The headliners of Sónar Barcelona 2022. Sónar Barcelona returns in 2022 to its usual format, spread across three days (16, 17 & 18 June) at Fira Montjuïc and two nights (17 & 18 of June) at Fira Gran Via.

The festival features 117 shows combining world premieres, exclusive concerts, highly-anticipated returns to the stage and a wide representation of the most important global and local current talents.

Sónar 2022 features spectacular audiovisual concerts from some of the biggest names in electronic music, such as the legendary British duo The Chemical Brothers who’ll present their greatest hits and tracks from latest album No Geography live as part of a new immersive audiovisual show; and Berlin trio Moderat, who return to the stage after a hiatus with their new album MORE D4TA. They’re joined by French epic electronica duo The Blaze, and Bonobo, who’ll present his latest album Fragments. In addition, Arca, one of the most daring and transgressive performers of our time, makes her debut at Sónar by Night with a new live show presenting her five new albums.

The current leading figures of Spanish popular music will also be present at Sónar 2022. C. Tangana returns to the festival as a global star, with an extraordinary show taking in his recent hits and his latest album El Madrileño. Nathy Peluso also returns to Sónar, this time with her acclaimed album Calambre, to demonstrate why she continues to reign supreme over latin pop. Other emerging artists such as Morad, Simona and Ms Nina will represent the sound of the ever-closer future.

Spectacular shows prepared especially for Sónar.
Sónar 2022 will also include world premieres of previously unreleased pieces, created especially for the festival. Niño de Elche+ Ylia + Banda “La Valenciana”: ‘Concert de músika festera’ will reinterpret the music of popular festivals with over 50 musicians. It promises to be a concert like no other, finding common ground between rave music, the pop meets techno meets industrial ‘bakalao’ of 80s Valencia, and traditional flamenco. Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés present Hiperutopia, a re-imagining of their album Clamor accompanied by the 36 voices of Cor de Noies de l’Orfeó Català. Spanish queer phenomenon Samantha Hudson will also perform at the festival for the first time with ‘Liquidación Total Por Cierre’, an ambitious reinterpretation of her album of the same name. Designed especially for Sónar, it merges extreme rave sonics with a radical aesthetic: an equally radical departure from everything she’s done to date. ‘Uncompressed’ presented by Patreon brings together musicians, synthesiser experts and creators Hainbach, Look Mum No Computer, and Cuckoo for a unique performance that promises to be radical, playful and thought-provoking. And finally, Catalan vocal duo Tarta Relena will also debut an exclusive collaboration with a 16 person choir on stage.

The world’s biggest dancefloor.
Sónar will once again host the world’s biggest dancefloor, with a party from dusk until dawn soundtracked by the stars of today’s global clubbing scene. Folamour’s ‘Power to the PPL A/V’ and Reinier Zonneveld’s acid techno live set will make the audience dance just as much as techno and house DJ sets from global stars Charlotte de Witte, Eric Prydz, The Blessed Madonna, Anfisa Letyago, Richie Hawtin, ANNA, and Agoria.

There’s no shortage of established names from the international electronic music underground, such as Avalon Emerson, Joy Orbison, Jayda G, Helena Hauff, Or:la, La Fleur and Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa. They’re joined by first-time on-stage back-to-backs from Jennifer Cardini b2b Perel and Midland & Shanti Celeste; live sets from Paranoid London and Louisahhh; the European premiere of Tiga & Hudson Mohawke’s Love Minus Zero; and a first Spanish appearance of an eight-handed back-to-back from acclaimed Berlin collective Herrensauna XXL.

Club music from all five continents.
Global club music is being reconstructed by a diverse group of artists from all five continents. A clear example of this will be heard on Saturday night in SonarCar. The godfathers of the newest genre of house to emerge from South Africa – amapiano – Kabza De Small x DJ Maphorisa (Scorpion Kings) will play a 6-hour set in surround sound. The Sónar by Day lineup also features the reigning Queen of Amapiano, Kamo Mphela, famous in Johannesburg and across the country for her energetic dance videos.

In addition, the representation of global club music will range from South Asians Yung Singh b2b SUCHI, Manara and Jyoty, to Oceania’s Partiboi69 and Lady Shaka, and multidisciplinary Taiwanese artist veeeky presented by Ministry of Culture of Taiwan. Also on the lineup are Europeans DJ Marcelle/Another Nice Mess, Poté and Jamz Supernova, Uruguayan Lechuga Zafiro, Angolan-Portuguese Pongo, the Latino-American DJ Python and Ugandan-British group Nihiloxica.

