Air returns with 'Moon Safari' at Sónar on second night of electronic music festival

French band Air returned to Barcelona with 'Moon Safari' at the Sónar electronic music festival, one of their rarest albums, which it is what helped them conquer the world with hits like 'Sexy Boy' and 'Kelly Watch The Stars.'

On Friday night, Sónar by Night's first edition of the 2024 electronic music festival saw Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel celebrating their fusion of downtempo and Gallic cool of Serge Gainsbourg.

The duo, accompanied by a full live band, was one of the main stops during the first night of the Sónar by Night, but not the only one. They played at the SonarClub, just by the event's entry.

Among the other main artists at Sónar by Night there were Jessie Ware at the SonarPub. Tthe London singer mixes her glamour and her 80s Ibiza energy and played at the Sónar music festival for the first time ever.

During the last years, she has grown in profile becoming a multi-award nominated pop star, and has even sang during Harry Styles' concerts, ahead of his performances, and has been namechecked by former US president Barack Obama, as one of his favorite songwriters.

The show, as Sónar organizers say, "is set to be one for the history books," and will see thousands celebrating her moves.

Later in the evening, Sónar was dominated by, aside from electronic music but that is part of the show, by Ben Böhmer. German producer who used his melodic electronica drips with emotion. His breakthrough album 'Being Again' was written when he found himself separated from his fiancé due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A few years later, Böhmer is part of the fastest-rising producers in the world and will see a show moving from swooning instrumentals to richly detailed club music. All taking place at the SonarClub.

On Thursday, many artists already opened up the event with Sevdaliza taking the lead of the most acclaimed performance among attendees. But also accompanied by Judeline, Bikôkô, and Folamour. 

What it is all about 

Founded in 1994 as the “Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art,” Sónar has grown from 6,000 to 122,000 attendees in 2022 and caters to a wide variety of audiences. The core aspects of this unique festival that continue to bring more people back to Barcelona each year are the creative and unique electronic music, cutting-edge technology, and entrepreneurial innovation on display. 

Since its inception, it has had three components; Sónar by Day, Sónar by Night, and the Sonar+D congress (formerly known as the Record Fair and Technology Fair).

Sónar is all about the music, not just how it sounds but how it was made, its artistic process, the intersection of creativity and electronics, and the cultural impact of the electronic genre. This devotion to encountering music from a wider lens resulted in the festival being awarded a Creu de Sant Jordi, a prize the Catalan government gives in recognition of people, events, and places that protect and enhance the nation's cultural identity.

Check-in

Before entering Sónar by Day or Sónar by Night, every attendee will have to check in physically. Organizers will then exchange the entry ticket for a wristband, which will allow access to the festival and to pay for the goods inside. Ticket holders will have to be present at the time of check-in, as tickets cannot be exchanged for wristbands for third parties. 

The check-in areas are located in map for normal tickets and are clearly signed on the maps for those holding VIP tickets. In the Fira de Montjuïc venue, the normal and VIP check-in will be at Door C, while access will be through door D for the general public, and door E for VIP ticket holders. 

Getting to Sónar by Day and back

All ticket holders get a 30% discount on public transport through the Hola Barcelona Travel Card also gives you 20% off tickets for the Telefèric de Montjuïc, the Barcelona Bus Turístic, and special Bus Turístic trips: Easy Montserrat, The Montserrat Tour y Dalí’s Figueres & Girona.

Metro and Bus
There are plenty of options to reach the venue with metro lines L1 and L3 stopping in Plaça d’Espanya, but also city bus lines: D20, D40, H16, V7, 13, 23, 46, 52, 65, 79, 91, 109, 150, 165. There are also metropolitan bus lines such as CJ, L70, L72, L80, L86, L94, and L95 that stop in the square. The bus system in Barcelona works almost 24 hours every day but is separated into two categories, the ‘regular’ bus lines, which operate from 6 am to 11.15 pm every day, and the night bus (“nit bus” in Catalan) which goes from 11 pm to 6 am. 

Train
FGC trains at Plaça Espanya are another option for getting to the Sónar by Day venue. Those arriving by high-speed train to Sants station can take the bus, a two-stop metro ride on L3, or a 15-minute walk. 

Bike
Bicing, Barcelona’s bike-share facility, also runs 24 hours a day. However, this system needs one-year membership.

Car
For those getting there with a private vehicle, there is some parking available near the hall. 

