The Cure return to the stage with rare tracks at Primavera Sound. The Cure performed at Primavera Sound in Barcelona after an 18-month break. The band surprised fans with rare songs that had not been played live for several years. Only two tracks from their latest album made it into the setlist.
The Cure took to the stage for the first time in a year and a half, opening the summer concert season with a performance at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona. The highlight of the evening was the inclusion of rare tracks that the band had not played live for several years. During their 29-song set, the group not only performed their main hits but also brought back songs that had long disappeared from their live shows.
One of the unexpected moments was the addition to the setlist of the B-side to “Lovesong”—the track “2 Late,” which The Cure had not performed since 2019. Later in the show, the band played “alt.end” and “Mint Car” from the album Wild Mood Swings, songs that had been absent from concerts since 2018 and 2016, respectively. At the end of the night, during the encore, they performed “Wrong Number,” also not played live since 2019.
This performance marked The Cure’s first show since their November 1, 2024 concert at London’s Troxy, where the band played their then-new album Songs of a Lost World in full. This time, the musicians limited themselves to just two songs from that record—“Alone” and “End Song”—which may indicate a shift in their repertoire and a move toward a new creative phase.
In the coming months, The Cure are planning an extensive European tour with performances at major festivals, including Rock Werchter in Belgium, Roskilde in Denmark, Pinkpop in the Netherlands, and Isle of Wight in the UK. Despite rumors of an imminent new album release, there have been no official announcements so far. Meanwhile, the band is back in the spotlight thanks to their influence on Olivia Rodrigo's new album, where one song is titled “The Cure” and another — “Drop Dead” — contains a direct reference to the band. Rodrigo also announced a surprise appearance at Primavera Sound, but did not join The Cure's set.
In the near future, the band's frontman Robert Smith will appear on the new Rolling Stones album — Foreign Tongues. For reference: The Cure is one of the most influential British bands, founded in 1976. The group is known for their genre experimentation and continues to sell out venues worldwide. Primavera Sound is one of Europe's largest music festivals, held annually in Barcelona and attracting tens of thousands of spectators.