Emerging global and national talent at Sónar 2022.
Sónar 2022 also includes exclusive Spanish live performances by stellar London rappers AJ Tracey and Headie One, transgressive Estonian rapper Tomm¥ €a$h, the rap/noise experimentation of Scotch Rolex ft. MC Yallah & Lord Spikeheart, queer Parisian ballroom and voguing icon Kiddy Smile and Jersey Club standard-bearer UNIIQU3. They’ll appear alongside other more intimate and introspective performers: nostalgic Irish producer and spoken word artist For Those I Love; magical Franco-Venezuelan vocalist La Chica; and the esoteric Italian duo Nu Genea, who’ll appear with a live band.

There will be even more unique and special shows in SonarHall. The Sónar by Day venue will host serpentwithfeet’s vindication of black, gay love, as well as Amnesia Scanner’s apocalyptic AV show. There’s also a concert from British pop-experimental producer Sega Bodega’s and a first glimpse at the collaboration between Pedro Vian & Mana. Transgressive vocalist Lyra Pramuk will present her show ‘Echoluminescence’ at SonarComplex; Polo & Pan will have SonarVillage dancing to their theatrical show; British duo Overmono will close SonarPark by DICE on Saturday with their long-awaited and revolutionary live show; and Lafawndah will unleash the full power of her voice on Thursday.

A significant delegation of local talent lands at Sónar 2022 full of artists who’ve kept the Spanish scene alive over the past two years: ‘neo-bakala’ dance-punk trio VVV [Trippin’you], homespun electronica duo b1n0 Live A/V, Canary Island rap group Locoplaya, nomadic downtempo producer Miret Live, dancefloor agitator and selector AWWZ, exquisite mixer Lucient, hypnotic live performer Airaboi, revolutionary DJ and Dembooty founder BRAVA, Madrid trap/future R&B youth sensation Recycled J, Barcelona’s trance/reggaeton collider ETM, the versatile DJohnston, leftfield selector Gela, local house stalwart Ivy Barkakati and the ever-impressive Virginie.

The laboratory comes to the stage.
Technology will play a leading role in the hybrid talks and conference-performances on the new Stage+D. It’s also a key part of the series of tech-shows with strong scenic, technological and audiovisual components that will be hosted at SonarComplex: Quayola/Seta: ‘Transient’ presented by ME by Meliá, IHHH & Desilence, Eli Keszler, Martin Messier – ‘Echo Chamber’, Eartheater, Hamill Industries & Kiani del Valle – ‘AI Transmutations’, amongst others.

The new stage SonarPark by DICE, at Sónar by Day, showcases the spirit of festival at its most radical and innovative, bringing together new talent and the latest trends from trap, reggaeton, dembow, rap, and beyond. Rojuu, Chico Blanco, Depresión Sonora, mori + rusowsky, Coucou Chloe, Juicy Bae, El Bobe, Vegyn, Yugen Kala, Umami b2b CRKS290, and Albal b2b Rocío are joined by the previously mentioned Morad, Ms Nina, Overmono, Partiboi69, Lechuga Zafiro, La Chica, Niño de Elche + Ylia + Banda “La Valenciana”: ‘Concert de músika festera’, Scotch Rolex ft. MC Yallah & Lord Spikeheart, DJ Marcelle/Another Nice Mess and For Those I Love.

The most avant-garde, eclectic and groundbreaking electronic music from the global club scene will once again fill the air at SonarLab by Resident Advisor, offering a more diverse and varied range of styles than ever before. Skee Mask, Batu, Nihiloxica, Giant Swan, GAZZI, Conducta, Venus X, Critical Soundsystem, Ehua, MBODJ and the previously mentioned Headie One, Avalon Emerson, Midland & Shanti Celeste, Helena Hauff and Tiga & Hudson Mohawke will all be performing here at Sónar by Night.

Sónar+D reinvents itself and expands into Sónar by Day.
A revitalised version of Sónar+D offers an itinerary that favours the user experience, with new event and installation formats that can be seen, heard and touched. The programme features different types of content: from lectures to masterclasses, from virtual reality experiences to audiovisual installations and technological shows. All of them will follow the guiding themes of the festival: Ecology, Web3 and Artificial Intelligence.

Sónar+D will occupy the entire Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, where it will present more than 60 activities with more than 50 speakers and an extensive digital art exhibition.

