.

    IDLES delivered a physical, emotional and deeply communicative performance. Their music became a meeting point for anger, vulnerability, humour and celebration, while Joe Talbot emerged as the central figure in an experience built around constant interaction with the crowd.

    When “Rottweiler” came to an end, what remained was the image of an exhausted, exhilarated audience after 85 minutes of sustained intensity. At Primavera Sound Porto, IDLES turned Parque da Cidade into a space of collective catharsis, where every guitar, every beat and every voice contributed to the same sensation: the feeling of being part of something larger than the concert itself.

    Check out our IDLES photos on our Instagram and show us some love.

Words by Sofia Reis

Photos by Hugo Lima

    By the third day of Primavera Sound Porto 2026, the festival had fully settled into its own rhythm. The early sense of exploration had given way to familiarity. The paths through City Park were no longer routes to be discovered, but places people instinctively understood. Favourite meeting points had emerged, the shade beneath the trees had become part of daily routines and the movement between stages carried the confidence of an audience that already knew the language of the festival. Yet the feeling was not one of repetition. If anything, the third day brought a stronger sense of anticipation. Primavera Sound Porto had reached a point where every performance felt connected to everything that had happened before, while still leaving room for unexpected encounters.

    The park had become more than a festival venue. It had become a temporary city. Across the lawns, people rested between concerts, exchanged impressions of previous performances and planned the next few hours while surrounded by thousands of others following their own routes through the programme. Some arrived early for artists they already knew. Others wandered without a fixed destination, allowing the festival to decide where they would end up. That balance between intention and discovery has always been one of Primavera Sound Porto's greatest strengths. By the third day, the audience was more experienced, but no less curious. The atmosphere throughout City Park carried a different kind of energy. There was less urgency than on the opening day, but a greater sense of attention. Every stage represented a different possibility, and every concert contributed to the larger identity of a festival built around musical diversity rather than a single dominant sound.

    A day that began with different voices, the afternoon opened with a series of performances that immediately established the range of the day's programme. On the Estrella Damm Stage, NAPA began the day with a light and direct performance, offering a relaxed entry point into a programme that would gradually increase in intensity. Their approach created a welcoming atmosphere, allowing the audience to settle into the afternoon while the festival continued to fill around them. 

    Over on the ZYN Stage, The Sophs introduced a more restrained and introspective mood. Their performance relied on subtle details and careful construction, creating a quieter space within the movement of the wider festival.

    At the Primavera Stage, Aiko el grupo brought a different kind of immediacy. Their pop-driven approach connected quickly with the audience, delivering a performance based around energy, accessibility and direct communication.

    Then, on the Vodafone Stage, Triángulo de Amor Bizarro introduced the first major shift in intensity. The Spanish band have built their reputation around the tension between noise and melody, and their live performance reflected that constant balance. Dense guitars, sharp changes in dynamics and a feeling of controlled pressure gave their set a powerful presence. It was an early reminder that the third day would not follow a single emotional direction.

    The festival begins to deepen, as the afternoon progressed, Primavera Sound Porto moved into a more structured and confident phase.

    Yard Act, performing on the Estrella Damm Stage, brought one of the day's most distinctive approaches. The Leeds group have always treated songwriting as a form of observation, combining post-punk rhythms with sharp social commentary and a particular attention to language. Live, those qualities became even more apparent. James Smith delivered each lyric with precision, moving between spoken-word phrasing, irony and criticism while the band built a sound that felt both immediate and carefully arranged. Their performance transformed the stage into a space for collective reflection, where songs became conversations about the world outside the festival itself.

    On the Vodafone Stage, Mike D offered a completely different perspective, using his set as a journey through the history and evolution of hip hop. With a career spanning decades, his presence carried the weight of experience, but the performance was not simply a celebration of the past. Instead, it worked as a carefully curated exploration of sounds, influences and cultural moments that shaped the genre over time. The result was a reminder that musical history is never static. It continues to move through generations, constantly being reinterpreted by new audiences.

