Three days of advanced electronic and experimental music at two Fira venues in Barcelona: the festival that programmes artists two years before everyone else does.
Annual, mid-June. Runs the week after Primavera Sound, creating a two-week Barcelona festival window.
Sonar has been running in Barcelona since 1994. Its reputation is specific: it programmes electronic and experimental music with a track record of booking artists two to three years before they appear on mainstream festival line-ups. If you follow electronic music closely enough to care about that, Sonar is the festival. The 2026 line-up will be announced in early spring; the festival's consistency over 30 years means the announcement is rarely a disappointment.
The festival runs across two venues on different schedules. Sonar by Day takes place at Fira Montjuïc, the exhibition centre on the hill above the city: more experimental, more art installation, more daytime crowd. Sonar by Night moves to Fira Gran Via in L'Hospitalet, south-west of the city, accessible via Metro L9 (around 30 minutes from the Gothic Quarter). The night events run until 8am; the morning commute back on the Metro is a Sonar tradition.
The Barcelona festival fortnight is a real thing. Primavera Sound runs in late May or early June at the Parc del Fòrum; Sonar follows a week or two later. The two festivals share a significant audience overlap: many attendees plan a two-week Barcelona trip around both. The sequence works: Primavera handles the broader indie, rock, and electronic spectrum; Sonar goes deeper into electronic and experimental. Barcelona's hostel scene and the summer weather make a two-week stay practical and genuinely enjoyable.
Hostel bookings for Sonar week should be made by April. The Gothic Quarter cluster: Carrer dels Escudellers, La Rambla del Raval, and the streets around Plaça de Catalunya: is 15 to 20 minutes by Metro from both Fira Montjuïc (Metro L3, Espanya) and Fira Gran Via (Metro L9, Europa/Fira). The Gràcia neighbourhood is quieter and a reasonable alternative base.
Party hostels within reach of Barcelona's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Barcelona El Prat Airport is 30 minutes from the city centre by Aerobus or Metro. Sants station connects to Madrid by high-speed AVE (2.5hr) and to Paris by overnight train. During Sonar, the Metro L9 is the key line: it runs to both Fira Montjuïc (Espanya) and Fira Gran Via (Europa/Fira) and operates through the night during festival dates.
Day-by-day breakdown
Sonar by Day at Fira Montjuïc runs from noon to midnight on the opening day. The venue sits at the base of Montjuïc hill, accessible from Plaça d'Espanya via a short walk up the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina. The daytime programme mixes live electronic acts, art installations, and shorter DJ sets. This is the more accessible, festival-in-the-sunshine experience before the more intense night events begin.
Sonar by Night at Fira Gran Via runs from 10pm to 8am. Metro L9 from central Barcelona takes around 30 minutes (get off at Europa/Fira). The venue is a convention complex with multiple indoor stages: SonarClub (main room, 15,000 capacity), SonarPub (mid-size), and SonarLab (experimental, smaller). The headline acts tend to play from 2am to 5am; arriving before midnight means cheaper drinks and shorter queues.
The last day of Sonar traditionally carries several closing acts worth staying for. Afterwards, the Barceloneta beach is 20 minutes by Metro from Plaça d'Espanya: the default recovery location. The Born neighbourhood (Carrer del Rec, Carrer del Comerç) has good lunch options and is quieter than the Gothic Quarter during festival week.
Realistic costs per person · Verified March 2026
Prices in GBP. Festival week prices may be higher than standard rates. Prices verified March 2026.
Other festivals and parties in the same region
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
