Here’s where you’ll find our partners at Sónar 2023 as we celebrate three decades of the festival
Estrella Damm
Once again, Estrella Damm takes part in the biggest music, creativity and technology event in Barcelona, with a completely renovated SonarVillage by Estrella Damm at Sónar by Day, offering an improved experience for the public. To complete the makeover of the new stage and give it a breath of fresh air, Estrella Damm has designed new bars exclusively for Sónar. It’s here where the Mediterranean beer will be served, made with 100% natural ingredients and brewed according to the recipe that dates back to 1876. Estrella Damm has also helped create the biodegradable Sónar 2023 cup, which will be composted following the festival, and is also sponsoring the Meet & Drink sessions to close each day of Sónar+D in Lounge+D.
Thunder Bitch
Once again, Thunder Bitch’s explosive blend of high quality Canadian whisky, cinnamon and chili will be at Sónar. The brand is behind the SonarPub by Thunder Bitch stage, home to Sónar by Night’s stirring sunrises: on Friday with ISAbella b2b Roza Terenzi and on Saturday with Angel Molina. Thunder Bitch shots will also be served in biodegradable shot glasses, made from the same material as the Sónar 2023 cup. You’ll also find the Thunder Bitch roulette wheel at Sónar by Night, where you can play to win different prizes and get yourself a look that’s 100% Thunder.
TOUS
Jewellery brand TOUS debuts at Sónar with a bang. This year at Sónar by Night, SonarCar by TOUS will undergo a change on Saturday night, with the traditional all-night-long format replaced by a showcase of emerging, innovative Spanish artists. TOUS also appears at Sónar by Day, with an immersive pop-up stand designed by Casa Antillón. a multi-sensory space that combines architectural elements, art and technology to immerse visitors in the unique TOUS universe. Every detail has been carefully thought out, in order to convey the essence and spirit of the brand and, at the same time, surprise and delight the Sónar audience.
SEIDOR
SEIDOR’s collaboration with Sónar 2023 is part of a series of actions that the company is carrying out to support its belief in technological humanism as a key growth strategy. The consultancy firm's strategy is based on the values it combines under its new motto: 'Humanising technology'. Kate Darling, one of the world's leading experts on robot ethics, will give a talk on the future social, ethical and legal relations between humans and their robotic creations, on Friday 16th of June, as part of the Sónar+D programme. SEIDOR will also celebrate its 40th anniversary at the festival with a private event for 350 guests in the Complex+D auditorium, where Kate Darling will also be a speaker.
ME by Meliá
ME by Meliá returns to the festival, this time with ‘Processing… 30 years of Sónar’, an installation at Sónar by Day that submerges the viewer in a hypnotic journey spanning 39 minutes of pure audiovisual immersion. This video installation transports viewers to the visual universe generated by an Artificial Intelligence based on the iconic images created during the 30 years of the festival, where the audience can be carried away by the synergy between human creativity and Artificial Intelligence. A sensory journey that celebrates the past, present, and future of Sónar. In addition, on the 10th May, the hotel ME Barcelona hosted a Meet&Drink session with numerous members of the city’s creative scene and friends of Sónar. A prelude to Sónar 2023, it was a celebration of three decades of the festival and its 30th anniversary.
Lacoste
Lacoste celebrates 90 years and 30 years of the festival at Sónar 2023. The brand continues to unleash the movement in its communities, staying true to the elegance pioneered by its founder René Lacoste. The design of the official festival bag, as well as the various activations at the festival, reflect the brand's connection to the cutting-edge music scene. At Sónar by Day, Lacoste offers a space where festival-goers can recover their energy and charge their phones, with the chance to win through a memory game. The iconic fashion sports brand is also collaborating with photographer and Lacoste collector Aleix Barau, who will capture the essence of the crocodile at the festival with analogue snapshots. His work will be exhibited on the screens of the space in an exhibition entitled 'Through The Eyes Of A Lacoste Collector'.
Coca-Cola / Royal Bliss
Coca-Cola returns to Sónar this year with the Royal Bliss range. Next to the entrance to SonarHall at Sónar by Day you’ll find a chill-out zone and a bar offering special cocktails and a variety of different mixers.
MELLER
MELLER partners with Sónar for a second year running, this time to design the official 30th anniversary sunglasses. This limited edition collection will be exclusively available during Sónar 2023 with a pair of sunglasses inspired by clubbing and designed especially for festivals, made from bio-based materials, 45% of which come from natural sources. As part of an activation that’s taking place on site, the public will be able to find these sunglasses throughout Sónar by Day.
