The 30th anniversary of Sónar promises to be a spectacular celebration, a huge party that will include more than 100 live shows and DJ sets. As always, the festival features the newest and most influential sounds of contemporary electronic music, from dance-floor heat to experiments that explore new sonic languages.

The lineup for the 30th anniversary pays tribute to club culture, celebrating both the DJ as a current-day cultural symbol and the diversity of styles in today’s global scene. With both emblematic artists and the hottest new names, thirty years after its birth Sónar remains a space for discovery and inspiration, serving as a mirror and platform for local and international artists.


The biggest names in electronic music

Sónar 2023 will be headlined by Bicep, one of the most acclaimed electronic live acts to emerge from the UK in the past decade. DJs Peggy Gou, Honey Dijon and The Blessed Madonna will deliver three of the brightest sets of this edition, while Solomun will finally make his debut at Sónar and Amelie Lens returns to turn SonarClub upside down. The line-up is rounded off by two of the festival’s most loyal friends: Laurent Garnier and Richie Hawtin.


Advanced music

Forward-thinking, experimental sounds will share the stage with dance music in 2023. Fever Ray - formerly of The Knife - returns to the festival to present their new live show at Sónar by Night. Their influence can be felt in both the music and aesthetic of new shows from Catalan artists Marina Herlop and CLARAGUILAR.

Three cult artists also return to Sónar for our 30th anniversary: multi-talented composer Oneohtrix Point Never, geneticist-turned-musician Max Cooper and legendary Japanese sound and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda. Appearing alongside them are advanced sound designer Koreless and two audiovisual performances: Carles Viarnès & Alba G. Corral and Barcelona duo Desert. Santiago Latorre & Colin Self will perform their collaborative project Architecture of Friendship live, while Grove, 700 Bliss and Kode9's 'Escapology' show offer a dose of sonic and political radicalism. And Lucrecia Dalt’s new live show '¡Ay!'  comes to Barcelona, as do three alternative visions of pop from Erika de Casier, Perera Elsewhere and Crystal Murray.


Global Club Music 

Sónar has always been a space for global club music. 2023 is no different, with diversity and innovation present in the freshness of Logic1000; rejuvenated jungle from SHERELLE x Kode9; ballroom house and drum’n’bass legends MikeQ and DJ Marky & MC GQ; plus latinx club flag bearers Nick León, Manuka Honey, and Dinamarca. They’re joined by talented selectors CC:DISCO!, Eliza Rose and Carista; local agitators JOVENDELAPERLA and Baba Sy; UK Garage stalwart DJ EZ; Deena Abdelwahed’s borderless music; Omagoqa’s heavy rhythms; and genre-colliding DJ sets from Anz, Ahadadream, and Aquarian.
 
Back-to-backs are a crucial part of the lineup. There’s colourful techno from ISAbella b2b Roza Terenzi; hypnotic Brazilian duo BADSISTA b2b Cashu; late-night psychedelia by Call Super b2b Sedef Adasi; Granada ‘girl group’ B2BBS; and UK radio icons Bradley Zero b2b Moxie. 
 
In 2023, club music is also a live experience. Provocative UK rapper Shygirl; Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul’s unconventional electropop; emotional trap from Albany; Spanish superproducer Merca Bae’s new live show ‘2048’; and a deep techno masterclass by Wata Igarashi are part of an eclectic list of live shows.


30 years of Sónar: a visual campaign created by AI

This year Sónar has revisited 30 years of visual campaigns using Artificial Intelligence.

This AI has carried out 29 training sessions, in each one of them attempting to recreate one of the visual campaigns from the past three decades. Seeking to create images that could fit in each of these campaigns, the AI has trained itself and generated a multitude of trial and error results. It is in the beauty of these errors that Sónar has found the visual identity of its 30th anniversary.

By riffing on its legacy of unconventional approaches to festival branding, Sónar is processing 30 years of its history through innovation, using a new technology that’s itself in constant evolution.


A revamped Sónar by Day with redesigned formats and spaces

Sónar also announces a revamped Sónar by Day, featuring redesigned formats and spaces. Most importantly, the emblematic SonarVillage by Estrella Damm stage will be entirely remodelled.

Sónar+D reaffirms itself as an unmissable event for professionals in the creative industries, art, science and technology. This year it will offer a special morning programme exclusively for Delegates featuring masterclasses, conferences, demonstrations and meetings: Thursday 15th June will be dedicated to innovation in music, while Friday 16th June will focus on the relationships between art, technology, science and society.

The exhibition space will also expand, offering more space to present projects that cover video; 360º sound; Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)  tools;  and prototype creative technologies. An open-call will be soon launched for participation, offering the opportunity to exhibit projects in this new exhibition area; or alternatively present them at community meetups.


SonarPasses, VIP SonarPasses and Delegate Passes on sale now

Currently SonarPasses, VIP SonarPasses and Delegate Passes are on sale. More ticket types will go on sale shortly.