The big news this year is undoubtedly the brand new Stage+D, dedicated to talks with a strong audiovisual component and hybrid presentations that sit between conference and performance. Participants will include Michel André ft. Hamill Industries, Bernie Krause and Monira Al Qadiri & Raed Yassin. The stage will be closed each day by JASSS & Ben Kreukniet’s ‘A World Of Service’ concert, an audiovisual reinvention of the Spanish producer’s most recent album.

SonarMàtica by Tezos, the festival’s new exhibition area, will feature 6 Virtual Reality (VR) pieces and 6 audiovisual installations. Among these pieces, ‘Carbolytics’ by Joana Moll and ‘Not An NFT’ by Barcelona Supercomputing Center stand out. There’s also ‘Botto’ – an algorithm and decentralised ‘artist’ using blockchain technology created by Mario Klingemann – and the interactive installation ‘Face2Wikipedia’ by Andreas Refsgaard, both great examples of the creative use of Artificial Intelligence.

SonarMàtica by Tezos will be presented by the Tezos cryptocurrency, one of the most energy-efficient blockchains and a favourite of the artistic community. In this area, the public will also be able to immerse themselves in a spectacular installation-format exhibition. 12 multi-channel screens will project a selection of NFTs curated jointly by Sónar and Tezos, created by many of the most important artists in this new digital ecosystem.

The new SonarÀgora debate area will host a series of Masterclasses, workshops and other activities. These will have a clear didactic perspective, aimed at offering tools and knowledge to professionals in the creative industries covering the themes that feed the festival’s programme (AI, machine learning, NFTs, blockchain, etc.). SonarÀgora is presented in collaboration with ISEA2022 Barcelona (International Symposium of Electronic Arts) and Hac Te, Barcelona’s Art, Science and Technology hub.

Patreon, the membership platform that makes it easy for creators to get paid, by connecting them with their fans, will be presenting Lounge+D by Patreon, a new area that will be the exclusive place for Delegates where activities will be programmed with the focus on generating quality, informal and horizontal encounters between members of the creative community. Within this area will be Corner+D by Patreon, which will host, among other things, intimate Q&A sessions and community meet-ups with artists and speakers from Sónar and Sónar+D.

Web3, Artificial Intelligence and Acoustic Ecology, the three thematic axes of Sónar+D 2022. The main thematic axes of this year’s Sónar+D programme revolve around three themes. Firstly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its artistic, technological, political, social and ethical implications. Secondly, Acoustic Ecology, which covers the Earth, nature and human action observed through sound, and how this has become a fundamental source for technological research and development. Finally Web3 encompasses digital economies, crypto-art, digital creative markets, and more.

In addition to the artworks in the SonarMàtica by Tezos, Artificial Intelligence will be at the heart of the conference programme too. Two of the leading international experts in this field, Trevor Paglen and Kate Crawford, will discuss the ethical and political issues of AI. Davide Quayola and Sougwen 愫君 Chung, leading exponents of the creative use of AI, will explore their work through spectacular AV formats, and Andreas Refsgaard will offer a masterclass on machine-learning.

Sónar+D will reflect on ecology from different angles, one of them being sound. From an artistic as well as scientific perspective, one of the fathers of Acoustic Ecology, Bernie Krause, will explore his enormous archive of natural sounds, accumulated throughout his 60-year career. Michel André, director of the Bioacoustic Applications Laboratory at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, will show how all terrestrial ecosystems are connected by sound, using sound archive and with visual support from Hamill Industries. In the exhibition area, Lugh O’Neill will present the installation ‘Karst’ in collaboration with S+T+ARTS and the CCCB.

The climate emergency invites us to both look backwards – connecting with ancestral and knowledge – and also to speculate on possible futures. Four performative conferences will showcase projects and initiatives inspired by folklore and cultural heritage. Each will show their creative work has been influenced by this research: the duo of Kuwaiti visual artist Monira Al Qadiri and Lebanese artist and musician Raed Yassin; Chilean artist Constanza Piña; Mexican multimedia artist Tupac Martir; American musician and producer Craig Leon; and Australian architect and filmmaker Liam Young.

Finally, Sónar+D will dive into the world of Web3. Bas Grasmayer and Kaitlyn Davies will look at the potential and possibilities of decentralised internet in a hybrid workshop and masterclass format, guiding participants to set up their own cryptocurrency wallet and ‘mint’ their first NFT.

