A commitment to our environment

We have a firm commitment to minimising the festival’s environmental impact. We apply measures and actions resulting from joint work between the organisation itself and all the agents involved.

To this end, the festival works each year on the constant improvement of the following lines of action:

WASTE AND RESOURCES

We separate our waste so that each material can be transported to the relevant recovery plants, ensuring it is properly treated. At the same time, we prioritise renting furniture and infrastructure, thereby avoiding the generation of unnecessary waste.

ENERGY

Before the festival takes place, we carry out a thorough and detailed inventory of all needs in order to optimise the electrical installation and avoid over-sizing the power contracted at the Fira Gran Via venue. This planning is complemented by on-site monitoring of consumption during the festival, allowing us to make adjustments and minimise energy use.

The festival’s energy comes entirely from renewable sources. The venue has one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic parks in the world, with 25,947 panels across 135,000 m.

LOCAL SUPPLIERS

We prioritise local suppliers to support local commerce and reduce the emissions and transport linked to our supply chain, thereby favouring local production and industry.

FOOD AND DRINK

We require catering suppliers to use compostable tableware and under no circumstances allow single-use plastics. We also prioritise local operators and seasonal produce, with the presence of plant-based options. At the bars, the bulk of the products are served from kegs or returnable glass containers, eliminating 100% of single-use plastic in these spaces and reducing waste generation as much as possible.

As for the sale of drinks at the festival bars, we forgo our branding on the cups so that we don’t have to produce new ones: we rent existing designs that are washed and reused at other events, putting them back into circulation. We charge a €2 deposit for the use of each cup, which is later returned to each user who returns their cup (more information on how it works here). In this way, we encourage their care and return, minimise waste and reduce the demand for new materials.

MOBILITY

The Fira Gran Via venue is easily accessible by public transport, bicycle or on foot. During time slots with no public transport, we set up agreements with taxi services and offer our SonarBus shuttle service back to Barcelona, in order to reduce the impact of audience mobility, which is one of the most significant aspects of the festival.

A commitment to our community

At Sónar, we take pride in bringing together people of diverse origins, experiences, cultures and identities. Each year, different lifestyles, interests and ideas converge to bring to life the festival we know. Making Sónar an inclusive festival is an essential part of the project.


ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION

We maintain a firm commitment to our audience and we work together with the Music for All Foundation to be, year after year, an accessible and non-exclusionary festival. Check here to see all the measures we have implemented in this regard.

In addition, we’ve partnered with Dinder Club, the first dating and plans app for people with intellectual disabilities. The aim is for users to be able to access everything Sónar has to offer on equal terms, making their social, friendship and romantic relationships easier.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND WELLBEING

At Sónar, we have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards discrimination, harassment and abuse in any form. We do not tolerate any discriminatory behaviour based on race, gender, age, nationality, culture, religion or sexual orientation. We work to ensure that artists, workers and attendees feel safe and welcome.

We also adhere to the ‘No Callem’ protocol by Barcelona City Council to address sexist violence and, specifically, sexual and LGBTI-phobic violence, making available to our audience these 11 key points of the protocol.

We offer an information, awareness and support service on the use of alcohol and other substances in leisure settings, addressing the audience’s physical, mental, emotional and sexual health, self-care and pleasure. This space has a substance-testing laboratory, where samples can be handed in for analysis and subsequent return. The results will be communicated individually as part of our preventive strategy, in coordination with the teams from the Punt de Prevenció i Festa Segura.

And we will have a Safe space, designed for physical and emotional recovery and staffed by healthcare and psychosocial staff specialising in nightlife. It is located away from lights, sound, stimuli and crowd flows, and has sofas, fans and sugary drinks.

Check here all the information about Equality, diversity and wellbeing at Sónar.

COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY’S CULTURAL FABRIC

At Sónar, we want our commitments not only to reduce negative impacts, but also to have a positive impact on the city. That’s why we have set a minimum price on invitations as a contribution. The proceeds will be donated to the Fundació Taller de Músics.

Since its founding in 1979 in the Raval neighbourhood, Taller de Músics has been a living, dynamic and constantly evolving ecosystem. With a restless, activist and committed spirit, its impact goes beyond the classroom to give life to social-inclusion projects, in-house productions, research and musical training that combine local roots with an international reach.

In 2014, the institution took a further step with the creation of its Social Projects Area, a line of intervention that brings musical practice and learning to vulnerable groups or those at risk of social exclusion, using music as a real tool for transformation, empowerment and cohesion.

An undisputed benchmark and a breeding ground for talents such as Rosalía, Salvador Sobral and Chicuelo, the Fundació Privada Taller de Músics works to drive the professionalisation of young musicians, energise the avant-garde scene and guarantee universal access to culture.