Sónar Lisboa is kicking off the 30 year anniversary celebrations of the acclaimed Sónar Barcelona festival on March 31st, 1st and 2nd of April 2023

On March 31st, 1st and 2nd April 2023, Sónar returns to Lisbon once again to present technology, creativity and the most advanced music in a renewed and inspiring format.

Despite only being the second edition of Sónar Lisboa, the event marks 30 years since the first ever Sónar festival in Barcelona, the founding city of the celebrated festival. Sónar Barcelona will celebrate its 30th edition between June 15th and 17th 2023. Three decades of Sónar as a space for discovery and inspiration, as a platform for several generations of local and international artists, and constant innovation in electronic music and culture will be commemorated.

Today, Sónar Lisboa 2023 unveils the first 24 shows in a program that will feature around 50 live performances and DJ sets, including, as always, emerging sounds and established artists. The Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, located in the city center, will be the main venue of this edition hosting 4 stages indoor and outdoor. With all the stages concentrated in the same space, and Sónar+D (to be announced soon) in walking distance away, Sónar Lisboa 2023 will offer a unique experience that will transform the Parque Eduardo VII into a place of celebration for Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night.

As it has done throughout its history, the Sónar 2023 programme covers the entire spectrum of electronic music, from the familiar and beloved dance floor sounds to more unorthodox, experimental tracks. Enric Palau, co-director of Sónar, explains: “The festival celebrates its 30th anniversary with an entirely electronic programme, which celebrates club culture, the role of the DJ as a cultural symbol of our time and the diversity of sounds at the heart of today’s electronic music scene”.

First names confirmed for Sónar Lisboa 2023

Electronic music in its multiple and diverse forms is at the heart of Sónar Lisboa 2023. The first announcement is headlined by three unparalleled live performances: Bulgarian producer KiNK; the jaw-dropping AV show from Max Cooper; and the hypnotic, jazzy electronica of WhoMadeWho.The globetrotters DJ Tennis b2b Carlita (Astra Club) and Acid Pauli will bring their expansive and emotional vision of electronic music into their sets

Captivating DJs Mochakk and Folamour – the latter with his A/V show – offer euphoric celebrations of house music, as does Cinthie’s retro live performance. In contrast, Polish sensation VTSS, Héctor Oaks live and I Hate Models (in an A/V show exclusive to Sónar Lisboa) will showcase the diversity of high-energy, relentless, cinematic modern techno.

Local heroes also return to Sónar Lisboa, from live kuduro-house beats by DJ Nigga Fox of the label Príncipe, to a dose of transatlantic reggae served up by Shaka Lion. They are joined by Yen Sung and Rui Vargas, idols in the Portuguese house and techno scene since the 90’s. Not forgetting, there is also the vitality of the new generation of Portuguese DJs Catarina Silva, Francisca Urbano, Luisa, and Vil, as well as the indie-rock band Sensible Soccers.

From the UK come two of the most celebrated pioneers of dubstep, Skream b2b Mala. There is also the intergenerational jungle of SHERELLE x Kode9 and one of Ireland’s best kept secrets, DJ Or:la. The echoes of UK raves have also influenced the heavy breakbeat mix of local mainstays Violet and Photonz – the two return this year on a back-to-back.

Today Sónar Lisboa 2023 also unveils its impressive AI-created visual campaign

This year’s visual campaign reinforces Sónar’s commitment to unconventional approaches, processing 30 years of history through innovation, using new technology that is constantly evolving.

Sergio Caballero, co-director of Sónar, explains: “Sónar has processed the last 30 years of visual campaigns with Artificial Intelligence. The AI has run 29 experimental sessions, each based on a visual campaign from the festival’s history. In seeking the ability to generate images that can represent each of these campaigns, the AI learns and generates a multitude of trial and error results. It is in the beauty of these mistakes that Sónar found the image for its 30th anniversary”. The same process engendered the image for Sónar Lisboa 2023.

Sónar+D Lisboa 2023 the annual meeting point for professionals and fans from all creative industries

After the success of the first edition, Sónar+D Lisboa 2023 reaffirms itself as the unmissable annual event for professionals and fans from all creative industries. With an emphasis on art, music, science and technology, it is a space for the exchange of ideas, in which collaborations and co-creations are developed.

The program of lectures, debates and presentations complementary to the musical program will be released soon.