Sónar festival is one of the most important electronic and experimental music event in the world and one of the MUSIC FESTIVALS in Barcelona in capital letters.
In addition, this year 2019 already reaches the 26th edition, consolidating itself as a very important networking space for any area of art and technology linked to creativity. From innovative music composition programs, to artificial intelligence or quantum computing – out there it is nothing - have their space at Sónar+D.
And if all this were not enough, in parallel, Off Sónar acts and concerts are held throughout the city and its surroundings.
We tell you everything you need to know and how to move around Sónar 2019 in Barcelona as a veteran.
Dates
The Sónar festival 2019 is held from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th July.
Concert of the Teatre Grec
The closing concert of Sónar 2019 will be in charge of The Matthew Herbert Brexit Big Band and will take place on Sunday 21st, July at the Teatre Grec. For matters of space, a separate ticket must be purchased (unfortunately the festival ticket does not work).
The Teatre Grec is next to Plaza España.
Poster of Sónar 2019
The Sónar 2019 programme includes more than 140 concerts that will be distributed among the 7 stages of the day and night spaces.
Sonar by Day
When the festival began in 1994, the day concerts was taking place at the CCCB, but in 2013 it moved to Plaza España, both to increase the capacity and to resolve the complaints of the neighbors due to the noise of the event.
This year, in the programme of Sónar de Día (Sónar by Day)2019 the following names stand out (in alphabetical order): Arca, Actress + Young Paint live AI / AV, Bad Gyal, Branko, Daito Manabe + Kamitani Lab: dissonant imaginary, Daphni, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Dj Krush, Erol Alkan, Holly Herndon, The Voluble or Territoire, Max Cooper live av, Maya Jane Coles presents Nocturnal Sunshine, Nicola Cruz, Red Axes live.
Sónar by Night
Sonar de Noche (Sónar by night) has also been changing its location to finally take place some years ago in the Fira de Gran Vía in Hospitalet.
In the programme of Sonar de Noche(Sónar by night) 2019 the following names stand out (also in alphabetical order): A $ ap Rocky, Acid Arab Live, Amelie Lens, Bad Bunny, Daphni, Deena Abdelwahed, Disclosure DJ Show, Dixon, DJ Koze, Four Tet , Jlin, Kaytranada, Lil Uzi Vert, Lotic, Louie Vega & Honey Dijon, Paul Kalkbrenner, Skepta, Underworld, Vince Staples, Floating Points and Body & Soul (six-hour sets on stage)
Tickets
There are different types of passes and tickets. So surely you find a solution that fits more or less what you were looking for.
Next, we have detailed a list of the cheapest to the most complete:
• One-day entry for Sónar by Day (worth the redundancy) as well as access to attend a selection of Sónar + D events, 58 euros.
• Entrance to attend one night at Sónar by Night, 78 euros.
• Pass to access exclusively the Sónar by Day events, in addition to the entire Sónar + D program, 160 euros.
• Pass to access the two nights at the Sónar by Night concerts (July, 19th and 20th), 135 euros. The VIP costs 195 euros.
• Pass to access Sónar by Day (July 18th, 19th and 20th), Sónar by Night (July 19th and 20th) and a selection of Sónar+D activities, 185 euros. The VIP one costs 290 euros.
• Finally, the price of the complete accreditation to attend all the activities of Sónar + D plus the free pass to all the concerts day and night is priced at 270 euros (you also have access to the VIP areas but without the bus Free VIP).
Sónar+D
It was added to the festival in 2013 with the aim of exploring "how creativity modifies our present and imagines new futures". Today is a space very close to the ideal day concerts to alternate networking with good music.
To put some figures, last year participated more than 3000 companies in creative industries and the program had 27 conferences and a large exhibition space.
Off Sónar
All parties and concerts outside the festival that have as a link the devotion to electronic music are known as Off Sónar.
At the beginning, there was basically a great free date at El Prat beach. Currently, the offer has multiplied but, on the opposite, most are charged.
One of the most famous is the one that will take place in Poble Espanyol (also next to Plaza de España).
Where to stay
At Fisa Rentals Apartment apartments located in Marqués de Sentmenat street nº84 or Aribau street nº112 you can walk easily to Plaza España (in 20 and 30 minutes, respectively). This is where the “Sónar by Day” activities take place, the Off Sónar program is hel at the Pueblo Español and the closing concert at the Teatre Grec.