The festival aims to be a 360 degree event, connecting music, creativity and technology. To this end, the international congress Sónar+D grows significantly and in terms of shows there will be a strong accent on audio-visuals and technology.
The 22nd edition of the Sónar aims to be much more than just a music festival. This year the event looks to provide a complete 360 degree occasion, connecting music, creativity and technology. According to the organisers the Fira de Barcelona venue will witness all the stages of creative processes. The central event will be the international congress Sónar +D, significantly bigger, filling its own five floor building and offering special opening hours which start at 10.00 am and include over 150 activities.
The goal is to promote talent, the exchange of knowledge and business opportunities. Just as one of the co-directors Ricard Robles points out, “This year you don’t just come to Sónar for its cultural or recreational side, you can also come to train, learn, make contacts, look for a technological, strategic or artistic partner to develop your project. You can even come to look for work or seek finance for your projects”.
Highlights of the music programme for the festival include the worldwide presentation of the new show by The Chemical Brothers and the return to the state, ten years on, of Duran Duran. The three days of concerts include a wide variety of music and feature plenty of young talent such as FKA Twiggs and Skrillex. However, there is a strong accent on audio-visuals and technology with artistic tandems which look to create experiences. One example is Joanie Lemercier and James Ginzburg, who present the work Blueprint for the first time ever, or the Swiss artists Cod.Art, who will present a huge metal spider by the name of Nyloïd.
Among the range of new features, the festival also provides a new space where audio-visual virtual reality pieces never before seen can be presented atRealities+D. A collective experiment will be carried out too by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center using sensors to analyse the movements of spectators at the daytime Sónar, and a payment system will be set up which uses a rechargeable wristband instead of cash and credit cards.