    At the Primavera Stage, Duquesa delivered one of the strongest Portuguese performances of the day. With confidence and a clear sense of identity, the artist demonstrated why national acts continue to occupy an increasingly important position within the Primavera Sound Porto landscape. The performance felt assured and direct, connecting naturally with an audience ready to embrace both established international names and emerging local voices.

    Meanwhile, at the ZYN Stage, Criolo, Amaro & Dino created one of the day's most fluid musical encounters. Their performance was built around exchange. Different backgrounds, influences and traditions met without losing their individuality, creating a set defined by movement and collaboration. Rather than presenting different styles as separate elements, they allowed them to exist together naturally. It was precisely the kind of meeting point that Primavera Sound Porto has become known for creating.

    By the end of the afternoon, the third day had already revealed its central idea, this was a festival at full capacity, not only in terms of audience numbers, but in terms of musical possibilities. The programme was not asking listeners to choose between different worlds, it was inviting them to move between all of them. As evening arrived at City Park, the third day of Primavera Sound Porto 2026 entered a more emotionally charged phase. The afternoon had been defined by ideas, textures and different approaches to songwriting. Now, as the light disappeared and the stages became the centre of attention, the festival began to move between celebration, experimentation and deeper moments of reflection.

    The night opened with a series of performances that once again demonstrated the breadth of Primavera's vision.

    On the Estrella Damm Stage, JADE brought a direct and energetic approach to pop, creating one of the evening's most immediate connections with the audience. Her performance was built around confidence, movement and a sense of shared celebration, with the crowd responding from the first moments. Rather than relying on distance or spectacle, the concert worked through proximity. Every song strengthened the connection between artist and audience, turning the stage into a meeting point between performer and those watching.

    Over on the Primavera Stage, Sudan Archives delivered one of the most distinctive performances of the day. The Los Angeles artist has always existed somewhere between tradition and experimentation, combining violin, electronic production and physical performance into a language entirely her own. Live, those elements became even more powerful. The violin was not simply an instrument within the arrangement. It became part of the movement, the rhythm and the visual identity of the performance. Sudan Archives created a set that felt constantly in motion, where sound and body worked together as part of the same expression. It was one of the moments that best represented Primavera's willingness to give space to artists who refuse simple categories.

    At the ZYN Stage, Smerz offered a completely different experience, the Norwegian duo created a more controlled and minimalist atmosphere, using space and restraint as essential parts of their performance. In the middle of a festival day increasingly defined by intensity, their set provided a moment of concentration. Rather than filling every second with sound, Smerz allowed silence and detail to become part of the music. It was a quieter but equally important moment, proving once again that intensity does not always come from volume.

    On the Vodafone Stage, Amaarae shifted the atmosphere once again. Her performance transformed the space into a celebration of rhythm, movement and connection. Blending pop, R&B and contemporary influences, she created an environment where the audience became part of the performance itself. The energy was immediate and constant, with the crowd responding to every change in pace. It was another example of the festival's ability to move effortlessly between introspection and collective celebration.

    Massive Attack and the weight of the night. As the night progressed, Primavera Sound Porto reached one of its most significant moments of the entire 2026 edition. Massive Attack arrived on the Estrella Damm Stage with a performance that went far beyond a traditional concert. Few bands have developed such a strong relationship between sound, image and social commentary. Since the beginning of their career, Massive Attack have created music that reflects the tensions of the world around them, and their live performances continue that tradition. From the opening moments, the stage became a carefully constructed audiovisual experience. Images, messages and music existed together, creating a performance where every element carried purpose. The songs did not simply follow one another. They built a larger narrative, one that explored politics, society and the emotions that exist beneath both. The weight of the performance came not only from the band's catalogue, but from the way those songs felt connected to the present moment. Tracks that have travelled across decades still carried urgency, proving that some music does not age because the questions behind it remain unresolved. The audience watched with complete attention.

    But Primavera's third day was never built around a single emotional register. After the intensity and atmosphere of Massive Attack, the festival moved towards a different kind of release.

    On the Vodafone Stage, IDLES brought their unmistakable physical energy to the crowd. The British band's live reputation has always been built around connection, and that relationship was immediately visible. The performance was direct, loud and built around movement, with the audience responding as an active part of the show rather than distant observers. Every song created a reaction. The space in front of the stage became a constant exchange of energy between band and crowd, reflecting the sense of community that has become central to IDLES' identity.

