Mira Digital Arts Festival

With a new location and an expanded outlook, Barcelona’s Mira Digital Arts Festival is leading the way in inventive programming that intersects electronic music with visual culture.

Chosen for: Innovation.

When it comes to music festivals in the Catalan capital, Primavera Sound and Sónar have historically dominated the circuit. Mira Digital Arts Festival is a dark horse asserting itself as a major challenger to these better-known events thanks to consistent, excellent programming and, as of 2022, a new venue. Now based at the spacious Fira Montjuïc, a grand exhibition centre built in the 1920s – and coincidentally, a key venue of Sónar – Mira has doubled its capacity and extended its opening hours, offering over 13 hours of entertainment each day.

As well as a trailblazing electronic music agenda, bringing together the very best in both established and up-and-coming artists, the two-day event is packed with DJ sets, live performances, large-format art installations, 360º projections in the Mira Dome, and a digital art gallery. The frankly colossal 2022 line-up linked electronic music styles across the decades, bringing together the likes of Neu! and Orbital with a new generation of leading edge contemporary acts. Despite being a drawcard for international festival-goers, Mira also retains a distinctly Spanish atmosphere thanks to a strong local presence.

Held annually in November, the festival makes an excellent late autumn destination, with Barcelona’s Mediterranean climate remaining relatively mild and sunny. At this time of year the heavy summer tourist crowds have also dissipated, making it the prime opportunity to take in nearby cultural attractions including the Montjuïc National Palace and the Joan Miró Foundation.

Mira Digital Arts Festival takes place at Fira de Barcelona, Spain, on 11-12 November 2023.