Morrissey closes Barcelona's Barts Festival with rain-soaked set and a plea to ban bullfighting

Festival finale

On Saturday evening, Morrissey took the stage at Poble Espanyol to close the first edition of the Barts Festival. The festival reported 68,000 attendees across its 20 nights of programming, with an average venue occupancy of 70%. For Morrissey's performance, the plaza was effectively full; some fans had camped overnight, numbers written on the backs of their hands to keep queue order. The 67-year-old singer arrived only 11 minutes late, a stark contrast to his recent Spanish record: he had cancelled two of his last four concerts, including a date in Valencia in March that he blamed on noise from Las Fallas festivities.

A letter to the prime minister

Days ahead of the show, Morrissey wrote directly to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, urging him to prohibit bullfighting. During Saturday's set, the singer performed "The bullfighter dies", reinforcing the message. Consistent with his long-held policy, all food sold inside the concert enclosure was vegan. Meat products, however, remained available at other bars within the Poble Espanyol complex.

The set and the band

Backed by a five-piece group featuring guitarist Jesse Tobias (a collaborator for over 20 years) and Carmen Vandenberg, Morrissey opened with "Billy Budd". The setlist spanned his catalogue, from The Smiths' "How soon is now?" to tracks from his March album "Make-up is a lie". The newer record took a secondary role: crowd favorites such as "First of the gang to die", "Now my heart is full" and "The youngest was the most loved" drew loud sing-alongs. Interpol and David Bowie played over the speakers before Morrissey appeared, and a video of writer James Baldwin preceded the performance. A light rain that fell during the open-air concert did not diminish the atmosphere; fans stayed put and sang every word.

Speaking to the crowd

Morrissey addressed the audience repeatedly.

After discarding a tambourine and picking up blue maracas for "I just want to see your boy happy", he acknowledged the crowd's expectations.

I'm here for you, making of me what you wish.

Later in the set, he offered a darker observation.

The world has ended, you know that, right. Haven't you noticed?

The line, delivered in his characteristic baritone and theatrical persona, was met with cheers. Morrissey, dressed in a black shirt with a white floral belt, repeatedly clutched his chest during "I'm throwing my arms in Paris".

A rare visit

Saturday's concert was only Morrissey's fourth appearance ever in Barcelona: his band The Smiths played Studio 54 in 1985, and his solo shows came at the Sant Jordi Club in 2014 and Razzmatazz in 2015. The Barts Festival concluded its first run without incident, and organisers have already announced a second edition. For fans who waited years to see him, the rain, the vegan-only catering and the political aside only deepened the experience.