Techno festivals: from Detroit to Barcelona

Movement: back to the source

In 2000 the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival took place at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. Carl Craig helped create it, and entry was free. In 2003 it was produced by Derrick May, one of the Belleville Three, and took the name Movement. Today it happens every year at the end of May and is a pilgrimage to the city where techno was born. Kevin Saunderson, the third of the Belleville Three, recorded "Good Life" as Inner City, one of Detroit's anthems.

Time Warp: the German machine

Time Warp began in November 1994. The first edition drew about two thousand people, and from 1995 the festival settled permanently in Mannheim. It is an indoor festival known for elaborate production, lighting and lineups full of techno's biggest names. Germany's festival scene has long been shaped by Sven Väth, founder of the Cocoon label and creator of the classic "L'Esperanza".

Sónar: techno and art

Sónar was founded in Barcelona in 1994 as a festival of "advanced music and multimedia art". It has a day part, with concerts, exhibitions and a technology conference, and a night part, with huge dance stages. It takes place in June and attracts people interested not only in dancing but also in where electronic music is heading.

Awakenings, Dekmantel, Unsound

You know the next three from earlier lessons. Awakenings in the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest techno festivals. Dekmantel, in a forest near Amsterdam, is known for its adventurous programme. Kraków's Unsound is a festival for the curious and experimental, held in October. In Poland, Audioriver in Łódź is worth remembering in summer.

How to choose a festival

Big festivals offer stars and spectacle, but can be crowded and expensive. Smaller ones often have better sound, a more interesting programme and a friendlier atmosphere. Before you go, check the lineup beyond the biggest names, the timetable and whether the festival is indoors or open-air. Tickets for the most popular events often sell out months in advance. An example of techno reaching a mass audience: "Sky and Sand" by the Kalkbrenner brothers, from the film "Berlin Calling", spent more than two years in the German charts.