Here’s a rundown on some of the best events taking place this festival season during OFF Week in Barcelona!
Music, Creativity, Technology and Business. These are the 4 pillars that elevate one of the world’s most sought after festivals; Sonar. If it follows trends from previous years, it will attract over 100,000 attendees from over 100 countries the weekend of June 15th. I have been granted the privilege to attend Sonar via press pass through Festival Sherpa, covering the event during my stay in Barcelona.
But I turned it down. Not due to cancellation of plans, nor lack of interest, but simply because I won’t have enough time! Running parallel to the festival is OFF Week, a festival in its own, curated across various venues in Barcelona, ranging from the best local clubs to ancient monasteries. Some of the more notable events include:
Credits: IHOUSEU
Promoted by the culturally minded group, Creaductions, we will see the historic bullring Plaza de Toros Monumental transformed into in an open air festival stage. This year the bullring will host three events:
15 Years of Get Physical | June 15th with Audiofly, Booka Shade (Live!), Aero Manyelo, Bruce Loko, Eagles & Butterflies, M.A.N.D.Y., Roland Leesker, Ryan Murgatroyd, System of Survival
Queen Album Tour | June 16th with Ten Walls LIVE, Sebastien Leger, Delano Smith, Pablo Bolivar, Idriss D, Jade
5 Years of This And That | June 17th with Davide Squillace, Nic Fanciulli, Anja Schneider, Haiku 575, Manuel Del Giudice.
The admission is free however, it’s an invite-only event! You can register here and hope for the best!
Nick Curly Presents Trust Open Air
Credits: Resident Advisor
Nick Curly brings his Trust party to the rooftop pool of the ZT Hotel Villa Olympia on Thursday, June 15th. During this intimate affair, he will be joined by talent from all over Europe, including Darius Syrossian, Mathias Kaden, Tobi Neumann, Mar-T, Luca Donelli, Steffen Deux and Gorge. Previous years saw showcases from Tini & the Gang, Watergate, Mobilee and Life & Death; Trust is sure to follow suit with a stellar event. Sadly, the event is sold out but you can try your luck here.
Credits: Electronic Groove
An experience blending audio, visual, and awe-inspiring landscapes, Maceo Plex returns for a second year to give us Mosaic. The event will hit Plaza Mayor of the Poble Espanyol on Saturday, June 17th for a late afternoon to evening spectacle. Hand-picked for this special line-up, we will see Nick Murphy (Chet Faker’s alias), Joy Orbison, Daniel Avery b2b Roman Flugel, as well as live shows from Paranoid London and Broken English Club. Get your tickets right here.
A personal favorite since Solomun introduced me to deeper sounds 5+ years back, the Hamburg-based label returns to Parc Del Forum for another massive outdoor event on June 16th. The melodies from almost the entire Diynamic family (sans David August, DJ Phono and Stimming?) will pair quite well with the sun setting over the water, as 3,100+ ResidentAdvisor members look and dance on. Book your tickets ASAP cause this one is going to sell out!
Closing out this preview is none other than Matthias Tanzmann’s Moon Harbour Off Week event, held at Pacha Barcelona on Friday, June 16th. His jungly, tech house sound will mesh perfectly with Pacha’s world-class audio and beachside views. Helping him fill the club’s two rooms are none other than New York house legend Dennis Ferrer, Poker Flat boss Steve Bug, Get Physical co-boss DJ T and a varied palette including Luna City Express, Andrea Oliva, Emanuel Satie, Daniel Stefanik, Anek and Zohki. Tickets are available on their website.
Though I would like to attend all these events, there are only so many hours in the day, and a growing boy needs his sleep. Plus my wife would kill me. What can certainly be said is, with over 100 events to choose during my 100 hours in Barcelona, this edition of Off Week will be the experience of a lifetime. Make sure to stay tuned for my full review of the festival towards the end of June.