From the airport
To get to Sónar by Day from Barcelona airport, travelers can take the L9S metro line from the airport, change at Torrassa, and then take L1 in the direction of Fondo, to Espanya. There is also the Aerobus which costs €5.90 for a single ticket or €10.20 return ticket and runs all day from Terminal 1 and from Terminal 2.  Bus options include taking a longer route with the public bus line 46, direct to Plaça Espanya. It costs €2.40 for a single ticket, or is included in the unlimited trips if using the Hola Barcelona Travel Card. Taking the Renfe-Rodalies train from T1 will include taking a Shuttle Bus, which is free, from T1 to T2 (Renfe Airport Station). From T2 take the Line R2 Nord to Barcelona Sants. There, travelers will take the L3 Metro to Espanya. From there, concert-goers can take the bus, a two-stop metro ride on L3, or a 15-minute walk. 

Getting to Sónar by Night from Sónar by Day and back

In a fitting reflection of the shift in tone from day to night, Sónar by Night takes place in a different location to Sónar by Day. 

The Fira Gran Via venue is around 15 minutes of a drive from Plaça d’Espanya, but can also be reached by metro, FGC train, or bus in up to 30 minutes. There are dozens of options to go from one venue to the other.  

Sónar will put in place bus links, at a price of €2.50 per journey going from Fira Montjüic to Fira Gran Via venue. The trip will take 15 minutes and will operate Friday from 8 pm to 11.30 pm and Saturday from 8.00 pm to 11.30 pm. This will be a one-way journey.

Getting to Sónar by Night and back

To get to Sónar by Night, there are several options, including taking the SónarBus available to all ticket holders that connects Sónar by Day and the Plaça d'Espanya square with the venue in Fira de Gran Via. 

However, other routes include daytime buses H12, H16, 46, 65, 79, 150, night buses N1, N2, N13 ,N15, N16, N17, N18, the metro, and FGC trains. Metro lines run across the city between 5 am and 12 midnight from Sunday to Thursday, from 5 am to 2 am on Fridays, and for 24 hours on Saturday. 

FGC train lines have a different schedule and the last train from Plaça Espanya to Europa | Fira departs at 1:59 am. The first train from Europa | Fira to Plaça Espanya departs at 5.54 am. 

To get to the venue from the airport, similar options are available. By metro, travelers can take the L9S direct to Fira. The bus line 46, direct to Plaça Europa, and then the nocturnal bus lines N17 and N18 if traveling from T1 or the lines N16, N18 if landing in T2. For all these, Plaça Europa is the destination point. 

Cashless festival

The festival, both during the day and night events, will be cashless. This means attendees will have to top up a wristband to be used as the "only way to pay at Sónar." 

Those who have bought the ticket on other websites can find FAQs on how to top up their wristband early. 

Once in the festival, the wristband will be automatically loaded with the amount attendees have topped up after completing the check-in. Inside the festival, spectators can use both cash and card to top up their wristbands in the several SonarCashless points placed throughout the venues. It can be topped as many times as needed but only in multiples of €5.

If someone loses their band, organizers are not responsible for it. Wristbands are personal and non-transferable. Sónar reserves the right to decline wristbands that have been cut, pulled off, or otherwise visibly manipulated.

Once the festival is over, festival-goers can claim unused money back using an online form, from 1:00 pm on Tuesday June 18 until 11:59 pm on Friday June 30. The link will be active on Sónar’s website. Organizers do not charge any transaction costs for refunds. 

What can I bring into the festival? 

For security reasons entrance to the Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night venues is not permitted with suitcases or large bags, large backpacks, skateboards, professional camera equipment, food, or drink. 

Smaller bags (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) such as handbags or small backpacks and motorcycle helmets will be permitted, but have to be left in the cloakroom.

Other forbidden objects are aerosols, drones, laser pointers, selfie sticks, or sharp objects.

Animals will not be allowed to enter either Sónar by Day or Sónar by Night. 

Cigarettes and tobacco cannot be bought in the venues. Smoking is allowed only in outdoor areas of the festivals. 

Other general information about Sónar

First aid teams will be present at both Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night in the event that any visitor needs medical attention. Attendees can also speak with any staff member who can call a first aid team if they don’t see them. 
Toilet facilities are all indicated on the maps in both venues. 

Lost and found items such as wallets, ID cards, and mobile phones will be automatically handed over to the relevant authorities due to new data protection laws and people will need to contact local authorities by Wednesday, June 21, with a description of what they have lost.