Charli xcx Sweats, Chappell Roan Soars

Riding high on the unexpected viral success of her latest single, “Take A Sexy Picture For Me,” on the Cupra stage on Thursday was Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, AKA CMAT. No shy performer, the Irish country-pop singer was every bit as hilarious as she is talented, and spent the set crawling on the floor and joking about forgetting her bra before drenching herself with water. CMAT’s soulful sound could feel at odds with her performance style, but the singer has the charm to sell it.

“Running/Planning” and “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” were the biggest numbers, along with the aforementioned TikTok banger and its accompanying dance, playfully dubbed the “Woke Macarena.” Turning such a painful diatribe against sexism and objectification (“You haven’t looked at me the same/ Since I turned twenty seven/ Where goes my potential?/ Oh, she’s up in heaven”) into a catchy bop is no mean feat, but nobody balances heartbreak and fun quite like CMAT.

Nobody could question FKA twigs‘ capability as a live performer, even if the singer is not the most obvious festival-ready artist. Yet the British performer had the audience entranced on the Estrella Damm stage on Thursday night with her Eusexua show. Split into three acts, titled “The Practice,” “State of Being” and “The Pinnacle,” each featured songs from across her oeuvre, with the euphoric “Cellophane” and, of course, the bubbling title track “Eusexua” going down best. Twigs’ hypnotic pole dancing skills were also on display, proving her live performance is every bit as exciting as her sound.

For months, fans have been moaning about the North American exclusivity of Charli xcx and Troye Sivan’s co-headline Sweat Tour. So when Primavera announced that Charli’s Thursday night slot had now been upgraded to the first ever Sweat show in Europe, lucky ticket holders knew they were in for something special. The pair’s late-night performance set the standard for headliners over the weekend, with a huge, complex set and intense camera trickery – including a guest appearance from Chappell Roan for the “Apple” dance.

The festival also coincided with Sivan’s 30th birthday, and the Australian singer seemed elated as he held his own against Charli with hits like “One Of Your Girls” and “Rush.” But let’s be real: the endless brat shirts and lime green in the crowd told us it was Charli most were here to see. From “Von Dutch” to “360,” she delivered all the fast-paced hits, and had the audience screaming for more.

No stranger to a festival set, Los Angeles three-piece Haim took to the stage on Friday for the opening date of their I Quit tour, named after their upcoming album of the same name. Boldly opening their show on the Revolut stage with one of their longest standing hits, “The Wire,” sisters Danielle, Este and Alana diligently worked their way through a decade’s worth of bangers. New singles “Relationships” and “Down To Be Wrong” were there to represent this current era, along with an I Quit electric ticker running across the back of the stage with light-hearted messages for the crowd. Haim promised to be very hungover on Saturday morning; if they were half as hyped up as the crowd, it’s a fair prediction.

An unexpected delight of the festival was delivered on Saturday morning in the form of hyperpop duo Frost Children. The secluded Trainline stage might have been small, but the sound they made and crowd they drew in the early hours of Saturday night was anything but. Consisting of siblings Angel and Lulu Prost, the duo blasted all ears in their vicinity with their manic, excitable sound, and perfectly set the tone for the Danny L Harle set to follow. Taking a punt on a random act who turn out to be your new favorite artist is one of the greatest joys of festivals, and Frost Children will have been that for many this weekend. 

A new act to many were Aussie band Confidence Man, a consistent presence on the U.K. festival scene who always bring the party. Fronted by Janet Planet and Sugar Bones (a duo who constantly beg the question “siblings or dating?,” the answer probably neither), the band are putting out exciting, beat-heavy dance-pop. DJ Seinfeld collab “Now U Do” and 2024 single “I Can’t Lose You” went hardest, but really, the sound was only half of it: Janet and Sugar are two of the most entertaining performers out there, and spent the entire set throwing each other around the stage like a 90s Eurodance duo (or two kids desperately trying to impress their parents), their faces entirely deadpan. They even squeezed in two costume changes to a 50-minute set. If you don’t know ConMan, get to know.

The number one performer of most attendees casually polled at Primavera, Chappell Roan had the Saturday night crowd – many wearing pink cowboy hats – buzzing long before her set began. Marking the second date of her Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things Tour (a sophomore album name, perhaps?), Primavera saw Roan appear against a wispy, mystical castle of a set, dressed as an ethereal butterfly.

Her catalogue of songs might be slighter than some, but the audience were singing along to every word from “Pink Pony Club” to “Good Luck, Babe.” Even unreleased single “The Subway” and Heart cover “Barracuda” were universally loved. Roan was struggling to hold back tears by the end of the set, and she wasn’t alone; there was barely a dry eye in the audience, all thanks to her perfectly pitched heartbreak pop.

With so many fans staking out a spot near the two tandem main stages before Chappell’s set on Saturday, it would take a really impressive act to keep them entertained. Post-punk outfit Fontaines D.C. might not have seemed like the most obvious option for these pink pony girls (and boys), but flame-haired Grian Chatten and company had everyone buzzing with their surprisingly danceable rock. The shimmering “Favourite” was particularly well-received, as was set closer “Starburster.” The group also shared several bold messages of support with a “Free Palestine” on the screen during “I Love You,” winning major cheers from the crowd.

Closing out the festival on both Friday and Saturday was Danny L Harle, Dua Lipa and Caroline Polachek collaborator and former PC Music stalwart. He performed a live set on Friday night, but it was the festival’s closing DJ set the following night that really drew in crowds ready for one last dance. It was a set heavy on the pop – both regular and hyper – with a constant high BPM that left your heart racing. Pacy remixes of Madonna’s “What It Feels Like For A Girl” and Robyn’s “With Every Heartbeat” got the biggest cheers, as the audience danced on the concrete or sat on the steps and swayed, drained but happy after a weekend of partying.