Respect for the environment

Sónar is fully committed to minimising the environmental impact of the festival, applying measures and actions that are the result of collaborative processes between the organisation itself and the managers of the equipment, suppliers and sponsors.

To achieve this, the festival works every year to constantly improve the following lines of action:


WASTE AND RESOURCES

The celebration of live music at large-scale events is key, both for the well-being of the community and for the continuity of an industry that has demonstrated its resilience in the face of economic and public health challenges. At Sónar, we remain committed to the responsible management of waste and resources, aware of the footprint of mass gatherings and the impact they have on the environment.

Although generating waste is unavoidable, we continue to work to reduce it as much as possible and promote waste recovery and recycling, as we cannot continue to dump waste wherever we go.

The solution is to organise events in a more environmentally friendly way. This is everyone’s responsibility and must be done at every stage of the event’s organisation:
 

• selecting suppliers that guarantee the correct use of materials and have a clear plan for the collection of the waste they generate;
• reusing materials—instead of producing new ones—to promote a more efficient management of resources;
• having food trucks that offer food in biodegradable packaging and increasing the presence of plant-based gastronomic options.

It is important for the organisation to identify and categorise the types of waste that will be present in order to manage them correctly. This can only be achieved by limiting the amount of packaging that is brought in by external suppliers.

At the venue, we carry out comprehensive waste management, separating waste into four categories (paper and cardboard, glass, packaging and recyclables, and the rest). In addition, we place special attention on carrying out this management during the set up and dismantling days. We manage organic waste effectively through our collaboration with Abono Km0 (detailed below, in the “Circularity” section).

We reuse more than 90% of the materials used in the whole set up: carpets, furniture, decoration, signage and even the artificial grass of the SonarVillage by Estrella Damm stage.

Thanks to our collaboration with Okollective, we recover materials from merchandising stocks and materials such as canvases from previous editions. Okollective is a Barcelona-based studio that, through the process of upcycling, transforms this stock into new products, giving them a new life (detailed below, in the “Raising Awareness” section).

We have also eliminated virtually all paper tickets (cloakroom, food, invitations, etc.), as they are all incorporated into the wristbands thanks to our SonarCashless technology.


ENERGY

Thanks to Fira Barcelona, the festival’s electricity supply comes entirely from renewable energy. The Sónar by Night venue features one of the largest rooftop solar parks in the world, made up of 25,947 panels spread over 135,000 m.

All of the festival’s air-conditioned spaces are managed with IoT technology, allowing us to optimise energy consumption at all times.


MOBILITY

90% of Sónar’s suppliers are based in the Barcelona metropolitan area. This is how we also minimise transport and favour local production and industry.

Regarding mobility, Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night are easily accessible by public transport, by bike or on foot and are also connected door-to-door by shuttle buses (SonarBus).


FOOD AND DRINK

At Sónar, we prioritise the choice of food and beverage providers that work with local and seasonal products, while also increasing the presence of plant-based gastronomic options.

The tableware and napkins in the main food courts are “OK Compost Home[lc1] ” certified, meaning that these materials can be recovered in the form of compost thanks to our collaboration with Abono Km0, mentioned above and detailed below.

All the products we serve at the bars, including water, are received in returnable glass bottles.

We provide reusable cups for drinks. We rent cups that are washed and reused at various events. This model minimises waste generation, reduces the demand for new materials and promotes more efficient resource management.

With all these measures in place, we eliminate single-use plastics by more than 90%.


CIRCULARITY

We continue working to give circularity to all the materials we provide:
 

• Cups

  
  Instead of producing new cups, we opted to follow Estrella Damm’s initiative: to give up our logo on the cups and rent existing ones that are washed and reused at other events, thus reintroducing them into the circuit. We charge a deposit of €2 per cup to attendees, which we return in full as soon as the cup is returned to the designated points. In this way, we encourage each attendee to keep their cup and return it when they leave the venue.
  
  This model minimises waste generation, reduces the demand for new materials and promotes more efficient resource management. Every cup we reuse is an opportunity to reduce waste and avoid unnecessary plastic production. We believe in the importance of making responsible choices that help reduce our environmental footprint and this initiative is part of our ongoing effort to make Sónar a more sustainable event.
   

• Tableware

  
  We have standardised the biodegradable material of the tableware of the catering operators in the main food courts to ensure circularity when producing compost with Abono Km0. This requires the “OK Home Compost” certificate for all the materials used.
  
  Abono Km0 recovers these materials, as well as the kitchen scraps from the food providers at the festival, in the form of compost and then donates it to urban vegetable gardens in Barcelona.

RAISING AWARENESS

At Sónar, we work not only to be a benchmark on a cultural and technological level, but also on a social level. We feel a responsibility towards our society and want to take advantage of our ability to innovate, encourage diversity, generate economic impact and promote sustainability to also be a loudspeaker and a driving force for change. Therefore, we not only focus on the correct management of waste, the circularity of materials and the inclusiveness of all people, among other things, but we also enjoy discovering projects that offer an educational dimension to our audience, suppliers and collaborators.


Upcycling:
We also collaborate with Okollective, a design workshop located in the Poblenou neighbourhood in Barcelona. With them, we give a new life to some of the heritage products we have in storage. With materials used in previous editions, such as tarpaulins, we create exclusive and very limited-edition merchandising pieces that are handmade, one by one, in a local workshop. Through this upcycling process, we reduce our environmental footprint by reusing existing materials.
 


Respect for all festival attendees

At Sónar, we pride ourselves on bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, cultures and identities. Every year, different lifestyles, interests and ideas come together to give life to the festival we know. Making Sónar an inclusive festival is an essential part of the project.

The Sónar team works to make the festival and its events safe for people of all genders, cultures, ages, classes and abilities.


ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION

Year after year, we work towards being a festival that is accessible to all and non-exclusive. We aim to promote changes in society so that everyone can carry out their lives without obstacles, highlighting our collective responsibility in breaking down barriers.

We are constantly striving to eliminate or at least reduce the barriers imposed by the surroundings, be they physical, behavioural or communicational, as they prevent people from participating in society in equal and autonomous conditions.

This requires constant work and updating, improving edition after edition. We have developed an Accessibility Plan together with Fundación Music for All, based on an accessibility diagnosis carried out in 2023, to mark the steps to follow in terms of accessibility. We are also in contact with local organisations specialised in different types of diversity.

So far, we have:

• a form on sonar.es used to attend to different needs and establish direct dialogue with our users;
• accessibility measures available on request: preferential seating at Sónar+D presentations, vibrating backpacks with audio induction loop, NaviLens codes, festival programme in Braille, wheelchairs on loan, etc.;
• fast-track access lanes;
• priority access to check-in, wristband top up and customer service and information points for people with special needs, including lower counters for people in wheelchairs;
• priority seating for people with special needs in the food courts;
• accessible toilets;
• bars with wheelchair-accessible counters at both Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night;
• exclusive SonarBus shuttle service for people with reduced mobility;
• specially trained staff at information points;
• fully-equipped and clearly marked raised platforms offering clear visibility at all festival stages, for exclusive use by attendees with special needs;
• attendees with a disability certificate of over 65% may attend the festival with a companion.

We are also partnering with Dinder Club, the first dating app for people with intellectual disabilities. Our aim is to ensure that users can have equal access to everything Sónar has to offer.

SONARMIES: ‘SENSITIVE INTERFACES’ AT MIES VAN DER ROHE PAVILION

Sónar is a space for discovery and enjoyment of music and digital art, a space for meeting, celebration and shared emotions. This is the experience that Sónar proposes to everyone who wants to participate. But the conditions of noise, crowding, mobility and light intensity limit the group of people who can access and enjoy the festival. ‘Sensitive Interfaces’ is a prototype of a Sónar space suitable for a wider audience. This year, this prototype is being developed and tested in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion.

The pavilion will be a space open to everyone, but without crowds, featuring a moderate volume of music, and accessible to people with reduced mobility. A group of mediators will be on hand to facilitate the experience for all users. A series of haptic and sensitive interfaces, developed by the students of the Master’s in Audiovisual Innovation and Interactive Environments, some in the form of beds that you can lean back on, others in the form of wearables that you can put on your body and share with other bodies, will allow you to experience music through your skin, and not only as an auditory stimulus.

The sound design of the space will be by Xavi Manzanares with generative audio devices. It will also feature three live performances, on a set day and time, by artists who will present sound proposals specifically designed for this welcoming, non-strident, suggestive space where perception is not only auditory and visual, but also tactile.


DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND SAFETY

We are committed to equality, so we do not tolerate any type of discrimination based on race, gender, age, nationality, culture, religion, sexual orientation, or any other reason.

We collaborate with the Observatori Contra l’LGTBIfòbia. At Sónar, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary and intersex people are allowed to express themselves freely. Therefore, we do not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQI+ people.

We have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy toward discrimination, harassment and abuse in any form. We continuously work to ensure that artists, staff and attendees feel safe and welcome.

Sónar’s team of professionals and all the staff working on-site at the festival have received the necessary training to respond to cases of discrimination or violence of any kind. This does not mean that it is always dealt with correctly, but it does mean that every effort is made to learn from any comment, incident or mistake and to prevent bad situations from happening again. It is key for the team to educate themselves, both through external advice and internal dialogue.

More information about We Won’t Keep Quiet:
We are proud to be part of the We Won’t Keep Quiet protocol, along with other institutions and organisations in the cultural and entertainment sectors. We Won’t Keep Quiet is a protocol for action against sexual and LGBTI-phobic assaults in nightlife venues, established by Barcelona City Council. All Sónar’s employees are informed about the protocol’s content and the different cases it covers. Check out the 11 points of the protocol here.

More information about “En mi festi, no” (Not at My Festival):
Similarly, we are also joining the “En mi festi, no” campaign, established by the FMA (Music Festivals Association) in collaboration with MIM (Women in the Music Industry) to promote a fairer, more equal and violence-free music festival industry.

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ANY TYPE OF HARASSMENT: At Sónar, we strive to guarantee a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone. If, at any point, you experience or witness any harassment based on gender or sexual identity, please go to the Purple and LGBTQI+ Point, where specially trained staff will be ready to assist.
 

More information about Energy Control:
The well-being of all attendees is our priority, and as such, Energy Control are present at the festival (their stand is located at Sónar by Night), offering their services for the reduction of risks associated with recreational drug use.

More information about Q de Festa!:
Since 2012, we have had the Q de Festa! quality seal, awarded by the Public Health Agency of the Generalitat de Catalunya, which is linked to Party+ (The European Network for Safer Party Labels) and certifies that we offer various services for the well-being of attendees.

From Sónar and Q de Festa!, we offer the following advice for festival-goers:

• protect your skin during the day with sunscreen, wear sunglasses, and wear earplugs;
• stay hydrated: there are many free water points distributed throughout the venue;
• take breaks;
• eat well: there are a variety of sweet and savory options;
• arrange a place to meet up with your friends in case you get lost;
• enjoy your interactions while respecting others’ boundaries. If you experience sexual harassment, go to the Purple and LGBTQ+ Point;
• if something makes you feel unwell, ask the staff for help;
• certain substances are stronger than others. Find out what you are taking at the Energy Control stand located at Sónar by Night;
• if you drink and/or take drugs, do not drive. Use public transportation;
• think for yourself and take care of your people.