Festivals come in many shapes and sizes these days, but a commonality links them all. Location. While some languidly stretch over verdant grassy fields in the bucolic hinterland, others sit fervently upright in some city centre park.
Sonar may just stand in a class of its own, spreading its effusive fingers across an entire city for 3 days. That City is Barcelona, a paragon of modernity and traditional beauty on the gilded shores of the Mediterranean. Over 150 live acts and DJs from the world of electro combine with a whole host of art, multi-media installations, exhibitions and demonstrations by painters, sculptors and visual artists.

In its 16th year, Sonar is officially divided into day and night sections, but in reality is supported by a myriad of “Off Sonar” events spread around the city, including boat, beach and pool parties and club nights starting morning, noon and night. A whole host of DJs, producers and remix kings, including Ed Banger, Sunday Best, Red Bull Academy and Secret Sundaze book acts across the city, giving Barcelona the feel of a massive, de-facto all night, three-day rave that besets the city. The Spanish, like no others, know how to party and how to party late and long.

Sonar de Dia (day) is set in centre of Barcelona, and is a civilized affair focused upon the progressive arts and world of multi-media while ambient electro tunes drift all around in the background. You’re as likely to bump into serious arts and media lovers as clubbers looking for a daytime hop. Most notable acts this year included Micachu and the Shapes, La Roux, Ebony Bones and a whole host of DJs.

Sonar de Noche (night) couldn’t be more different, set in Fira Gran Via L'Hospitalet, a vast conference centre in an industrial wasteland on the city limits. Looking like an aircraft hanger with its 20,000 capacity, Sonar de Noche runs, unsurprisingly, all night and is akin to a giant organized futuristic rave. This is where the serious partying takes place, though the presence of a dodgem track seemed incongruous. Headliners included Animal Collective, Orbital, Crystal Castles, Grace Jones, Fever Ray and Late Of The Pier.

The revellers certainly seemed up for it, judging by the trade in Red Bull outside the main gate and the assortment of comedy hats/sunnies/facial hair and fancy dress on display. Electro loving locals, international pilgrims of dance, Festival hopping tourists, turbo charged stag do’s, dub step loving hippies, old school ravers, the gay clubbing brigade and gangs of hedonistic under 20s. Every kind of reveller filed in as the gates opened their welcoming arms and dispersed the expectant crowds across the three stages, both indoor and outdoor.

Club, looking like a vast aircraft hangar, and Lab, another smaller, more intimate indoor stage, were both predominantly reserved for DJs. In contrast, Pub was an outdoor stage that offered up a good mix of live acts. Despite the fervent 20,000 capacity crowds, the venue never seemed overly full and was relatively easy to wander around. Even the drinks were reasonably priced for a festival, getting one another matter with the ludicrous buy-a-ticket-to-buy-a-drink system and its inevitable queues.

In the vast Club arena, Grace Jones, didn’t let the female diva union down as she turned up nearly an hour late. Still, she crooned out a few good tunes, wearing a mirror ball hat and even hoola-hooping on stage, before pulling the whole front section of the crowd up on stage during Pull Up To My Bumper, for their “look a me mum” moment.

Current darling of the music press Little Boots opened with Earthquake before ripping through an electric set, determined to make converts of us all. “This is the first time we’ve played in Barcelona – it’s great to be here!” declared Ms. Boots, grinning.

Fellow Brits Late of the Pier were also in fine fettle, raging through their electro-indie rock set including perennial favourites Focker and Heartbeat, despite having to leave the stage halfway through due to technical problems.

After the Worst Mojito In The World™ – poured from an industrial sized metallic canister - it was on to catch the end of James Murphy & Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem), Richie Hawtin and Sebastien. By then the hair-raising low-end bass, incredible lighting and abundant profusion of man-made stimulation available had got the serious techno heads going, lost in the waves of music, bobbing along like little islands amid a sea of noise.

Buraka Som Sistema and the UK’s Mary Ann Hobbs provided a slight change of pace with some late night dubstep action, and the crowds ebbed and flowed, increasingly subjugated in the incredible 25 degree heat. But that was to be the last variation of the early morning, and as the night sped towards its climax, the crowd transformed from early ambivalence to energetic collectiveness to daze and confusion

Finally all three stages in unison turned themselves over to a heady mix of repetitive beat and heavy distortion. Here perhaps a more accessible headliner, on a least one stage, might have been the order of the day (or night). The Chemical Brothers for example, Mylo or 2ManyDJs spring to mind.

Brodinski and Don Rimini brought the night to a shuddering climax, and left the stupified multitudes that were still going looking, wanting and needing more.

As the night stretched out it’s hand to greet the lazy sun, rising over Barcelona’s beaches, the crowds spilled out into the grey dawn, sunglasses the only bulwark against the intruding reality of the day. Many, still able, would forgo sleep and seek out the plethora of early morning beach and boat parties that carry would them through until midday and beyond. The rest, tired and befuddled, would contemplate that only 6 hours remained before they would be doing it all over again.

By Simon Owen and Derek Robertson
Photos by Will Edmond