The Primavera Sound music festival, which opened Wednesday evening in Barcelona, is showcasing a striking installation this year: a 15-meter-long tunnel that simulates the sound of bombings in Gaza.
The installation, titled “Unsilence Gaza,” was designed by a Palestinian sound engineer. It takes the form of a dark corridor where visitors hear the sounds of explosions accompanied by a dramatic, ominous soundtrack. Positioned at the festival’s main entrance, the tunnel is clearly visible to all attendees.
The tunnel at the music festival
(Video: Shira Naot)
According to organizers, the goal is to raise awareness of the idea that sound, beyond being a medium for connection and emotion, can also serve as a tool of violence.
In addition, T-shirts bearing the words “Unsilence Gaza” are being sold throughout the festival grounds. According to the Spanish news agency EFE, proceeds from the shirts will be donated to emergency medical aid via the Palestinian Medical Relief Society.
“In Gaza and other parts of the world, sound is pain. It is fear, torture, and trauma,” say the initiative’s creators on the Primavera Foundation’s website. “At the festival, sound represents experience, pleasure, and human connection—but it can also be the complete opposite: a weapon.” Organizers note that the intensity of bombings in Gaza can reach up to 170 decibels—well beyond what the human body can endure.
The installation is a collaboration between Primavera Sound and the aid organizations Casa Nostra, Casa Vostra, and the International Institute for Nonviolent Action (NOVACT). It joins another politically charged project from last year: Gaza: Mirror of Our Society by artist Jofre Oliverras, an audiovisual portal that offered a glimpse into daily life in Gaza. That installation was inspired by similar displays previously set up in cities including New York, Dublin, Vilnius, and Lublin.
Primavera Sound, held every summer in Spain and Portugal, is considered one of the leading music festivals in Europe and the world, attracting around 200,000 visitors to Barcelona each year. While the festival specializes in alternative music, this year’s lineup is led by three global pop stars—Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan. They’ll be joined over the four-day event by acts including Haim, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Jamie xx, and Fontaines D.C., whose members are known for their vocal criticism of Israel.
