One of our favorite music festivals is just around the corner: Sónar 2018. From June 14 to June 16, Barcelona’s Festival of Advanced Music celebrates its 25th edition as the international standard introducing the latest trends and most-groundbreaking artists.
As lovers of music and culture, we at Etnia Barcelona can’t miss out on it and are sponsors of this year’s event. It will surely be memorable thanks to a lineup that brings together the icons of electronic music and the history of the festival itself, including Miss Kittin and 2manydjs (performing alongside DESPACIO and James Murphy) along with the new generation of urban music artists.
With a lineup featuring more than 140 artists, at Etnia Barcelona we’re acting as selectors to introduce the live shows that you can’t miss out on during Sónar 2018:
Thom Yorke: The lead singer and soul of Radiohead will offer one of the most awaited performances on Saturday night, his first live show at Sónar.
Oscar Mulero: As a living legend of Spain’s electronic scene, he will debut his new live album “Monochrome,” dropping his mask as the emperor of hardcore techno to entrance us with his all-absorbing rhythms.
Gorillaz: Gorillaz, Damon Albarn’s band following his time with Blur, are one of the headliners this year to present their new album, “Humanz,” their first release after 7 years.
Rosalía: The young anartist that breaks the mold when it comes to flamenco will debut a new show at Sónar, which will be her first at the Electronic Music Festival in Barcelona. After leaving us breathless during her concert at La Mercè 2017, we’re dying to see the new paths she’s decided to explore.
LCD Soundsystem: James Murphy’s band also joins the party to celebrate Sónar’s 25th anniversary, and already shown us the irresistible power of his live shows in previous editions of the festival.
Alva Noto: The German experimental artist headlines the Sónar Barcelona 2018’s closing show on Sunday, June 17, along with Ryuichi Sakamoto at the Teatre Grec. An amazing close sponsored by Etnia Barcelona. A must-see!
Kode9: The person responsible for spreading the sound of south London around the world will be at Sónar Día on Thursday with a live show inspired by the music of Japanese videogames and by anime artist Kōji Morimoto.
Oddisee & The good Company: The American with the best flow is the ambassador of Etnia Barcelona in our tribute to JM Basquiat during the festival.
Helena Hauff: The German artist returns to Sónar, where she gave her first performance in 2015; she is now one of the leading techno DJs in the world.
Laurel Halo: Another live show you can’t miss out on during this 25th edition features the artist with a unique sound, making her name a hypnotic one on the current electronic music scene.
Henry Saiz & Band: Techno producer Henry Saiz presents his first album accompanied by a band, having traveled all over the world in search of inspiration. The pyramids of Egypt and the California desert are some of the backdrops that served to create this world map of sound that will be unveiled for the first time in Barcelona.
DJ Harvey: Another legendary DJ returning to Sónar to give us a buzz with his 6-hour set, something not out of the ordinary for the British artist.
Tokimonsta: The producer from Los Angeles is coming to Barcelona to show why she is a sensation on the international scene, with a show that she’ll debut for the first time outside of the United States.
If you still want to know more, we encourage you to check out the complete schedule for Sónar Barcelona 2018 and start picking out concerts. Keep an eye on our blog too, as we at Etnia Barcelona have more festival-related surprises in store. Are you ready?