Sónar 2025 in Crisis: More than 30 Artists Pull Out. Why?

Barcelona's prestigious Sónar festival is facing one of its biggest crises. More than 30 artists, including headliners, have canceled their performances. We explain the facts behind the boycott and the controversial relationship with the investment fund KKR.

The Sónar festival, a global benchmark for electronic music and digital culture, is at the epicenter of a controversy that threatens its 2025 edition. What began as a murmur on social media has escalated into a full-scale boycott, with a growing list of artists withdrawing their names from the lineup, citing ethical and political reasons that have put the festival and its owners under intense scrutiny.

The core of the conflict lies in the relationship between Sónar and KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.), a global investment management giant. According to reports, Superstruct Entertainment, the company that owns Sónar and 80 other festivals in Europe, was acquired in 2024 by a company formed by KKR.

The problem, according to the artists and collectives promoting the boycott, is that KKR has been accused of having investments linked to Israeli military technology companies and the financing of illegal settlements in Palestine. In the context of the current conflict in Gaza, this connection has been deemed unacceptable by a significant portion of the artistic community.

"Can art be separated from the funding that sustains it?" – A question posed on social media that sums up the ethical dilemma of the Sónar boycott.

Social pressure and calls from the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement have led to a cascade of cancellations that directly impact the festival's programming. According to press releases and reports from media outlets such as 5 Mag and Rolling Stone, the list includes more than 30 names, covering both Sónar by Day and Sónar by Night.

Among the most notable artists who have retired are:

• * ARCA (Headliner)
• * Richie Hawtin (Who changed his participation to an exclusive DJ set instead of his show as Plastikman)
• * Sega Bodega (Although medical reasons were cited)
• * Juliana Huxtable
• * Shapednoise
• * ABADIR
• * YESSi PERSE + laSADCUM

In addition to musicians, the protest has spread to academic activities and exhibitors, with institutions such as the Pompeu Fabra University and the BAU Faculty of Arts and Design in Barcelona withdrawing.

In the face of the growing crisis, the Sónar organization issued a statement to clarify its position. In it, they expressed solidarity with the Palestinian civilian population and condemned the violence, but disassociated themselves from the investment decisions of its owners.

The key points of his defense are:

• * Lack of control: They claim that KKR's acquisition of Superstruct was a financial transaction in which Sónar "had no participation, say, or vote."
• * Financial independence: They assure that "not a single euro of the festival's revenue and profits will go to KKR," as all funds are reinvested in the festival itself.
• * Social commitment: They pledged to donate to NGOs that help the people of Gaza.

Despite the announcement, cancellations have not stopped, demonstrating that for many artists and fans, the indirect association is enough to force them to take a stand against it. The festival has activated a procedure to handle ticket refund requests, acknowledging the impact of the situation.

The case of Sónar 2025 has become a case study in the intersection of art, politics, and finance in the global era. The question resonating throughout the industry is whether festivals can maintain their cultural neutrality when their economic foundations are tied to actors with controversial political and financial agendas. The answer, for now, is being provided by the artists themselves with their absence.