Sonar Music Festival Barcelona 2009

Sonar Music Festival in Barcelona has grown from strength to strength and is now established as one of Europe’s most well known music festivals. Each year, for one weekend in June, Barcelona is flooded by thousands of music fans from all over Europe. You can usually tell them by their over-sized sunglasses, on-trend flip flops and urgent march towards the festival site.

As one of Sonar’s biggest fans and a regular attendee I have decided that it’s about time somebody answered all of the practical questions about the festival. Things like where to pick up tickets, how to find affordable accommodation and how the heck to get home from Sonar by Night!

This page will provide a general overview to Sonar Music festival 09, with news on the line-up, advice on how and where to buy tickets, how to get to and from both Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night, accommodation information and some tips on where to eat.

If you don’t envisage being anywhere near an internet café during your trip to Barcelona, you may wish to print this page out before your trip. Keep it in your back pocket at all times – you never know when it might come in handy.

An Overview of Sonar Festival in Barcelona for 2009

In contrast to many summer festivals, Sonar does not take place in a field, with people camping. It is a city festival, so accommodation must be found in and around Barcelona. There are two different sites for the festival – one for during the day (Sonar by Day) in the city centre and one for at night (Sonar by Night) that is further out of town.

Dates of Sonar International Festival 2009 in Barcelona

Thursday 19th June – Saturday 21st June 2009

Note that, on Thursday – Saturday, Sonar by Day takes place. However, on the Thursday of Sonar, if you only have a General Pass you will not have access to the opening night activities. See below for more details on the tickets. On both the Friday and the Saturday Sonar takes place both during the day and at night.

For more information regarding the tickets and how to purchase them, check the Official Sonar website.

The Line-Up for Sonar Festival 2009 in Barcelona

The festival line-up is as eclectic as ever and again showcases Sonar as one of the worlds leading future music experiences. Leading the way, the come back of Orbital is a notable must-see. Joining them on the main stages will be the likes of Grace Jones, Animal Collective, RRIICCEE feat. Vincent Gallo, Richie Hawtin and the list goes on.

This year’s festival line-up also sees a strong female presence – the first lady herself, Grace Jones, will be playing on the same line-up as newcomers such as Little Boots, Ebony Bones, La Roux and Fever Ray.
 
For the full festival line-up, check the Official Sonar Website

Tickets for Sonar 09 in Barcelona

The Different Tickets Available for Sonar Festival

There are various tickets available for Sonar Festival:

1. Special General Pass (170 euros): This allows access to all events for the entire festival (excluding the concerts taking place on Friday and Saturday in L’Auditori)
2. General Pass (140 euros): This allows access to all events for the entire festival aside from the Opening Night Concert at Fira Gran Via (and excluding the concerts taking place on Friday and Saturday in L’Auditori)
3. Single Day Ticket (30 euros): For each of the days of Sonar (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) you can buy a ticket granting entrance for just that day.
4. Single Night Ticket (48 euros): For the Friday and Saturday nights you can buy

Many people coming from outside Barcelona for the festival often automatically buy the full General Pass. However, if you do this you might find that you do not end up using it for all of the days and evening – the city of Barcelona itself can be a distraction! It’s worth having a thorough look at the line-up (see above) and deciding whether there are some days or nights that you wouldn’t mind giving a miss.

Where to Buy Tickets for Sonar Festival 2009

Tickets for the festival are available on the phone or online. There are also dedicated phone/online outlets for the UK, France, Belgium and Switzerland.  If you have made an online or over the phone booking there is also a list of collection centres on Sonar’s official site where tickets can be collected for entry into the festival itself.

For more information regarding how to purchase tickets for Sonar, check the Official Sonar website

Prices of Tickets for Sonar 2009

How to get to ‘Sonar by Day’

The day time part of the Sonar Festival takes place in the centre of the Raval area – part of Barcelona’s Old Town. It takes place in the grounds of two adjacent buildings  - the CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporánia de Barcelona) and the MACBA (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona).

If you are staying in the centre of town you are likely to be able to reach the venue on foot. The area sits towards the top and to the left of the Ramblas (if you are facing Plaza Catalunya at the top of the Ramblas). From the Ramblas streets such as Calle Tallers and Calle Bon Success will lead you towards the site of the festival.

The main entrance to the festival is on Calle Montalegre. If you need to pick up tickets from the gate, the ticket office is just around the corner, in Plaza dels Angels.

MACBA and CCCB
Calle Montalegre, 5

Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3) or (Red Line, L1) or Universitat (Red Line, L1) or (Purple Line, L2)

How to get to ‘Sonar by Night’

Fira Gran Via

Getting to Sonar by Night is slightly more complicated than getting to Sonar by Day. You will see hoards of party people around the city struggling to catch taxis and buses to the out of town location. Sonar by Night takes place in a large conference centre called Fira Gran Via, on the outskirts of the city.

When planning your night it is worth planning how you are going to get home before the night has begun. Sonar by Night goes on until 08:00, at which point there are thousands of people in a location outside of Barcelona with only a few options home. See below for further advice.