    At the ZYN Stage, fakemink explored a different territory entirely. Their performance embraced fragmentation and experimentation, creating a sound world that challenged traditional structures and demanded attention in a different way. It was another example of Primavera's willingness to place artists with contrasting approaches side by side without forcing them into the same conversation.

    The night ended at the Primavera Stage with Model/Actriz, who delivered one of the most physically intense performances of the festival so far. Their music has always been built around tension, repetition and increasing pressure, and the live show amplified those qualities. Each song seemed to push forward without release, creating a performance that grew more intense with every moment. It was a fitting conclusion to a day defined by movement between extremes.

    From the precision of Yard Act to the force of IDLES, from the cultural dialogue of Criolo, Amaro & Dino to the energy of Amaarae, from Sudan Archives' unique combination of sound and performance to Massive Attack's audiovisual scale, the third day revealed a festival comfortable with complexity. Primavera Sound Porto does not need every stage to tell the same story, its strength comes from allowing different narratives to exist at the same time. The third day confirmed that identity once again. It was a day where intensity took many forms, where quiet moments carried as much importance as louder ones and where every audience member could create their own path through the programme.

    And with the fourth day still ahead, the festival had one more transformation waiting. After three days built around guitars, voices, experimentation and unexpected connections, Primavera Sound Porto was ready to enter another dimension entirely: the world of electronic music.

Words By Sofia Reis

Photos by Hugo Lima

    Imagine stepping into a film where every scene pulses with energy, sarcasm, and adrenaline. Jepards, from Fafe, have crafted this universe with Pretty Kitsch!, their latest album. It is a sonic journey through a hyperconnected youth, navigating between image and intention, a desire to experiment, and the intensity of a world spinning to the rhythm of an endless scroll.

    The album carries the DNA of 90s Britpop — the sarcasm of Blur, the audacity of Oasis, and the danceable lyricism of Pulp. Jepards transform these references into something modern and irresistible. Riffs explode like neon lights in a city at night, basslines wrap around the skin, drums quicken the heart. Each track feels like a cinematic long take of pure intensity.

    The lyrics function as a cinematic diary: frenetic, provocative, and clever. Confessional spoken-word, explosive post-punk energy, and lyrical moments reminiscent of Jarvis Cocker or Alex Turner. The music carries you, makes your body react, your mind race, and your emotions overflow.

    Pretty Kitsch! is a soundtrack of sound and light, designed to experience Portuguese rock in an epic, cinematic, and vibrant way. Every track is an experience, every chord an invitation to enter the world of Jepards.

    Plug in your headphones, turn up the volume, and let yourself be carried away. The world of Jepards is waiting for you.

Written By Sofia Reis

    After an opening day defined by contrasts and careful introductions, Friday arrived with a different kind of confidence. The programme promised collisions between worlds that rarely occupy the same space, yet Primavera Sound has always understood that musical differences do not need to become divisions. Here, unexpected combinations are not obstacles. They are part of the experience. Under the trees, between the open lawns and the distant presence of the Atlantic, the festival continued to breathe at its own pace.

    The City Park has become one of Primavera Sound Porto's greatest strengths precisely because it never feels overwhelmed by its own scale. Even as the crowds grew throughout the day, movement remained natural. People wandered between stages without urgency, searching for the next performance while still allowing themselves time to stop, sit on the grass, share food or simply watch the constant movement of a crowd arriving from different parts of the world. By the second day, the festival was no longer something people were attending, it was somewhere they were living.

    The paths through City Park once again carried voices from across Europe. Portuguese conversations mixed with Spanish, British, French, German and many other languages, creating the familiar international atmosphere that has become central to Primavera Sound Porto's identity. Every group arrived with its own history, its own musical references and its own reasons for being there, but all of them were connected by the same idea: that music remains one of the few places where different worlds can meet without explanation.

    The second day was built around contrast. Not simply between different artists, but between completely different ways of experiencing music. Within the same afternoon, Primavera moved from silence to noise, from contemplation to physical release, from careful arrangements to complete abandon.