Tanqueray 0.0
Tanqueray 0.0% offers four perfectly balanced botanicals, each with a citrus-style flavour highlighted by juniper. At Sónar by Day there’ll be an exclusive bar offering Tanqueray 0.0% mixers for an exceptional non-alcoholic experience.
VICIO
VICIO and its signature burgers come to Sónar by Night this year. The public will be able to try their "fast, good & loud burgers" in the food court next to the SonarCar by TOUS stage. This will also be the location, as always, of the famed Sónar bumper cars, which have a new look and feel in 2023 thanks to VICIO.
Dr. Martens
For the first time, footwear brand Dr. Martens is a partner of Sónar. This year, also for the first time general and VIP ticket holders will be able to check in early for Sónar 2023 and get their wristband at the Dr. Martens shop in Portal de l'Àngel (Carrer de la Cucurulla, 2), speeding up the process of arriving at the festival. You can check in at the shop from Monday 12th to Saturday 17th of June, from 10am to 9pm.
OCB
Another 30th anniversary partner is OCB, who’ll offer Sónar by Day attendees the chance to try its products. Each day, their staff will be at the main entrance of the venue handing out packets of rolling papers. There’ll also be a quiz game where you can win more gifts and goodies. OCB is also sponsoring the smoking area during the morning activities of Sónar+D (Thursday 15th and Friday 16th June, from 10am to 3pm).
DICE
The festival’s ticketing partner DICE, returns to Sónar by Day to host the SonarPark by DICE stage, designed to show the most radical and innovative side of the festival. On this same stage, DICE will present new shows from Sticky M.A., 700 Bliss, Merca Bae, DALILA, Tohji, and nusar3000. DICE also hosts the Welcome Dinner Sónar 2023 by DICE on Wednesday 14th June inside the Sónar by Day venue exclusively for artists, participants and friends of Sónar, as well as a panel discussion ‘Rave, breaks y folklore desde Andalucía’, featuring DALILA, B2BBS, Ylia and Rosa Fernández. On Friday at 18:30 in Room+D, they’ll discuss how regional traditions are combining with the Andalusian cultural underground.
Red Bull
Red Bull will once again be in charge of the custom-made furniture and decoration of all the VIP areas at the festivall: SonarVIP by Red Bull, at Sónar by Day, and SonarVIP Club by Red Bull and SonarVIP Pub by Red Bull, at Sónar by Night.
Ajuntament de Barcelona
The Ajuntament de Barcelona will join the Sónar+D lineup with their new interactive installation Plaça de Barcelona, designed to facilitate links and build bridges between different European cities. Free to everyone at Sónar by Day throughout the festival, it will bring together actors and companies from sectors such as tech, innovation, the blue economy, the creative industries and digital economy, who’ll share ideas, exchange opinions and discuss current challenges and opportunities.
Dolby y Mercedes-Benz
Dolby and Mercedes-Benz join forces to present two activities at Sónar+D this year. Firstly, on Friday at 10:30 in Room+D, they’ll host a panel entitled ‘The Next Wave of Electronic Music Creation’, featuring Myles Clarke (Dolby) and Florian Richter (Mercedes-Benz) in conversation with legendary artist and producer William Orbit, sound engineer Luis del Toro, Lucas Holten of Warner Music and other creatives to discuss producing music for Dolby Atmos and how labels are bringing this new format to electronic music fans. Elsewhere, in Project Area you’ll find the Dolby Studio - open to everyone at Sónar by Day - where you can learn how artists and creators bring their music to life in Dolby Atmos, and then experience the future of in-car entertainment in a showcase Mercedes car equipped with Dolby Atmos. In addition, both William Orbit (Thursday at 17:00) and Max Cooper (Friday at 17:00) will be giving live demos to show how they make use of this technology.
Polkadot
Blockchain network Polkadot and Web3 music start-up GUZZU will host a masterclass that delves into the fundamentals of DAOs at Sónar+D, exploring case studies and best practices. The masterclass, run by leading members of the Web3 Foundation (the company behind Polkadot), GUZZU and creative studio Vitamin3, will conclude with an interactive session that will imagine how a future Sónar+D might look.
Pioneer DJ
Pioneer DJ, Sónar’s technological partner, will appear at Project Area at Sónar+D hand-in-hand with Tribe XR with an exhibition stand where you try ‘DJing in VR’ using the latest technology XR.
MEDIAPRO
MEDIAPRO appears at Sónar by Day with Stage+D by MEDIAPRO, the multi-screen stage dedicated to multidisciplinary performances. Situated right in the heart of Sónar by Day, it will host audiovisual performances and talks with innovative visual elements, as well as hybrid concerts and conferences.