Sonar Barcelona participates in We Are Europe

Sonar Barcelona has announced it will be part of a new project We Are Europe which brings together European festivals with creative forums with the aim of promoting collaborations and exchanges in the creation of innovative cultural practices, under the heading 'Today's ideas for tomorrow's culture'.

We Are Europe plans to develop its activities over the next three years until the end of 2018. It is expected to involve more than 20,000 professionals whose activities will reach an audience of more than 1 million.

The participating festivals share a key common element: the inclusion of creative forums in their program (in the case of Sonar it is Sonar+D). They also share one objective to join forces to create, produce and disseminate innovative cultural practices across the spectrum that establish strong links between artists, professionals and the general public.

This year We Are Europe centres on the theme of cultural entrepreneurship as the unifying factor for the eight festivals. Their collaboration will be developed through reciprocal projects, each festival will participate at two other events, and also host two others festivals to its own event. Sonar 2016 will welcome Reworks and Elevate, who will participate in both the musical program and the Sonar+D content; then Sonar will present and commission content for the festivals TodaysArt (September 22-25) and Insomnia (October 26-28).

The Greek festival Reworks will form part of the Sonar+D content, presenting 'The shock waves of the sonic boom' - a debate on the differences and similarities of electronic music markets in Europe and America- and will also include the presence of festival director Anastasios Diolatzis, in the professional meetings of Meet the Expert. Their contribution to the music program, sees them curate the SonarVillage stage on Saturday with performances (in order of appearance) by Tendts, Ison, Badbadnotgood, Ivy Lab, Nozinja, Troyboi, Section Boyz and Ed Banger House Party.

Elevate, the Austrian festival will present Decentralize: A journey through the independent web, presented by American journalist and activist Jacob Appelbaum. It will be formed by a series of talks and themes (data privacy, blockchain, new social networks) and a special workshop in which the talk's leading speakers (Efraín Fogla, Matt Dryhurst, Katharina Nocun, Lars Holdhus, Markus Sabadello, among others...) will put in to practice topics covered in the program, in front of the MarketLab audience. The cycle will be moderated by Daniel Erlacher, co-founder at Elevate Festival.

In addition Elevate will present the Kode9 & Lawrence Lek performance on Friday in SonarHall, as well as a talk at Sónar+D on Thursday, where both artists will explain their close collaboration and unveil some of the show’s secrets just one day before their concert. The presence of the Austrian festival is completed by the participation of one of its directors, Bernhard Steirer, at Meet the Expert.

We Are Europe will also have its own space at MarketLab where it will present details and guidelines for its ambitious program. Plus Meet The Expert will host Pierre-Marie Oullion the artistic director for the Arty-Farty: the company that every year organizes the Nuits Sonores festival and is also responsible for the leadership and management of the We Are Europe project.

Participating festivals across Europe are c/o pop (Cologne, Germany), Elevate (Graz, Austria), Insomnia (Tromso, Norway), Nuits Sonores (Lyon, France), Resonate (Belgrade, Serbia), Reworks (Thessaloniki, Greece), TodaysArt (The Hague, Netherlands) and, of course, Sonar.

Sonar features over 130 performances, including Jean Michel Jarre, New Order, John Grant, Fatboy Slim, (Antony and The Johnsons, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Hudson Mohawke join forces to present ANOHNI), James Blake, Flume, Kelela, Roots Manuva, Jackmaster, John Talabot, Boys Noize, The Martinez Brothers, Stormzy, Mano le Tough, TroyBoi, Bob Moses, Howling, David August, Red Axes, Ivy Lab, Nozinja, Four Tet, Laurent Garnier, Byetone, Alva Noto, and Cyclo (Carsten Nicolai + Ryoji Ikeda, Jamie Woon, Tuff City Kids, Magic Mountain High, Club Cheval, Malard, Kasper Marott, Lemonick, Toxe, Silkersoft, HomeSick, Sapphire Slows, Hiele, King Midas Sound + Fennesz, Kode9 x Lawrence Lek present The Notel, Kenny Dope, Oneohtrix Point Never, John Luther Adams with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Ed Banger House Party with Busy P + Para One + Boston Bun, Matias Aguayo, Section Boyz, The Black Madonna, Congo Natty & Tenor Fly & Congo Dubs & Nanci & Phoebe, and Acid Arab.

Sonar 2016 offers more than 280 events, including concerts, DJ sets, tech shows and inmersive installations, conferences, VR premieres, plus networking & training activities.

The annual Spanish festival returns to Barcelona, Spain for its 22nd year from Thursday 16th through to Saturday 18th June 2016.

Sónar By Day takes place over 4 stages (SonarVillage by Estrella Damm, SonarHall, SonarDôme and SonarComplex), all of which have increased capacities in their new locations in the Fira Montjuïc area in Plaça d'Espanya. The new Sónar by Day is significantly nearer Sónar by Night, which is still at its usual venue in the Fira Gran Via area in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and consolidates its four-stage format, (SonarClub, SonarLab, SonarPub and SonarCar, located next to the bumper cars). With the festival's shuttle buses, the two sites are now only 10 minutes apart.

It usually starts around Midday and continues until around 10pm for each of the three days of the festival. This part of the festival features live bands, DJs, multimedia art, record/clothes stalls, demonstrations, a cinema, and other activities.

Sónar by Night takes place away from the centre of Barcelona, special coaches transport festival goers to the SonarPark housing four arenas showcasing DJs, VDJs and live entertainment.

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The early bird offer has ended. Tickets are priced at 180 euros a ticket for Sonar By Day & Night.

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