    Few performances represented that philosophy better than Black Country, New Road's appearance on the ZYN Stage. The British band approached the festival environment with a remarkable sense of patience. Their music has always existed somewhere between composition and improvisation, between fragile moments of intimacy and sudden emotional shifts, and their live performance embraced that uncertainty. Rather than attempting to dominate the audience, they invited people to listen. Every change in rhythm, every instrumental movement and every gradual build felt carefully observed by a crowd willing to follow wherever the music led. In a festival environment where attention is often divided between stages, conversations and constant movement, Black Country, New Road created a rare atmosphere of concentration. For a while, the surrounding noise of Primavera seemed to disappear. It was a performance built on trust, both from the band and from an audience prepared to give the music the space it required.

    That quiet intensity was followed by a completely different kind of presence from Baxter Dury on the Estrella Damm Stage. Where Black Country, New Road created tension through musical detail, Dury worked through personality, timing and observation. His songs have always carried a distinctive conversational quality, somewhere between spoken narrative and understated pop, and his stage presence reflected that same unusual balance. Relaxed but entirely in control, he delivered a performance driven less by dramatic gestures than by attitude. There was humour, confidence and a sense that every phrase had been carefully placed. The result was a concert that felt personal despite the size of the crowd, a reminder that charisma does not always need volume.

    Then came Panda Bear on the Vodafone Stage, shifting the atmosphere once again. Noah Lennox's long-running solo project has always explored the relationship between repetition and transformation, turning layers of sound into something that feels constantly in motion. On stage, those ideas expanded into a performance built around gradual changes, where melodies appeared and disappeared inside a constantly evolving landscape. The audience responded in different ways. Some stood still, absorbed by the details unfolding in front of them. Others moved gently with the rhythm, allowing the music to guide them rather than demanding a traditional concert reaction. It was another example of Primavera's ability to place artists together without forcing connections. Each performance offered a different doorway into the festival.

    As the afternoon moved towards evening, the mood began to change, the careful listening of the early hours gave way to something louder, stranger and far less predictable.

    Viagra Boys arrived on the Vodafone Stage with the kind of disorderly energy that has become central to their reputation. Yet beneath the chaos there was a clear understanding of how to control a crowd. Led by Sebastian Murphy, the Swedish post-punk group turned the stage into an extension of their own world. Their performance combined humour, aggression and complete unpredictability, creating a set where anything appeared possible while everything remained perfectly timed. Murphy moved across the stage with the confidence of someone who understood the relationship between performer and audience as a conversation rather than a one-way exchange. The crowd responded immediately, matching the band's energy and turning the space in front of the stage into one of the day's most animated gathering points. It was not simply a loud performance, it was a performance built around release.

    Then, almost immediately afterwards, Melt-Banana pushed that idea even further. The Japanese band transformed the ZYN Stage into one of the festival's most intense environments, compressing speed, noise and precision into a performance that seemed to operate at a different frequency. Their music has always challenged conventional ideas of structure and momentum, and live they took that approach to its extreme. Every second felt packed with movement. Every transition arrived with unexpected force. Yet beneath the apparent chaos was extraordinary control. Melt-Banana's performance demanded attention in a physical way, leaving little room for passivity. It was one of the day's most demanding sets, but also one of its clearest demonstrations of Primavera's willingness to embrace music that exists outside easy categories.

    From the quiet concentration of Black Country, New Road to the unpredictable force of Melt-Banana, the second day was already proving its central idea: that contradiction is not something to overcome and it is the reason the festival works. As darkness settled over City Park, Primavera Sound Porto entered the most unpredictable part of its second day. The contrast that had shaped the afternoon became even more evident. The festival moved between celebration and introspection, between artists who transformed the space into a collective gathering and those who created moments where thousands of people seemed to disappear into their own thoughts.

