| Every June, for three nights and three days, the bars, | | | | very close to the La Rambla. Here, visitors will find live |
| clubs, pubs and streets of Barcelona become even | | | | music performances, DJs, multimedia art, record and |
| more busy than normal, as people from all over Spain, | | | | clothes fairs, technology demonstrations, cinemas and |
| Europe, and the rest of the world descend upon the | | | | other activities, split into a number of official areas |
| city to experience Sónar, an Advanced Music and | | | | known as SonarVillage, SonarCinema and Sonarama |
| Multimedia Art festival. The official website describes | | | | amongst others. |
| the festival as "the essential meeting point for an alert | | | | At around about 10pm each day, as the heat of the |
| public, cutting-edge artists and the most influential | | | | day starts to give way to slightly cooler night air, |
| professionals from the sectors of music and modern | | | | "Sonar by Night" begins. This takes place outside of |
| arts." | | | | the city centre and special coaches are laid on to |
| Sonar has been running for the last 15 years, and now | | | | transport festival goers to the main arena, which is split |
| attracts 80,000 people to the city annually. Unlike many | | | | into four areas. |
| other music festivals that have popped up over the | | | | As Britain's biggest festivals such as Glastonbury and |
| last decade, Sónar is completely city based, meaning | | | | Reading become increasingly more difficult to get |
| no mud, no portaloos and no camping. For those that | | | | tickets for, more people are looking further a-field to |
| prefer their festivals to be situated in a civilised, urban | | | | get their festival fix. Foreign festivals make ideal short |
| environment, rather than out in the not-so-great | | | | breaks, offering music fans the chance to see their |
| outdoors, Sónar is the festival for you. | | | | favourite artists, and also enjoy a cultural adventure, |
| Though Sonar embraces many forms of music, the | | | | not to mention warmer, dryer weather! |
| emphasis is definitely on electronic styles; artists that | | | | The are now hundreds of big music festivals |
| have appeared in the last few years include: Aphex | | | | throughout the world, including Fuji Rock Festival in |
| Twin, Cut Chemist, DJ Yoda, Kraftwerk and The | | | | Japan, Exit Festival in Serbia, Mera Luna in Germany, |
| Chemical Brothers. | | | | Southbound Festival in Australia and EuroSonic Festival |
| The festival has two distinct components; "Sonar by | | | | in Holland, to mention just a few, so maybe you should |
| Day" takes place in the centre of contemporary | | | | head further a field this summer and explore the wide |
| culture and the Museum of contemporary art, which is | | | | world of festivals outside of the UK. |