SonarExtra: a tour through the centre of Barcelona.
SonarExtra is an itinerary through the heart of Barcelona offered by Sónar during the week of the festival. The tour will start at Palau Güell, one of the few places capable of hosting a Hyperorgan, an organ activated by computer tools via MIDI access. It will be the first time in Spain that this instrument can be heard while walking through the Gaudí designed building. Visitors will be able to hear a piece created especially for the occasion by the Berlin retro-futurist ensemble gamut inc, known for their constant collaboration with technology in the artistic field. In addition to Palau Güell and Sónar, this co-creation project involves organ builder Albert Blancafort (of Blancafort OM), gamut inc and technologist Santi Vilanova (Playmodes). Anyone visiting the Palau Güell between 15. and 19. June will be able to experience this absolutely unprecedented experience.

The next stop will be the Hotel ME Barcelona, where the public can visit the immersive audiovisual installation ‘Transient’ by the Italian artist Quayola, presented by ME by Meliá. It will be accessible free of charge from 15. to 18. June.

The third and last stop of SonarExtra will be the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, where you can visit the sound installation Sondear, created in 2001 by Mika Vainio to record in real time the urban environment through the vibrations of the sculpture Núvol i cadira (1990), which dominates the façade of the Fundació building. In addition, the listening room ‘Sound Museum’ will also opened to the public, an empty room in which music by the late Finnish artist will be played, selected by his wife Rikke Lundgreen and his close friend Tommi Grönlund, with whom he co-founded the Sähkö Recordings label.

Finally, Sónar and ISEA join forces and agendas for their respective editions. Coordinated by Hac Te – Barcelona’s Art, Science and Technology hub – ISEA 2022 Barcelona (International Symposium of Electronic Arts) – which will be held in Barcelona and across Catalonia from 10. to 16. June – and Sónar+D are jointly presenting a series of activities at both events.

Specifically, ISEA is partnering with Sónar for the programme of SonarÀgora, Sónar+D’s training and debate space for artists and professionals.

Sónar will co-present three series of audiovisual pieces as part of the ISEA 2022 Barcelona programme covering possible futures related to gender, environment, human rights and machines.

The alliance between Sónar and ISEA 2022 Barcelona reflects a characteristic that marks both events and is an inherent quality of the electronic arts: their hybrid dimension. This collaboration aims to reinforce the synergies between the academic, research-focused community and the artists and their audiences.

‘Un SónarVillage a S’horabaixa’: the festival visits Mallorca this summer.
Sónar will touch down in Mallorca this summer with ‘Un SónarVillage a S’horabaixa’, a musical event in natural surroundings, inspired by the format of the emblematic SonarVillage at Sónar Barcelona. Some of the biggest artists in international electronic music will be performing with the backdrop of the island’s unique sunsets on three dates during the summer months: 16th July, 6th August and 3rd September. Together with promoter Live & Island, Sónar will bring top DJs to the Antiguo Aquapark in Calvià, home of the famous Mallorca Live Festival. For this new summer series, a completely new venue with a capacity of 5,000 has been created. The lineups for the three dates will be announced shortly and Early Bird tickets will go on sale soon.

More information and tickets.
All information on Sónar Barcelona 2022 is now available at sonar.es. Follow Sónar on social media @sonarfestival and via the official hashtags #sonar2022 and #sonarfestival. All types of tickets and accreditations for Sónar and Sónar+D are now on sale here.

Institutional Partners, Partners and Sponsors.
Sónar Barcelona 2022 is an initiative of Advanced Music, supported by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Ajuntament de Barcelona, Impost Turístic, Ajuntament de L’Hospitalet and the Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música (INAEM).

Sónar 2022 is made possible by our principal partner Estrella Damm and with additional sponsorship from Thunder Bitch, MEDIAPRO, Desigual, Red Bull, ME by Meliá, Takis, Coca-Cola, Patreon, Alpro, Heura Foods, BackMarket, Tinder, Tezos, Pioneer DJ and Meller. With DICE as ticketing partner and supported by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya.