    Few performances captured that change in atmosphere better than Bad Gyal's appearance on the Vodafone Stage. The Catalan artist arrived with a completely different energy from everything that had come before. Where previous performances had focused on tension, experimentation or controlled chaos, Bad Gyal brought movement. Her set was built around rhythm, confidence and a direct connection with the audience, transforming the area in front of the stage into a celebration that extended far beyond the boundaries of the performance itself. Drawing from reggaeton, dancehall and contemporary pop influences, she created a show designed around physical response. The crowd moved constantly, following every beat and every change in direction, turning the festival space into something closer to a vast open-air dance floor. It was a reminder of another important part of Primavera Sound Porto's identity: that the festival's openness is not only about the number of genres represented, but about allowing each audience to find its own moment.

    Immediately afterwards, the atmosphere changed completely, Slowdive took over the Estrella Damm Stage and slowed everything down. The difference was almost immediate, the movement that had filled the park moments earlier gave way to stillness, conversations became quieter, people stood watching, allowing the band's carefully constructed sound to spread through the space. For more than three decades, Slowdive have occupied a unique position within alternative music, creating songs where texture and emotion are as important as traditional structures. Their live performance reflected that approach with remarkable clarity. Guitars expanded gradually, melodies seemed to hang in the air and every element of the band's sound was given room to develop. There was no rush towards a dramatic conclusion. Instead, the performance found its power in patience and the audience responded in the same way.

    Thousands of people stood together, sharing a rare moment of collective concentration. In a festival environment usually defined by movement, Slowdive created a space where simply listening became enough. It was one of the night's most contemplative performances, a necessary pause before the festival moved towards its final chapter.

    That final chapter belonged to Gorillaz. Closing the Estrella Damm Stage, Damon Albarn's virtual band arrived with a performance that existed somewhere between concert, visual production and celebration of an entire musical journey. Few groups have managed to build such a distinctive universe around themselves. Since their arrival at the beginning of the century, Gorillaz have constantly blurred the boundaries between alternative rock, hip-hop, electronic music and pop culture, creating a catalogue that belongs to several generations at once. At Primavera Sound Porto, that history unfolded across the stage. Through projections, characters and a band performing with complete confidence, the concert moved through different periods of Gorillaz's career without feeling like a simple retrospective. The songs carried their original identity while also taking on a new dimension in a live setting surrounded by thousands of people. The audience reaction reflected that connection. Some fans had followed the band since the earliest records. Others had discovered them more recently. Different generations stood together, united by songs that had travelled across decades without losing their ability to bring people together.

    The performance continued to build throughout the night, balancing nostalgia with a sense of movement towards the present. It was a closing set that understood the importance of memory without becoming trapped by it. By the final songs, City Park had become a landscape of celebration. The crowd responded with the kind of collective energy that only appears when a festival moment feels shared by everyone present.

       That was perhaps the defining quality of Primavera Sound Porto's second day, it felt like several festivals happening simultaneously. The silence and concentration of Black Country, New Road existed alongside the chaos of Melt-Banana. The humour and unpredictability of Viagra Boys shared the same space as the emotional depth of Slowdive. Bad Gyal turned the festival into a celebration of movement, while Gorillaz transformed it into a journey through memory, technology and pop culture. On paper, these worlds should not necessarily fit together, at Primavera, they do. That ability to place seemingly distant musical languages next to each other without making them feel disconnected has become one of the festival's greatest achievements. It does not attempt to create a single identity from its artists. Instead, it allows each performance to tell its own story while remaining part of a larger conversation.

    By the end of the night, the feeling was not one of contradiction, but of connection. The second day of the 2026 edition confirmed that its greatest strength remains the ability to embrace difference without forcing uniformity. In a musical landscape where festivals increasingly compete for attention through scale and spectacle, Primavera continues to find its identity somewhere else: in curiosity, in discovery and in the belief that the most rewarding experiences often come from unexpected combinations.

    Over the coming days, we will continue publishing dedicated reviews of the performances that shaped this year's Primavera Sound Porto, looking in greater detail at the artists who made their mark across the festival's stages.

    We will also be sharing a photographic gallery on Instagram capturing the faces, moments and atmosphere of a second day that once again demonstrated why Primavera Sound Porto remains one of Europe's most complete and distinctive celebrations of live music.

Words by Sofia Reis

Photos by Hugo Lima