The salty Mediterranean breeze will once again mingle with the bass lines of electronic music. There are parts of the city that seem to cry out for the cultural pulse to take root there, and the waterfront has always had a special connection to the history of dance in Barcelona. After weeks of mystery, it’s now official: from June 17 to 19, the next edition of the Sónar festival will host its Day program and the Sónar +D conference at Port Vell, in a space yet to be finalized but which is expected to encompass the Tinglados area. Meanwhile, Sónar by Night will continue to resonate in the pavilions of the Fira Gran Via in L’Hospitalet.
This strategic move brings the festival’s essence back to the heart of the Catalan capital. The decision aims to once again separate the daytime and nighttime atmospheres following the 2026 trial, where the merging of both at the vast fairgrounds left a certain sense of emptiness during the early afternoon hours. Thus, under the direction of François Jozic’s team—and following the initial relocation forced by renovations on Maria Cristina Avenue—Sónar seeks to recapture that organic, intimate spirit that has always tied it to the streets of Barcelona.
An advertising announcement and the spirit of the beach
Just yesterday, alarm bells went off when an enigmatic obituary appeared in the press and on the festival’s own website with the message “Sónar 1994–2026.” What for a moment seemed like a final farewell to the world’s most important electronic music event turned out, in reality, to be a clever marketing strategy to announce its rebirth.
The new direction has a nostalgic feel. Moving the festival to the sea inevitably evokes the years between 1997 and 2000, when the Mar Bella pavilion hosted some memorable festival nights that blended naps on the sand with the sea breeze. Now, that coastal atmosphere will serve as the backdrop for the afternoons. Everything suggests that the organization, founded by Ricard Robles, Enric Palau, and Sergi Caballero, will attempt to replicate the success of the Plaza Espanya years, when the Village’s green lawn, the Sónar Lab, and the outdoor stages were in full swing from 4:00 p.m. until midnight.
A Reunion with Sónar +D
Last year, in an effort to maintain its connection to the city center, the organization moved the Sónar +D talks and booths to the spectacular Llotja de Mar. However, the more than six kilometers separating this venue from the concerts in L’Hospitalet took its toll, causing many attendees to decide against making the trip specifically for the event.
Now, with the return of Sónar by Day to Port Vell, music and innovation will once again go hand in hand. The daytime performances will be just a stone’s throw from the Llotja itself, making it easier for the public to once again explore the tech projects and stages without having to cross half the city. Gone will be last year’s experiment, in which six stages were set up in L’Hospitalet that opened gradually from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m.—a 14-hour nonstop format that, while allowing attendees to come and go, failed to capture the intimacy of Barcelona’s afternoons.
