An increasingly tuned machine

Sonar Lisbon returned to Parque Eduardo VII for three more days of amazing electronic music, attracting approximately 19,500 people. With a more balanced lineup than the 2023 edition, in terms of musical style, and with many new names to be seen and recognised, it confirmed the hypothesis that this type of festival does not want to be full. headlines – Which ended with a punishment last year.

The balance was also notable in terms of the aspects of electronic music that filled the three stages around Pavelhão Carlos López, remaining true to the idea of ​​episodicity that characterizes Sonar so well. If last year the group focused largely on techno and house music, this year we heard a range of genres that are part of the history of electronics: from Disco, Breakbeat, garage, Two step garage, UK Bass, dub techno that it electrical.

On the musical level, it is worth highlighting the concert performed by Sevdalisa, perhaps the name that most clashes with the Sonar Lisbon lineup. With Björk present in the audience, the Iranian singer of Dutch origin performed a concert of her own Pop Futuristic and with hints of R&B, embodied in topics such as Oh, my God that it Ride or diewith some themes still to be worked on, in collaboration with Pablo Vittar or Grimes.

On the same day, Helena Hough and Imogen V starred b2b, the first time they played together, in an all-vinyl set. Tiga and Hudson Mohawke created the same format with a set between them Technology home And the Breakbeat Very solid.

On Saturday, at the end of the By Day session, Paul Kalkbrenner presented A Live set Very strong, with touches of… Casa, Lar, where he took the opportunity to play some of his most classic themes. Veteran Technique The German “dominated” the two-hour crowd, which never stopped dancing, despite the soaring heat, in Carlos Lopez's lively pavilion.

At night, with the program taking place only at SónarClub, 2manydjs was the big attraction, accompanied by Erol Alkan, a well-known name in circles ranging from Stone For electronic music, and Éclair Fifi, which provided a visual spectacle that is sometimes not recommended for people with light sensitivity.

Yolanda showed it off early Sunday afternoon medicine In a more electronic form. The Portuguese singer – who recently won the Festival da Canção – performs on stage with a piece by Portuguese choreographer Constança Intrudo – leading the audience on a journey through her music, which is often danceable, and at times very intimate.

Logistically, the changes to the venue had an impact, meaning there were no queues for anything: specifically the bars, restaurant area and bathrooms. The dining area was moved a step below the location it was in for the last two sessions, creating a space where festival-goers can relax and recharge.

The only thing missing is the second stage during the session night On Saturday, when many people gave up on SónarClub, because they didn't really appreciate the programming, namely Nia Archives and Marie Davidson. Even if there had been some ambient music, the experience would have been different.

A satisfied organization and already thinking about 2025

At the end of the festival, Gustavo, founder of Newpop and one of the founders of Sonar Lisbon, expressed his complete satisfaction with the third edition of the festival in the capital, after some things that did not go well in 2023.

“I'm quite satisfied, I admit. Tired, but more satisfied. “I think we've managed to fine-tune things and come to a more realistic result, adapting more of Barcelona's Sonar identity, of course, to the Portuguese reality and the Lisbon reality.” new. “It's natural, it's an adaptation process. Although the brand has been in Barcelona for 30 years, this is the third year we are in Lisbon and I think it also takes time to understand the brand itself and its concept and adapt it to our reality. We are making it happen and we are working on Achieve it.”

Some 19,500 people passed through Carlos López's pavilion, the vast majority of them foreigners, many of them Spaniards – but all quite selective, something that Gustavo did not notice.

“I really liked the audience. You can see older people, different age groups, more familiar with music, and here they are more inclined to listen and discover new things as well.” “At first glance, we maintained almost the same numbers as last year. “More precise and precise organization as well as programming, and this is also reflected in the audience.”

With the end of the third edition of Sónar Lisboa, the organization is already thinking about 2025: “We are already working and want to keep things a little the same, the same diversity and bets on risky and sometimes unusual things for music festival electronics.”

“We already have some collaborations and some challenges launched for people here, Portuguese artists who visit us and have been regular clients of Sónar,” Gustavo revealed. “Some of them end up coming to us and saying they want to do something new. Artists who don't normally get on these electronic stages, but they love and consume this kind of music and they end up feeling drawn to creating new things.

With Mariana Taxa