The third week of June in Barcelona is famous for the three-day and two-night rave Sonar. This popular international festival features advanced electronic music and new media art. Since its start in 1994, the combination of creativity and technology has been the essence and backbone of Sonar Barcelona. Other values include experimentation with the newest trends in electronic dance music, the avant-garde, and a playful nature above all.
Modern-day Sonar Barcelona is a super cool global event with a first-class reputation in Europe. It gathers creative people from all over the planet, including various disciplines and communities. World top DJs, bands, and musicians consider it an honor to perform at Sónar Barcelona. The audience exceeds 100,000 attendees.
Locations
The festival activities fall in several main sections: Sonar by Day takes place in the downtown, in the Fira Montjuïc area in Plaça España. Sonar by Night is a bit further out of town, at Fira Gran Via L'Hospitalet. Sonar +D is a platform for collaboration, experimentation, and showcasing innovations that are shaping the future of the creative industries. Note that Sonar is s a city festival, so camping is not available, and you are to take care of accommodations.
2024 Lineup
In 2024, Sonar features an eclectic mixture of EDM legends, innovators, and radical performances. Interestingly, part of the program focuses on the use of Artificial Intelligence in creative industries. Sónar by Night traditionally offers the most impressive lineup, including big names like Paul Kalkbrenner, Danny Tenaglia, Adriatique, VTSS, Anetha, Jennifer Cardini b2b HAAi, Richie Hawtin, and more. The list also includes Soto Asa, local collective BLEX, TAYHANA, Air, Kaytranada, Jessie Ware, Vince Staples, Charlotte de Witte, Ben Böhmer live, Floating Points, Reinier Zonneveld live, Kerri Chandler, The Martinez Brothers, Héctor Oaks b2b Partiboi69, and Marlon Hoffstadt aka DJ Daddy Trance.
Sonar by Day features Kittin, David Funk, Laurent Garnier, Folamour, live sets from Kabeaushé and Mainline Magic Orchestra, and a hybrid set from Olof Dreijer and percussionist Diva Cruz. Sónar+D, which showcases leading names in immersive art and performance, features Sasha Costanza-Chock, with an AV talk presented by SEIDOR, advocating for more inclusive design principles for technology. ‘Abogamer’ Micaela Mantegna will discuss the ethics and intellectual property in video games and the metaverse.
Tickets
Sonar Pass, which grants access to Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night, is €195. Sonar Pass+D, which provides additional access to Sonar+D, is €215. VIP Pass is €315. Single Sonar+Night tickets range from €85 to €135. Sonar+Day tickets are €45. Sonar Week Pass is €350.
