Sónar Lisboa returns to the heart of the Portuguese capital for its 3rd edition. On March 22, 23 and 24, 2024, Parque Eduardo VII will host two days and two nights of music, creativity and technology. To celebrate, the second and final wave of confirmations has been announced, completing the lineup with international electronic music stalwarts, in addition to a cast of local talents that represent the Portuguese scene in its entirety.
Established and emerging stars at Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night
Belgian duo 2manydjs will headline Sónar by Night with two very special guests. After an epic session at Sónar 2023, the Dewaele brothers will deliver another unprecedented set, this time sharing the booth with two colorful and eclectic British DJs: Glasgow’s Éclair Fifi and London stalwart Erol Alkan.
Paul Kalkbrenner, an artist who means electronic music worldwide, will be the big attraction at Sónar by Day. A true Berlin legend, he grew up during the golden age of techno in the German capital, emerging from the city’s underground to become one of the biggest stars of electronic music. His sets, always exclusively live, stand out for their vast range: pure techno in its most cinematic form.
British artist Bonobo will also perform on the Sónar by Day stage, exploring his wide range of influences – from Afrobeat and drum’n’bass to hip-hop and house – during an exhaustive DJ set, as will 2023 breakout artist Eliza Rose, who will showcase her deep knowledge of UK garage and house; Lisbon-based Australian selector CC:DISCO! who will offer a hostess set loaded with disco, house, funk and boogie; and retro-futuristic producer Perel, whose hybrid performances include live vocals.
At Sónar by Night, underground heroine Helena Hauff will join rising star Imogen for a hard-hitting set focused on the darker side of electronic music: spiky electro, light techno, choppy breaks and industrial textures. Iconoclastic producer and vocalist Marie Davidson is one of the hottest artists in electronic music: she will perform live tracks from her upcoming album. For those looking for something more upbeat, Jennifer Loveless will show off her energetic vision of house and techno
Sónar Lisboa 2024 will also feature a trio of female artists who fuse club music with pop trends. Dutch-Iranian artist Sevdaliza will offer a genre-defying live performance at Sónar by Night, mixing experimental sounds with trip-hop and R&B. She will be accompanied by a British producer who is leading the jungle renaissance: Nia Archives, who will sign a live set full of energy, combining deep bass lines, accelerated breakbeats and irresistible melodies. Another British crossover star, Shygirl, will bring her new conceptual show ‘Club Shy’ to Sónar by Day, bringing her tender and provocative tracks to the dance floor.
Two unmissable cult artists will also be at Sónar by Day: the always unpredictable Estonian hip-hop singer and countercultural icon TOMMY CASH and the American experimental producer Oneohtrix Point Never, who will bring to life at Sónar Lisboa his latest album ‘Again’, in which he explores the omnipresent relationship that music maintains with its own past.
From Lisbon to the world
Since co-founding the electronic kuduro group Buraka Som Sistema in the early 2000s, DJ and producer Branko has been at the epicenter of the Lisbon electronic music scene and will appear at Sónar by Day with a new live set based on his imminent, as-yet-unnamed album, due out in 2024. Branko has also curated a special showcase of emerging Lusophone artists through his label Enchufada, with percussive DJ sets from Brazilian dance-funk specialist VHOOR and Portuguese beat and kuduro producer Vanyfox. Also invited are singer-songwriter Iolanda, who will perform her fado-influenced R&B live; Angolan Afrohouse mainstay DJ Satelite; and eclectic Angolan-Portuguese selector ZenGxrl.
Dance music for all tastes
The Sónar by Day lineup this year also includes a heavy dose of deep, transportive music aimed at the dancefloor with deep techno aficionado Laura BCR and the live set of Japanese psychedelic techno master Wata Igarashi, plus local DJ AMULADOR. They are joined by veteran selectors Ivan Smagghe and Manfredas, who will appear as Dresden. Together, they will explore the more heterodox and lysergic areas of dance music. Local selector Ana Pacheco and multidisciplinary duo Supa b2b Ghetthoven are similarly inclined, favoring slower tempos and psychedelic grooves. And the godfather of Portuguese electronic music, Rui Vargas, will return to the festival to deliver a typically hypnotic session.
‘Love Minus Zero’, the live audiovisual collaboration project by Hudson Mohawke and Tiga, will reconfigure the rave concept for 21st-century audiences. Also on that terrain will be the genre-fluid selections of Live From Earth member DJ Gigola, capable of playing everything from Madonna to Surgeon, and an intergenerational, 100% female and 100% Detroit back-to-back from DJ Minx and DJ Holographic.
Back at Sónar by Day, Florentino’s DJ sets combine Latin and dancehall rhythms with contemporary UK bass music, while Grove collides drum’n’bass, punk and dancehall in his electric live sets. DJ Lynce, from Porto, is a devotee of jungle and UK hardcore, so expect fast breakbeats and high-tempo during his live set. Barcelona-based artist and DJ Ikram Bouloum will be joined by Portuguese multidisciplinary artist Odete, in an experimental and geographically diverse club music session. Finally, emerging producer Mona Yim will sign a DJ set of fresh and contemporary tech-house, tinged with hyperpop and 2-step.