Sónar By Night – Friday 17 June 2022 (20:00-07:30).
Moderat (De)
The Blaze (Fr)
C. Tangana (Es)
Nathy Peluso (Ar)
Bonobo (Uk)
Headie One (Uk)
Richie Hawtin (Ca)
Agoria (Fr)
Skee Mask (De)
Anna (Br)
Herrensauna Xxl 6h Set (De)
Avalon Emerson (Us)
Jennifer Cardini B2B Perel (Fr/de)
Tiga & Hudson Mohawke Present Love Minus Zero (Ca/uk)
Venus X (Us)
Poté Dj Set (Fr)
Or:la (Ie)
Critical Soundsystem (Uk)
Gazzi (Es)
Brava (Es)
Conducta (Uk)
Santos Bacana (Es)
Djohnston (Es)

Sónar By Night – Saturday 18 June 2022 (21:00-07:30).
The Chemical Brothers (Uk)
Eric Prydz (Se)
Arca (Ve)
The Blessed Madonna (Us)
Charlotte De Witte (Be)
Aj Tracey (Uk)
Helena Hauff (De)
Kabza De Small X Dj Maphorisa (Scorpion Kings) 6h Set (Za)
Folamour: Power To The Ppl A/v Show (Fr)
Joy Orbison (Uk)
Reinier Zonneveld Live (Nl)
Midland & Shanti Celeste (Uk)
Anfisa Letyago (It)
Batu (Uk)
Nihiloxica (Ug)
La Fleur (Se)
Mbodj (Es)
Giant Swan (Uk)
Etm (Es)
Ehua (It)
Lucient (Es)

Sónar By Day – Thursday 16 June 2022 (13:00-00:00).
Pongo (Pt)
Paranoid London Live (Uk)
Amnesia Scanner (Fi)
Sega Bodega (Uk)
Lafawndah (Fr)
Partiboi69 (Au)
Ms Nina (Es)
Jayda G (Ca)
‘a World Of Service’ By Jasss & Ben Kreukniet (Es/au)
Lady Shaka (Nz)
Eartheater (Us)
Coucou Chloe (Fr)
Chico Blanco (Es)
Rojuu (Es)
Uniiqu3 (Us)
Manara (Uk)
Tarta Relena (Es)
Simona (Ar)
Lechuga Zafiro (Uy)
Veeeky Presented By Ministry Of Culture Of Taiwan (Tw)
B1n0 Live A/v (Es)
Gela (Es)
Awwz (Es)
Depresión Sonora (Es)

Sónar By Day – Friday 17 June 2022 (13:00-00:00).
Polo & Pan (Fr)
Niño De Elche + Ylia + Banda “la Valenciana”: ‘concert De Músika Festera’ (Es)
Eris Drew B2B Octo Octa (Us)
Samantha Hudson: ‘liquidación Total Por Cierre’ (Es)
Kamo Mphela (Za)
Lyra Pramuk – Echoluminescence (Us)
Martin Messier – ‘echo Chamber’ (Ca)
Lsdxoxo Live (Us)
‘a World Of Service’ By Jasss & Ben Kreukniet (Es/au)
Uayola/seta – ‘transient’ Performance Presented By Me By Meliá (It)
Louisahhh Live (Fr)
Juicy Bae (Es)
Vvv trippin’you
Scotch Rolex Ft. Mc Yallah & Lord Spikeheart (Jp/ug)
Yung Singh B2B Suchi (Uk)
Ihhh & Desilence Live Av (Ar/es/dk)
El Bobe (Es) Dj Marcelle / Another Nice Mess (Nl)
Albal B2B Rocío (Es)
Yugen Kala Dj Set Feat. Dømochevsky Av Set (Es)
Jamz Supernova (Uk)
Miret Live (Es)
Ivy Barkakati (Es)

Sónar By Day – Saturday 18 June 2022 (13:00-00:00).
Overmono Live (Uk)
Serpentwithfeet (Us)
Morad (Es) Vegyn (Uk)
Maria Arnal I Marcel Bagés Presentan Hiperutopia (Es)
Kiddy Smile (Fr)
Dj Python (Us)
Hamill Industries & Kiani Del Valle – ‘ai Transmutations’ (Es/pr)
‘a World Of Service’ By Jasss & Ben Kreukniet (Es/au)
Tomm¥ €a$h (Ee)
For Those I Love (Uk)
Jyoty (Uk)
U Genea Live Band (It)
Craig Leon (Uk)
Edro Vian & Mana (Es)
Mori, Rusowsky (Es)
Locoplaya (Es)
Eli Keszler (Us)
La Chica (Fr/ve)
Recycled J (Es)
‘uncompressed’ (Hainbach, Look Mum No Computer, Cuckoo) Presented By Patreon (De/uk/no)
Virginie (Es)
Umami B2B Crks290 (Es)
Airaboi (Es)

H/T Sónar festival.