Getting to Sonar by Night by Bus:

Sonar provides what they call ‘uninterrupted buses’ to and from the venue on Friday and Saturday night, from 20:30 – 08:00. These run from Plaça de las Drassanes (at the bottom of the Ramblas) and drop you at the entrance to the festival. They are complimentary. However, be warned, there will be large queues of people waiting for these buses – in previous years there have been waits of up to two hours for the buses.
 
Plaça de las Drassanes
Metro: Drassanes (Green Line, L3)

Getting to Sonar by Night by Taxi:

It is approximately a 15 – 20 minute journey to Sonar by Night in a taxi. The important thing to remember with taxis is that they will be in very high demand on the Sonar weekend. If you have decided to catch a taxi, head to the less touristy parts of town, where you will find less competition for the taxis.

Also, regarding taxis, remember that there will be surcharges for travelling on the weekend, and another if you are travelling after midnight. When returning to the centre of town from Sonar by Night, taxi drivers are only too aware of how in-demand they are-. They will often simply turn off the mater and ask for as much as they think that they can get out of you, You may find yourselves paying up to 60 euros – a much more viable option if there are a group of you.

Getting to Sonar by Night by Train:

The train station that is closest to Sonar by Night is called ‘Europa/Fira’. It can be reached via all trains leaving the FGC station that is located in the Espanya metro station. The journey lasts only 5 minutes and trains run at least four times every hour. The Sonar by Night venue is just around the corner from the train station and signposts will lead you directly to it.

Trains from Plaza Espanya run until approximately 00:00 and trains from Europa/Fira start running again at 05:10.

You can use a normal Metro ticket or T10 to make this train journey. For more information on this, see our Barcelona Metro Guide.

For more information on train times, check the Official FGC Website.

Most people think that getting to Sonar by Night via train is too complicated, however this may prove to be the quickest and cheapest route there and almost definitely the simplest route back home. If you are leaving the venue after 05:10, regular trains will bring you right back into the city centre at Plaza Espanya.

Fira Gran Via (M2) L’Hospitalet
Avenida Botánica, 62
Poligono Pedrosa
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat

How to Find Accommodation for Sonar 2009

There are a huge amount of options for accommodation within Barcelona but those intending on booking something need to move quickly. It is nearly impossible to find accommodation in Barcelona in the week of the event so do not arrive without having booked somewhere first. You may find yourself sleeping on the beach!

From hostels to hotels to self-service accommodation Barcelona has got it covered.

Here are some recommendations that may suite larger group bookings or those looking for cheap accommodation:

For more information on value hotels, check A Guide to Value Hotels.

For more information on budget hotels and hostels, check A Guide to Budget Hotels & Hostels

For more information on finding an apartment in Barcelona, check A Guide to Apartment Rental in Barcelona

You might find lots of accommodation raises their prices by 30% over Sonar time. Please double check what exactly you are paying for when you make the booking. 

Where to Eat during Sonar 2009

It is often difficult to know where to eat, especially if you are in a large group or you do not have much time. Some favourites of mine include quick snacks or somewhere to relax and take a break.

Maoz – There are a few outlets of Maoz in Barcelona’s city centre. They are a simple and reliable chain of vegetarian falafel take-aways. Cheap and fulfilling for those on the move.

Maoz
La Rambla, 95,
Raval,
08001,
Barcelona

Maoz
Carrer Ferran, 13,
Ciutat Vella,
08002,
Barcelona

Maoz
Carrer Jaume I, 17,
Ciutat Vella,
08002,
Barcelona

Pollo Rico – Great for those in large groups who want cheap food, something cold to drink and most importantly a seat. This no-frills restaurant has a large upstairs area and a high turnover so it’s perfect for those on the move.

Pollo Rico
Carrer Sant Pau 31,
08001
Barcelona

For more information on Pollo Rico and Barcelona on a budget check A Guide to Barcelona on a Budget

Au Port de la Lune – A great little French restaurant just next to La Boqueria (Barcelona’s main food market on the La Rambla). Perfect for smaller groups wanting a break from the sights and sounds of Sonar. Booking ahead of time is advised.

Placa de sant Galdric 1,
08001
Barcelona

To read a full review check Au Port de la Lune Restaurant Review

Off-Sonar Parties

Sonar Barcelona draws huge amounts of people to the city and inevitably this has a huge impact on the clubs and nightlife outside of the festival itself. For those who don’t want to spend their whole time at the festival, it is worth keeping your eyes open for what else is on offer.

The streets are lined with posters and flyers advertising a huge array of musical offerings from Techno to House to all things Electronic.

Related Pages

Sonar Music Festival in Barcelona

Music and Arts events in Barcelona during the summer

Classical concert venues - Venues for classical music in the city centre.
Music gig venues - Overview to music gig venues in Barcelona
Opera venues - Popular opera venues in Barcelona city.
Palau de la Musica - Overview to one of Barcelona´s most famous classical music venues.

External Links

Sonar 09 official website

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