Your essential guide to Sónar 2013

Barcelona's Sants neighbourhood is on the rise, and much of the credit can go to Sala Toro, the heir to legendary nightclub Koitton (now permanently closed). This is where some of the most interesting and boundary-pushing DJ sets in the city take place, from the most experimental electronic music to feminist punk, classic indie, and Latin sounds.

This cavernous concert hall, (called BeGood from 1992 to 2018, when it became VOL), is one of the oldest in Poblenou. Among the usual genres, you can find punk, indie, and message-driven urban music, all with a very DIY spirit, as well as talks and presentations. It's a venue with a lot of its own life, but from a particular hour in the night, it also becomes a go-to destination for people coming from one of the Razz concerts, which is only a couple of minutes away.

It all started with a trip to Berlin, where Javier Meneses and Alex Schoihet gave birth to the concept that since September 2019 has been their Barcelona bar, Candy Darling, a friendly space for fun and queer freedom just next to Plaça Universitat. Their mission statement came into focus when they started designing the logo, with two pink triangles to represent the sexual dissidents who were vicitims of Nazi reprisals. Activism aside (or not!), you'll want to head to Candy Darling to try what they call a ‘bikini darling’ (remembing a ‘bikini’ is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich locally), called things like Pastrami Queer, Naturist, and Versatile. But it's also a spot to relax in the sofa area and take in a performance, whether it's a drag show, circus act or burlesque; or go to the Wild Room, a type of pocket disco that you've just got to check out for yourself.

Without a doubt, La Paloma is one of the great dance halls in the history of Barcelona, both in its aspect of orchestral dancing but also in the discipline of clubbing and modern parties. Established in 1907 in the heart of the Raval, it endured 16 years of closure, from 2007 to 2023, due to municipal regulations. Finally, it reopened at New Year's Eve from 2022 to 2023.

And the truth is that everything seems like it was opened yesterday. Their nights and afternoons are sustained by three delicious disciplines: dancing with an orchestra, every Sunday from 6 p.m., club sessions - which mix fun parties with avant-garde electronica sessions - as well as live concerts. Its wonderful ballroom, plenty of venerable wood and light, gives a special patina to anything that happens inside.

The Lapsus festival is a guarantee in Poble-sec, and this electronic music club forms an important part of that. They also host avant-garde electronic music sessions from national and international artists. Located near Hiroshima and behind Apolo, Laut – which means ‘loud’ in German – offers a balanced programme between music from the local scene and from further afield in a 245 m² space with the latest-generation sound and a capacity for 200 revellers.

El Pumarejo is the place for the ever-growing art scene that has been brewing in Hospitalet for some time now, thanks to slightly more affordable rents than in Barcelona. Located in the headquarters of an old evangelical church, nestled among industrial buildings, El Pumajero's team define themselves as a multidisciplinary cultural refuge where the discovery of art in all its forms is promoted. Among these forms is music, and with that goal in mind, they open their venue to artists who don't quite fit in more commercial spaces.

Culture as a form of social inclusion. This is the principle that drives the cultural association Freedonia, a vital space in the Raval. In addition to programming for members Wednesday to Saturday, Freedonia gives spaces to neighbourhood organisations, and hosts activities such like vintage markets and a group cycling sesh. 

Just-into-their-30s clubbers got very excited when Madrid's famous Marula Café announced it was opening a club in Barcelona, and they have not been disappointed. The house sound is mostly R&B, soul and funk, always loud and always danceable. Absolute vibes. 

Even though it's been around since before the Beatles broke up, Jamboree is still the place in Barcelona where you can see the best jazz concerts in the city, as well as dance to the best of hip hop and R&B. Don't miss Thursday nights to educate your ears with the most current hits of the scene thanks to the BCN Or Die sessions with Flavio Rodríguez. Weekends mean obligatory visits to services with DJ Yoda, one of the biggest there are when it comes to urban sounds. Oh, and sneakers and caps are not only allowed but they're practically mandatory.

Best friend of those about to rock, the always-sticky Magic Club is a rock 'n' roll club the likes of which Keith would approve. It's a break from the hipster aroma in the air throughout the Born, bringing attitude to a neighbourhood that's increasingly fickle. The tattooed and the leather-jacketed have been welcomed into Magic's embrace since the first Ice Age, and the club specializes in satisfying the clan of the anti-techno. Sure, you can listen to an Iggy Pop song anywhere, but nowhere else will it have such a sweetly bitter aftertaste of beer, bourbon, sweat and sex.