In many ways, the 2022 edition of the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, held this week and next weekend, is nothing short of a victory celebration - of an epidemic, of a complete shutdown of mass events, of too long a silence of an entire cultural world.
For many Israelis who flocked to the indie festival this week, this is a clear sign of a return to normalcy.
After two years in cultural form, it was hard to ignore the option to re-experience names like Beck, the Gorillaz, Time Impala, Nick Cave and De Smile (the new side band of Radiohead band members), and generally enjoy a vocal foreign foray into one of the happiest and most colorful cities in the world.
Of course, the past three years and the hunger for this type of event in the coming Europe have also changed some things from past festivals, and the logistical handling of the event has suffered from production rust - legitimate or problematic, depending on who you ask.
The relevant groups talked about huge queues, bottlenecks, great pressure among the audience at the performances themselves and the lack of proper security for an event of this magnitude.
"The festival," read the posts on the Facebook groups of those who attended the event, "is not what it used to be. The audience is not what it used to be, and it is worth coming prepared."
Meanwhile, there is talk of a huge improvement and a noticeable learning curve between the days themselves.
Presumably by the second weekend of the festival (albeit a little disappointing compared to the first) the relevant conclusions have been drawn and the event will be back to what it is in essence - a celebration of victory and return to life for those of us who missed freedom, togetherness and music.
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